One of the most rewarding sights is seeing kids happy and curious when they’re taking part in a fun activity. It’s natural for parents to hope their kids will love the things they love to do — whether that’s music, theatre, cooking, sport, the outdoors, you name it! There are lots of great activities for kids out there. How much fun would it be if you could go rock-climbing together and both love it? Or cook treats together and develop your own recipes?
But I guess we have to realise children are their own people, and they have their own unique interests and talents. What if you have no ear for music, but your child turns out to be very musically talented? You wouldn’t want to keep them from exploring their musical potential, just because you can’t carry a tune to save your life!
We should give our children the opportunity to discover what’s out there. If your kid doesn’t have the same exact tastes as you, sometimes the only way to find out what they do like is by involving them in all sorts of different activities. The Internet is full of great suggestions for fun activities for kids, but here’s just a quick run-down of the many different kinds of activities that you and your child can start to explore:
Arts and Crafts — Children have incredible imaginations, and there are more materials and mediums than you can possibly hope to keep up with, so just let them discover their artistic talents with paints, crayons, construction paper, fabrics, buttons, and anything else you can think of. You’ll be surprised with what they can come up with! If you have several children, all artistically inclined, by the third you will have an unfathomable treasure chest of things to play and create with.
Group Games and Sport — Even if you aren’t the sportiest of parents, it’s good for kids to develop a confidence about their physical abilities and their bodies. Group games and team sports will teach them how to work together, and will keep them physically fit! A fun idea is to not define what sporting equipment is for. Only a kid would play swing ball with a cricket bat, or tennis with an air ball, so let them explore this.
Cooking and Baking — Fresh-baked cookies are a draw for any kid. But boys and girls equally can have a flair for preparing food too — and they’ll get a sense of achievement from making something tasty and being able to eat it at the end!
Nature Activities — There’s nothing like fresh air and the outdoors to keep your kids physically healthy and curious about the world we live in. Plus, all kids love animals! Bird-spotting, a simple walk in the woods, gardening — these are all great ways to ground your child (and you) in the beauty of nature.
Music — Encourage your child to play a musical instrument and see where they go with it. It may not be for them, or they may discover a unique talent and a sense of escape. Music makes all our lives a little better, so why deprive your kid of this opportunity?
Theatre and Reading— Some kids are really good at storytelling, and I don’t mean spinning lies and excuses! (Though some are good at that, too.) If you child enjoys poetry and words, then encourage them to read books, write their own stories and poems, and maybe even put on a mini-play.
Science Experiments — Hands-on, fun, and educational, there are loads of homemade science experiments your children can try. Bubble bombs, soda explosions — they can indulge their curiosity about the world and also witness the wonder of science before their very eyes!
So that’s just a quick outline. Get them active and out there, let them learn to experiment, learn to be proud of a finished thing, whatever it is, and let them see the world from their eyes.