Top 10 Ideas To Help Make Memories With Your Children

Children grow up so fast!

It’s important to make the most of our time together as a family, but especially with our children to create long lasting fun memories as well as helping them to grow into well rounded adults.

Our Top Ten list below is mainly focused on free activities you can enjoy together in your own home and are suitable for dry or wet days. If you have other suggestions please share them with us on social!

1. Build a den

This idea never goes out of fashion. Grab a selection of bed sheets, blankets, or throws and arrange them across chairs and other occasional furniture. Put down a selection of soft cushions inside the den and bring a tray out for your children’s afternoon snacks. Getting them to put the den away may be more difficult!

This is also a great opportunity to start a game of hide and seek as well, or to start an indoor treasure hunt. For younger children you could hide different objects for them to find such as colourful socks or pegs. For older children you could leave clues leading to each new location, eventually bringing them closer to the final prize.

2. Read or watch together

Snuggle up together and enjoy some quality time spent watching some great family films – don’t forget the popcorn! Perhaps you could take it in turns and you could share your own childhood films with them.

Books are a great way to help build your child’s confidence in learning to read, write and speak. Or if you prefer you could also check out some audio books too, many of which are free.

3. Board Games

It’s time to get everyone together in the living room, maybe even inviting the Grandparents over to participate.

You can store the classics such as Twister, Monopoly, Cluedo, and Scrabble (even a pack or two of playing cards) in your sideboard, or on the shelf of the console table. Smaller games can even be stored inside the drawers of your coffee tables helping to keep the room tidy when out of play.

Board games are then best played sat all together on a corner sofa with a coffee table in the middle. If you have a large group you can also pull up a large footstool to the table. If its younger children playing they may be just as comfortable playing together on a rug.

4. Freshen up your garden pots

5. Grow a herb or flower patch

Find any old plant pots lying around and ask your children to decorate them.

Make sure to give them a wash and a dry first, perhaps adding some white paint as a primer coat. Most homes have spare paint in their sheds or garages, acrylics or old emulsion paints will work best. Take the indoors outdoors with you to stay comfy whilst you work on this. Just be careful not to spill any paint on yourselves (finding some old clothes would be best)!

Growing your own herbs, fruits, vegetables, and flowers can be a really rewarding experience and helps to teach kids where their food comes from.

Take some time out to visit your local garden centre, and ask for help when selecting which flowers, herbs, or veg to grow. Most seeds will need to be sowed at particular times of the year, otherwise consider buying and potting some plants which have already started to blossom.

6. Get creative in the Kitchen

Baking is a great way to spend more time together. Pull up to the dining table on a dining chair or bar stool, whilst the kids pull up on a dining bench. There are plenty of easy recipes you can start with such as a simple sponge cake or cornflake cakes.

Another thing you can do in the kitchen together is use spare or old root vegetables to create pictures. Get creative with the patterns and shapes you cut into the vegetables for your children to use with some paint on paper. Be careful to place some old newspapers down to protect your table.

7. Put on a play

Let your children show you their creativity. See what clothes are at the back of your wardrobes or chest of drawers, and toys in storage, and bring them out to help put on a show.

8. Build a time capsule

If you want to do this indoors then use a shoe box and then store it in the attic or garage to re-discover in 5 or 10 years time.

If you want to bury one in the ground you could find a metal tin such as an old tin of beans that’s been washed. Your children could start by writing a note about what they’ve been up to recently, and what they are looking forward to doing in the future. Then try to find small items such as toys which they could place inside it.

9. Visit a local attraction

It’s nice to get out of the house once in while, and Cousins Furniture is close to many local attractions.

Going out doesn’t mean breaking the bank. There are always a wide variety of attractions around and they range from the more expensive to more affordable, and even to free.

Consider researching on sites such as Tripadvisor or Mumsnet to learn more about attractions in your area, and their prices.

You can take a packed lunch to keep the cost down as well, even asking your children to help make their own jam sandwiches. Sign up to newsletters or social media groups to look for offers, or free parking suggestions.

10. Drawing

Drawing is a great way for kids to let their imaginations run wild. Start with a few pieces of blank paper, use a colour book, or even learn how to draw more complicated and detailed designs from Youtube.

There are plenty of old-fashioned drawing games to help pass the time as well. You could play noughts and crosses, battleships, hangman or even create your own version of Pictionary.