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I love to take my daughter on Mommy and Me dates. It’s a time that we can spend on purpose focusing on building memories and having fun. During these focused times, she is more likely to open up to me about what is going on in her life. I take this opportunity to impart wisdom, listen, and help her work through some of the questions or relational problems she may have. I love to spend time with my daughter and yet when I’m busy with life I find it’s hard to naturally squeeze moments in so I choose to intentionally make the time to pour into our relationship. I hope these ideas help you in your relational journey with your child!
1) Dinner and a Movie!
My daughter loves to go to the movie theater. To be honest we go quite frequently because she loves this activity so much. Because mostly you don’t talk through a movie I wanted to find a way to make this activity more connective so I landed on taking her out to eat ahead of time. I’m a bit of a foodie so I love to explore new restaurants in the area. We will choose a day and make a date out of it. This is also a way to expose your child/children to new and different foods. I value my daughter experiencing the way other cultures eat as well as getting exposed to foods she’s not used to. During dinner, I will ask her about her day and how she’s doing if I run out of ideas I got these cards from Amazon that work great! I usually have great conversations during dinner and then after the movie, we talk about what the movie meant to us or what kind of lesson we learned from it.
2) Roller Skating Rink!
I can hear you saying but… I don’t skate! It’s ok we can all learn new things. I use to roller skate a lot as a little kid. This activity not only keeps you active but can create an opportunity for you to teach your child a new skill. There’s something nostalgic about a skating rink. They usually serve food and have other games available to play. Play is such a great way to connect with your child when you want to bond with them. If you make this an every month thing you can invest in your own skates as well! These are such a cute pair! Depending on where you live you can have your child practice ahead of time. Usually, after going to the skating rink my daughter loves to roller skate down the road and begs me to take her again!
3) Bowling!
Bowling is a classic activity that many people do at least once in their lifetime. I remember learning how to bowl when I was in school. The bowling class that I took really helped me learn how to aim correctly and really it’s just such a fun activity for all ages. If you have a smaller child you can request that they put up the bumpers so your child learns how to keep it in the middle. Part of the fun of bowling is learning about achievement and camaraderie. Try and choose a time that is less crowded so you can talk with your child about how to play the game and the rules specific to bowling. Special moments will happen as you play the game and those memories will last a lifetime! If you start getting really serious about bowling a fun addition is to get your kid their own bowling ball. Here’s one with different sizes and colors to choose from!
3) Shopping!
This is one of my favorite activities to do with my daughter. If you have a son you can make this activity fun with a couple of fun games. I use these trips not just to bond with my daughter but also get all the things that we may need. Usually, I love to shop at Target but the mall is also a very fun place to go. Many times while we shop we talk about different styles that she likes or doesn’t. I find that meeting her needs by shopping with her brings a deeper connection to our relationship! With little kids, you can have scavenger hunt games that help to break up the trip. For example, you could have them look for items that are all blue. Have them name as many blue things and at the end, they get to pick out one blue toy. This helps them to stay occupied and it can be an opportunity to expose them to items in a store they never thought of or knew about before. Here’s something I found on Pinterest you can print out that’s fun!
4) Board Game Night!
On those cold and rainy evenings in the fall and winter, board games are a great way to spend time with your kids! I love to teach my daughter a new game or train her how to lose with dignity. I’m not really competitive but it is a fun way to teach how to be a good game player. We have several games that are our favorite. One of my favorite games of all time is Clue! I think it’s pretty easy for kiddos to understand and it’s a classic. Another game that we like to play is Qwirkle. I like this game because it’s all about colors and shapes and really helps build strategy. Leave me a comment below telling me what kind of games you like to play with your kiddos!
6) Taking a walk in the park or going for a hike!
I remember taking my daughter for so many hikes over the years. We would explore mountains and wade through steams. It was such a fun time just to be in nature. There’s something about the fresh air that can bring such a sense of energy and peace back into your world. With little kids exploring nature is so important. It’s so much a part of their learning process and being able to identify plants and animals can be a great learning experience. Here’s a great book for kids who want to be able to identify animals and plants. We also would have so much fun swimming in streams and finding rock treasures along the way. Encourage your child to be a collector of nature they find fun (as long as they keep it outside :).
7) Visiting an Art Gallery or Museum!
My daughter has always loved to draw since she was very young. I always have encouraged her art abilities through painting with her or helping her with materials for her art. Another great way to spend quality time with your child is to find an art gallery or museum where they can learn about all sorts of things that aren’t in their everyday world. Most recently my daughter and I visited the Henry Ford museum and learned all about the Civil Rights Movement it was a great moment to talk about slavery and oppression. We also walked through many different places where art is hung and discussed what we felt when we saw the painting. These moments help not only expand their interests but also connect us to them in a different way.
8) Go to a Local Fair or Circus!
This can get expensive so you should plan ahead of time but usually in the spring and summer you have local fairs and circuses coming through town. Have a time where you get to investigate the local traveling fair. Remember I said that play is an important way to connect? Well, it’s true. Most of the time if you are like me I can get into a serious space very often because of the stress of life. When you are sharing a fun experience your kids get to see another side of you they may have never seen before. It’s important to connect with your kids when you are having a fun time so that they don’t feel like you are mad all the time. Make sure that you collect pictures and memories your kids will hang on to for the rest of their lives. I have a photo/scrapbook album that I have kept our memories in. I didn’t go all out just jotted a few things down. Here’s something that would be great for a child to keep their memories in. Just remember to have fun!
9) Summer Icecream Date!
Summer is one of my favorite times to make memories. Really every season has its moments to make memories but in the summer there’s something about the smell of chlorine and sunscreen that makes me happy. If you are anything like me summer can be a stressful time for single moms trying to figure out what to do with their kiddos during the day while they are earning a living. Many times it was babysitters or stay-at-home moms that would help me with my kiddo. As she got older I was able to work from home and it would make our summers full of adventure. In our city, we have a special ice cream stand that opens for the summer. We love to go after dinner or even after a swim time and sit down outside for a little ice cream. This is a great time to talk about a little life update or hear their silly swimming stories. These moments of ice cream memories will always be in a special place in both of our hearts.
10) Fun Art Project Date!
You can get so caught up in life that you forget to give your crafty artistic side an avenue to express itself. I love having some projects that promote creativity however it can’t be too complicated. I went to Hobby Lobby one time and got these cute crafting kits for my daughter and niece. It turned out to be so complicated I spent 8 hours on each project by myself the kids peaced out very quickly. Lesson learned for me. Some of the easier crafts we have done are slime, paint by numbers, or shrinky dinks. There are hundreds of ideas online but these are some of our favorites! Make sure that you plan this ahead of time and choose a craft that isn’t something that will stress you out. Create memories of fun and joy through crafting!
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I can’t wait to do all these with my son! Thank you for the encouragement to be creative with our times if connecting to our kids! So I know it’s so healthy for both so us!