Special time is a pro-active parenting tool aimed at filling up your child’s “feel good” cup.
Daily special time no only helps your child feel well, it strengthens your parent-child bond.
Special time can be any activity where you and your child actively engage in play and time together.
Below you will find a list of 60 acitivity suggestions you can do with your child.
How To Make The Most out of Special Time
Make your time together truly special by putting away your phone and turning off the tv.
Focus on your child with 100% of your attention to make your time together special.
In part one of the Special Time Series there are 40 activity ideas for infants and toddles.
Here are 60 Activitiy ideas for special time with your child
Pre-schoolers: 3-5 yrs
Quick Tip for Sucess*
Children love the opportunity to be the boss!
Telling mom or dad how to walk across a silly obstacle course or watching you get sticky hands while cooking up slime pies is irrisistable fun for children.
Managing to make you fall over playing monster catch is sure to invite laughter and happiness.
When you do special time with your young child, let them lead as much as possible and bring some lighthearted, sillyness along.
Some ideas for special time with Pre-schoolers:
1. Read funny stories
2. Bake a delicious treat
3. Draw portraits of each other
4. Cook up mudpies
5. Stew some rock soup
6. Build a windsock
7. Paint rock critters
8. Have a picnic on the lawn
9. Play with sidewalk-chalk
10. Go on a scavenger hunt
11. Pretend beauty parlor/barber shop
12. Make a balloon popping maze
13. Plant a vegetable garden
14. Hunt for worms
15. Play sink or swim with paper boats and rocks
16. Splash water around with measuring cups
17. Set up a pirate/viking/dinosaur theme hour
18. Play “simon says” (take turns being “simon”)
19. Go bird watching – with binoculars!
20. Play freeze tag
Special Time with School Age Children: 6yrs and up
School age children really need that extra time with you, especially if your child is spending many hours a day at school and activities.
Quick Tip for Success*
Making special time a daily or weekly ritual, is a great way to not lose this very important time together.
Let your child choose the activity and honor your child’s interests. This is your time to show your child that you are happy to spend time together.
Ideas for special time with School aged children:
1. Build a wind chime
2. Paint a bird house/feeder
3. Cook a meal the child chooses
4. Create a wind catcher
5. Create canvas paintings
6. Tie die T-shirts
7. Create a family Logo
8. Write up a story and illustrate it
9. Build a kite
10. Build with scraps of wood
11. Paint and plant a flower pot
12. Create coffee filter Butterflies
13. Paint with balls & ramps
14. Make pipe-cleaner critters
15. Paint with side-walk chalk
16. Play hop scotch
17. Let the Children build you an obstacle course
18. Trace shadows
19. Play animal, plant,mineral
20. Play spray bottle tag
21. Dig for Dinosaur bones
22. Have a bucket relay race
23. Float paper boats in the pond
24. Jump in puddles
25. Go on a worm hunt
26. Build a fort
27. Have a space theme hour
28. Go on Treasure Hunt
29. Listen to your child read
30. Build a rope maze
31. Try origami
32. Take a color hunting hike
33. Make a garden art jar
34. Build a water wall
35. Shoot hoops
36. Play a ball game
37. Take a bike ride
38. Take a walk by the beach/lake/pond
39. Sit and listen to your child talk
40. Star Gaze and sip hot cocoa
Peace and be well,
Ariadne
Did you know daily special time can be an amazing pro-active parenting tool for reducing misbehavior and increasing cooperation?
Learn more in our Positive Parenting Connection Classroom.
Ariadne Brill
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