Ideas for Quality Time with Your Kids

Now that you know the basics of how to spend quality time with your children, do you need some help with ideas?

First, try asking your children for ideas. Why don’t you give your child the opportunity to think about how they want to spend time with you? Children usually have many fun ideas for how to have fun with you! Give your child a) a limit on the time and b) the freedom to decide how to spend it.
Option #1: “We have ten minutes to do something together and you can choose what we do. What would you like to do together for ten minutes?”
Option #2: You can sit down with your child and brainstorm ideas. Write down all the ideas your child thinks of. Then narrow the list to about five things they would like to do with you that are within your reasonable limits of time and money.

Second, come up with some ideas yourself so that you have these ready and waiting. The best way to get in your quality time is to prepare for it. Have many different ways already in your mind and ready to go. Try to decide at least five things you could do with your child in five, ten, or thirty minutes and make sure whatever materials are needed (such as crayons, toys, bubbles, etc) are within easy access.


Here are some fun and rewarding ways that many parents and children have found to spend quality time together to get you started:


30 Minutes or Less
Have your child help you with a cooking or baking project
Take a walk
Play a board game (and play at their level)
Teach your child something (without any pressure on them to succeed
Play together with your child’s pet


10 Minutes or Less
Throw a ball around outside
Take a walk
Read a book
Help them clean their room while playing music
Color a coloring book with them
Finger paint together (it’s messy, but you will have fun too!)
Talking about the day
Ask your child to teach you something


5 Minutes or Less
Be an active listener for your child (see above example) anywhere throughout your day
Create a special goodbye or hello ritual, such as a special handshake or a special phrase
Sing a song that comes on the car radio together
Blowing bubbles
Talking about a topic they enjoy