Top activities to wear the kids out!

*This post is in collaboration with Slap Up Media.

Was there ever a time when having a young family wasn’t a ridiculously busy experience? Probably not, but it seems that these days there’s so much more to do than when we were kids – the internet must have something to do with it! There are plenty of more traditional activities offering so much joy, that sometimes it’s good to unplug that pesky iPad and see what else is on offer. Don’t unplug it just yet though!

Sleep Well

In order to have the energy to get out and do something, everyone needs a good night’s sleep. That’s you, the kids and the dog. It’s not just important for your mood, it’s essential for overall health. Happily, you can use that newfound energy to tire the kids out the next day. If you or the children are having trouble getting off to sleep, take a good look at your mattress. They don’t last forever, but high quality new beds need not break the bank, as this collection from Bedfordshire demonstrates. Bedstar offer next day delivery as well.

Outdoors

Now that the weather’s on the up (fingers crossed), it’s time to start thinking about outdoor activities. If you have a park near where you live – use it! A little exercise rapidly becomes something that you and the kids will want to do, and getting everyone away from their screens for a while is always a good idea. Use the World Cup in June to get kids interested in kicking a ball about, and you might have the next David Beckham on your hands. Remember the simple joy of chucking a frisbee about? Now is also a great time to attempt the time-honoured tradition of getting a kite to stay in the air for more than four seconds.

Make ‘Em Laugh

There’s so much stuff you can do together as a family. Though some people would think twice about matching parent-and-child clothing, try casting off your veneer of coolness (it’s gone anyway – you’re a parent, remember!) and wearing something like this. It won’t do your street cred any good, but it’ll make your kids laugh – until they get to about 12 years old...

Home Baking

When you’re all exhausted by your frenetic outdoor activities, try coming home and giving the little monsters a baking lesson. Baking cakes is great for kids, as the youngest can get involved in the (invariably messy) icing, and the older ones can learn how to use the oven. Everybody gets to see that food doesn’t necessarily come in dinosaur shapes, and everybody gets a chance to lick the spoon. Yum!

(Images courtesy of schoolatoz.nsw.edu.au, 2guystalkingmetsbaseball.com, maisoncupcake.com)