Six Ways To Keep Your Niños Entertained This Month and Enjoy Quality Time Together

Parenting alone comes with its own set of challenges. Now, being an at-home teacher on top of being a parent is a whole other ball park. Luckily, there’s a solution that will help both you and your children de-stress and that is intentional quality time together. While being in quarantine together with kids means there’s less of a work/life balance, creating opportunities for quality time makes the whole situation better for everyone. Here are six ideas for how to have fun and keep the kids active while also making beautiful memories along the way.

Discuss your family history and look at old photo albums.

Whether you have old photos of yourself as a child growing up or photos of your own kids from their infant days, this is an activity you’ll both cherish. Taking the time to revisit nostalgic family photos can lead to tons of memories and fun stories your kids will love to hear about. Think of it as another form of storytime, but instead of reading words from a book, you’ll be narrating the stories yourself.

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Spend time together in the kitchen.

Passing down family recipes is every abuela’s dream and having the chance to get messy in the kitchen is every kid’s dream. Not only will your children feel special for being given the important role as top chef in the kitchen, they will also get to learn about their family’s culture and traditions through the meals you prepare together. If you get lucky, you might even be able to convince your kids to help you clean the kitchen afterwards as a fun activity. No promises made though.

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Try out new games to play together.

You can use this time to introduce to your children the games you used to play as a kid growing up like Lotería. Not only will it be fun and competitive, you’ll also have the opportunity to tap in to that nostalgia again AND introduce your kids to something you loved growing up. Plus, the kids will likely get into it as they learn the rule and fun of this new game.

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To switch things up, you can also try a new sport together as a family.

Soaking in some Vitamin D and working your endorphins is a must during stressful times. Whether you and your kids are the athletic type of family or not, it’s always fun to compete against each other and try out a sport you probably never had time for before. Even if it’s just something like who can do the most jumping jacks in 30 seconds or get the basketball through the hoop (and the hoop can totally be an empty bin in the house) it’s all about staying active. And if you really love the outdoors, take this opportunity to make it a priority. Whether it’s going on a hike, taking a stroll through a botanical garden, or camping at a national park you’ve never visited before, being outdoors is a great way to destress and spend quality time with your family.

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Introduce your kids to the joy of trivia.

Being in school all day can be exhausting, especially now that most children are having to do their schooling through a computer. However, you can make learning exciting for your kids by teaching them fun facts every chance you get. Ask them why brass door knobs are good (they disinfect themselves after a few hours) or ask them to go outside and name the star closest to the Earth (sun) – make your home a journey of discovery.

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Last but not least, get creative!

Now more than ever, is the time to explore different interests, talents, skills, and hobbies. So if that means buying new roller skates for you and your kids, do it! If it means creating an entire room for creativity with chalkboard walls and a designated paint area, go for it. As long as it provides quality family time and takes you away from the stresses of the world, that’s all that matters.