Things to Do With Your Kids Other Than Watch TV

Sometimes, when it's the end of a long day or you just want a little peace and quiet, it's tempting to turn on the television for your kids so you can relax for a bit while they are glued to a cartoon or two. While there's nothing wrong with a bit of TV, you don't necessarily want that to become your go-to strategy for spending time with your kids.

  1. Play Outside

    • When the weather is good, one of the best things you can do with your kids is get outside together. The American Humane Association suggests playing ball with your children outside. For toddlers and young kids, you can simply roll a ball back and forth across the lawn to improve coordination, and for kids that are older and can handle it, try playing catch. Teaching your child to throw and catch a ball is a good bonding opportunity and helps keep you both fit and coordinated.

    Workout

    • It's never too early to get into healthy habits. Make your child a part of your own fitness and workout routines. Whether you make it a habit to go for a walk each night after dinner, take up a sport together or turn on a workout DVD and let your little one bounce around to the music with you, it's a good way to spend time together and promote fitness at the same time.

    Hobbies

    • If you and your child don't have any hobbies in common, maybe it's time to correct that. Find something you both enjoy and that can be a common ground for you to enjoy together. Find out if she has an interest in puzzles, a knitting class, playing laser tag -- any number of things can be a way to spend time together without television. Just make sure you are both on the same page and will enjoy the new hobby; if it's torture for one of you, it probably won't last.

    Volunteer

    • Working on a volunteer project together is a good way to teach your child about community service and giving to others, while at the same time spending quality time with him. Doing a community cleanup project together, building a home for those less fortunate and volunteering together at a local soup kitchen are all ways to help out your community and benefit your own family at the same time.

    Activities Your Child Enjoys

    • Get to know your child by spending time with her doing the things she likes to do. Go to the mall together, ask questions about her favorite video games, get to know her friends. The more you know about your child and her interests, the more common ground you'll have as a starting point for conversation.

    Reading

    • There are many ways to enjoy books with your child. You can read stories to him, or even spend time quietly sitting on the couch while he looks at his books and you read your own. For a very young child, consider checking out story hour at your local library, suggests Somerset Academy.

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