Bring them to a movie they’ve wanted to see. Go to the mall or a toy store and give each child $5 to spend any way they choose. Take your child(ren) on a “mystery ride”. Don’t tell them where you are going or when it will occur. Find a quiet moment and call a family huddle to talk about what happened that day. Who has a funny story to tell or something new to share? A huddle is also a good time to give someone a compliment or to tell what’s bugging you on a day when things don’t seem to go right. Ask the child to turn around and then remove one of the objects.
Put a sheet or blanket over a table and make a tent, doll house or secret hiding place. It’s also a great place to take a nap or have a picnic lunch. Hide a small toy in a room. While the children look for it, give them clues such as, “You are hot” when they are close and “You are cold” when they move away. Make a mystery bag by placing familiar objects in a pillow case. Ask your child to close his or her eyes, feel the objects in the bag, and pick out the item you name. Read and act out one of your child’s favorite stories. Have your children create books about themselves. They might want to include their birth date, handprints and footprints, drawings of themselves and their families, and a story about themselves. Make a bird feeder by rolling a pinecone in peanut butter, then in bird seed. Hang from a tree with string.
You can also put glow sticks in them and do it at night. Spray paint two-liter bottles and use for bowling pins. Put a little water in the bottom of each one to weigh it down. Make frozen fruit juice cubes in an ice tray. Sprinkle with alfalfa or rye grass seeds.
Instead, my dad took me outside and we looked at the stars. When they told my parents I thought I was going to be in trouble.
I remember one night annoying the older kids while trying to push myself into what they were doing. There were times when I was younger that I was left out because of my age. Growing up as the youngest in a large family can be difficult.