Get your cameras ready! With imagination, an adventurous spirit, and positivity, you and your family can create happy memories right at home.

Here are 7 ways to bond with your children at home.

Perfect for Mornings

#1 Listen and Sing Along to Favourite Songs

Get creative, compose lyrics together with your child. If you feel up to the challenge, make up lyrics with one that encourages him to stay well and healthy. Need a bit of inspiration? Check out the "Washy Washy Clean" song which teaches little ones to wash their hands to the tune of “If you're happy and you know it”. Or if you have an older kid, try dancing along with our very own "My Healthy Plate" jingle.

#2 Hunt Like Scavengers

A scavenger hunt at home will get everyone moving and pump up the energy level.

Here's how to get one going: Come up with a list of things to “hunt”. You can hide some or all of these things. Write clues for each of them. Give your children the clues one by one. Compete to see who finds the most. Give prizes to everyone for participating.

Tune up your scavenger hunt by having your children do special activities to earn the next clue! For example, they (or the whole family!) could complete 10 jumping jacks or dance to a song – everyone is bound to work up a sweat!

To keep fit, adults should aim for 150 minutes of moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity a week. Children 7 to 18 years old should get at least 60 minutes of physical activity in a day. For kids below seven years old, aim for 180 minutes of active play every day. Check out our physical activity page for more ideas! 

#3 Have a Family Cookout and Make Lunch

A delicious, healthy meal will refuel bodies and spirits. Cook a balanced and nutritious meal together!

Check out ideas for nutritious foods for a healthy diet.

Quarter plate of wholegrains, quarter plate of proteins and half the plate filled with vegetables and fruits. Whether it's a one-pot wonder like pasta or a kid-friendly favourite like pizza, just follow the “Quarter, Quarter, Half” proportions and you'll end up with My Healthy Plate.

Get your children to pitch in according to their age or ability. A younger child can stir in chopped ingredients while an older child can help add herbs and spices. When your children are cooking with you, they're also building up their confidence by learning to follow instructions, doing things in sequence and seeing the results of their efforts.

At the end of the cooking, when everyone is enjoying the meal, your children will also feel proud to have contributed.

Perfect for Afternoons

#4 Get Artsy and Crafty Together

Organise an arts and crafts session for the family. Creating art stimulates all our senses and improves our brain functions. Art can be a mindful activity which makes it a great stress-buster! 

With the internet, you'll never run out of new things to do. Make sock puppets, stained glass made out of pasta or a batch of slime! And if you're in the mood to mix nostalgia with craft, try making rainbow soap – it looks a lot like lapis sagu. Just don't eat it! Check out Parent Hub for more free “Download and Play” activity sheets to play as a family.  

At all times, health and safety come first. Before you start on any of the crafts, check if they are suitable for your children's age. Check out Parent Hub for more information 

#5 Picnic in Your Living Room

Bring the outdoors indoors with a picnic right in your living room. Throw a nice picnic blanket on the floor and get everyone into the kitchen to help prepare a few simple, healthy bites or snacks. 

When the entire family eats healthy, it's easier to instil healthier eating habits in the kids. Preparing tasty yet healthy food can slowly change your children's eating habits. For drinks, choose water. Flavour with water with frozen fruit or fresh herbs such as mint leaves to make water more refreshing.

Perfect for Evenings

#6 Read Together

As the sun sets, get your children ready for bed. How about tucking them into bed with a good book? Reading is a good wind-down activity for bed and it also increases your children's learning capacity and helps to inculcate values.

If they are very young, read to them. Just hearing the sound of your voice will deepen the bond between you and your children. As you read together, pause every now and then to ask them what they think is happening in the story or ask them to guess how the main character is feeling. Let your children draw you into their world. 

For your little ones, you could also help them look forward to bedtime with our series of audio books about Captain Sleep's adventures and end it off with a sleep-tastic night.

#7 Film a Family Newscast

Pretend you are making a news clip on everything that has happened during the staycay. You or your spouse can be the hosts interviewing your children as they describe their experience, and also encourage them to share their feelings.

It's a creative project so feel free to include more segments. Curious about what your children think of school or any recent events? Encourage them to share as you film their stories on your mobile. Talking and interacting with others will stimulate their brains.

When they are talking, you can be their pillar of support by listening, validating their feelings and appropriately responding, such as helping them to recognise and manage their emotions. Studies have shown that having supportive relationships helps to enhance our mental well-being.

Happy Moments as a Family 

Those are the 7 things you can do as a family to strengthen your bonds and also boost your health. For more ideas, head over to Parent Hub for more ways to bond as a family.  

When you're with your children, ask them to share their thoughts and pay attention to how they are feeling. Listen closely and address their feelings in an age-appropriate manner. Allow them to express their emotions through activities such as drawing and playing.[1]

When everyone joins in, we will be able to create happy memories together as a family, even while at home. 


Visit Parent Hub, for more useful tips and guides to give your child a healthy start.


References

  1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2020, Apr 1). Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) - Stress and Coming. Retrieved April 2020 from: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/managing-stress-anxiety.html