5 Screen-Free Activities to Create Meaningful Rituals with Children
by Veronica JoceFamily rituals are emotionally meaningful experiences that organize family life, enhance a sense of belonging and strengthen parent-child bonds. Below are 5 activities to do with children, designed to build simple but profound rituals and preserve heart-warming memories for years to come.
Family Storytime
Create a reading schedule together with your kids (a great first step for them to build and stick to a routine), be fully present in that moment, and make every storytime a quality experience you share together. You can build a cozy reading nook, or, as a more entertaining alternative, use the boxes from your home deliveries to make decorations and bring your kids’ favorite tales to life. To keep things calm, make sure all the books that are on the bookshelf will help instil positivity and joy in them, as well as love for reading.
Gratitude Scavenger Hunt
You can set up a simple and fun scavenger hunt that is designed to focus young minds on good things in their lives, fostering gratitude and creating positive memories. This is a perfect bonding ritual for the whole family, as it gives you the reason to shift your focus and share all the joyful things and moments that nurture your souls with love, kindness and appreciation.
Download our free Gratitude Scavenger Hunt here
Exploring Creativity
Discover an artist inside you, get those creative juices and imagination flowing and work on creative projects with your little ones. Get creative with home-made play dough; travel without leaving the house by creating planes and trains from cardboard boxes; bring home flowers by mastering the art of origami; and create your very own cards to shower your special ones with love and extra appreciation.
Cooking Together
Cooking together with kids not only inspires a love of fresh, home-cooked food, but is also a great way to spend time together as you share the experience of preparing a delicious meal for the whole family. This process requires a lot of supervision, but it is an incredible way to explore the culinary world through smell, touch, and taste. Also, this is a great opportunity to teach your little ones how to plant an indoor garden and have an authentic ‘farm-to-table’ experience.
Mindfulness Rituals
Practicing relaxing rituals together with children, like journaling or meditating, can be a great way to balance your emotions, gain more awareness of your surroundings, and build a connection on a more deeper level. You can sit together and fill out gratitude journals, discuss amazing things–small or big–that make you feel unconditionally happy, create a special calming bedtime ritual or practice some breathing exercises.