One night while my four kids were in various stages of bathing, showering, or getting ready for bed, I took a sweep through the house to corral the never-ending stream of clutter. As I bent down next to the couch to scoop up a pile of LEGOs, something on the couch caught my eye.

A streak of vivid purple.

As I slowly stood up, my eyes followed the trail of purple to where one of our cats was lying on the back of the couch. Her entire left side was covered in purple paint.

That’s when I connected the dots. Earlier that day, my 10-year-old budding artist had asked if she could paint a canvas—one of her absolute favorite things to do. “Yep,” I’d said. “As long as you clean it up after.”

Spoiler alert: She didn’t clean it up after. And now our leather couch was sporting purple stripes, plus our cat had apparently entered her punk phase?

Bonus: As a bonus for joining my weekly newsletter, get a free cheat sheet of the 110 most powerful compliments for kids to boost their self-worth.

Here’s the Good News (And the Bad)

Thanks to a miraculous infusion of patience I didn’t know I had, I managed not to lose my temper or even raise my voice, and personally, I consider that a parenting win.

In a calm tone, I made my points. “If you want to be able to paint, you need to take responsibility for cleaning it up after.”

She hung her head and in a small voice said, “I know.”

“When you finish an activity, you can’t just wander off to start something new. You need to put things away first. This isn’t the first time something like this has happened.”

“I know,” she repeated. Then in an even smaller voice: “I’m just bad at remembering stuff.”

My heart squeezed. “Hey.”

She looked up, and I pulled her in for a hug. “You’re not bad at remembering. It’s normal for kids to forget stuff like that. It’ll get easier.”

But later, her words kept coming back to me. I wondered: Are my nagging reminders making my child think less of herself? Should I be complimenting her more often? Am I adding fuel to the fire of her inner critic?

Related: 101 Heartfelt and Simple Ways to Love Your Child Every Day

What You Need to Know About Your Child’s Self-Worth

As parents, we want our children to grow up to be healthy, happy, and confident, and an essential component of a child’s mental health is their self-worth.

Here’s why: When a person possesses self-worth, that means they evaluate themselves as an inherently valuable, capable human being who’s worthy of respect, compassion, and love. Self-esteem also feeds into self-worth because high self-esteem means feeling confident in your own abilities and strengths.

As you might imagine, research shows that children with high self-worth and high self-esteem are more likely to be happy and confident. In fact, low self-worth or self-esteem can lead to depression in kids. But high self-worth and self-esteem are so powerful they can even increase a child’s relationship and job satisfaction later in life.

How Do You Boost Your Child’s Self-Worth?

With self-worth being so important to your child’s mental health, happiness, and confidence, you might be wondering what you can do to nurture it.

Here’s the good news: Parental warmth boosts your child’s self-worth. That includes displaying affection, being responsive to your child’s needs, and encouraging them with the most effective kind of praise.

But as it turns out, some types of praise can actually hurt your child’s self-worth and self-esteem.

Which Compliments for Kids Will Nurture Self-Worth?

Below, I’ll share a handy list of the best compliments for kids that work to boost their self-worth, but first, here are a few guidelines to help you come up the best compliments for your child:

• Be sincere. Kids can see through over-the-top compliments and praise, and that kind of praise can hurt more than help.
• Be specific. Imagine how it would feel to hear a loved one deliver a generic “Good job!” as opposed to something like this: “Wow. You ran into a tough problem, and you worked through it. That took perseverance.” When someone pays attention like that, you feel seen and understood. That kind of specific encouragement is way more powerful than generic compliments or phrases.
• Compliment your child’s actions and choices. Praise your child for what they can control. Likewise, avoid praising your child’s abilities. Phrases like “You’re so smart” can undermine your child’s motivation, damage their self-esteem, and even foster narcissism. To learn more, check out Here’s the Secret Phrase to Turn Your Kid Into an Amazing Student. (Hint: It’s not “You’re so smart.”)
• Less is more. You don’t need to shower your child in compliments every time they do something—especially when it’s something they enjoy doing. Too much praise can even decrease their motivation. Also, if you tend to use the same compliments on a regular basis, those phrases can start to lose their oomph with your child. Try cutting back on those phrases for a bit and replace them with something new from the list below.
• Be careful with appearance. When a child believes most of their self-worth comes from their physical appearance, that can undermine the development of an authentic self-worth. In other words, they might believe that they are worth of respect, compassion, and love only if the people around them think they’re “cute” or “pretty” or “handsome.” When a child views themselves as an object to be evaluated based on their appearance, that’s called self-objectification, and it can lead to body image problems, eating disorders, and depression. This can be a problem for girls and boys. But our kids are cute, and it’s fun to tell them that! And so to avoid these negative effects, first pay attention to how often you’re complimenting your child’s appearance. Then try to replace some of those less powerful compliments to something else on the list below. Ideally, experts recommend avoiding compliments about your child’s physical appearance, especially their bodies. Instead, you can compliment something they can control, like the outfit they picked out or how they chose to style their hair. Above all, it’s best to avoid making any comments about your child’s weight or shape—positive or otherwise.

Pro tip: A handy trick for making sure you stick to specifics and compliment your child’s actions is to start off with “You…” then complete the sentence by describing what your child did.

Related: How to Make Your Child Feel Absolutely Loved: 75 Positive Words for Kids {Printable}

How Well Do Compliments Actually Work?

After the Purple Paint Incident, I circled back to my daughter for a follow-up conversation about what her inner critic had been telling her.

And it broke my heart to hear the phrases she’d been repeating to herself.

Can you seriously not remember that?

You’re so clumsy.

What’s wrong with you?

From then on, I made a conscious effort to compliment her every day—not on how she looks or something out of her control—but on something she made happen. If I was tucking her in at bedtime and couldn’t remember complimenting her that day, I made a rule for myself to think of one specific, heartfelt compliment and share it with her then.

I didn’t know if that was enough to drown out her inner critic’s voice, but I kept at it. Then one night at bedtime, I thought back through our day together and said, “You had the magic touch with keeping your little brother entertained today. I’m impressed.”

She smiled and said, “You always give me compliments, Mommy.”

I laughed. “Is that…okay?”

She beamed. “I love it.”

Related: 50 Cute Ways to Say “I Love You” to Your Child

110 Compliments for Kids to Boost Their Self-Worth

After that experience with my daughter, I set out to put together a list of the best 100 ways to compliment a child so that I could share it with the parents in this community. But I uncovered so many fun options that I kept the list going to 110.

These phrases work for a wide range of ages from young children to teenagers, but you know your child best, so choose the phrases you think will best lift up your child.

You can also get a free printable list of the best compliments for kids here. You can keep this list on your nightstand, tuck it in your purse or wallet, or leave it on the driver’s seat of your car as a handy reminder for the moments when your child could use a pick-me-up.

Pro tip: If your child is feeling frustrated or discouraged, compliments typically won’t help. In those situations, you need to first validate their struggle. Check out The Most Encouraging Words for Kids: 125 Phrases That Actually Work for the best phrases to use during or after their struggle.

1. You give the best hugs.
2. Your room looks tidier! Did you spend some time cleaning up?
3. You ask such great questions.
4. The world is better with you in it. (This is one of my favorite compliments for kids, so it’s featured on our sweet I Love You Bookmarks. Get the whole set so that every time your child reaches for one, they’ll feel absolutely loved.)

5. I respect you and your opinions.
6. You’ve been practicing hard for your game/recital/play/language class. I can see/hear the difference. (Or for younger kids: You’ve been practicing hard tying your shoes/riding your bike.)
7. I love your curious mind/spirit.
8. If I need a smile today, I’m going to remember… (Finish with a funny or sweet thing your child said or did.)
9. You make me smile.
10. You got ready so fast this morning!
11. I love hearing you read aloud to me.
12. There’s only one you in the world.
13. I love your imagination!
14. I noticed you working hard on… (Finish with a specific example when you noticed your child pushing themselves to learn, grow, or finish something.)
15. You make life fun.
16. I love spending time with you.
17. Your art/writing always puts a smile on my face. Can you tell me more about how you made/wrote this? (Alternative: What gave you the idea to create this? Or: How did you think to do that? Or: What’s your favorite part?)
18. You’re an important part of this family.
19. You worked hard on that. Do you feel proud of yourself? (Alternative: It looks like you feel proud. Or: I bet you feel proud.)
20. You waited patiently for your turn. I know it’s hard to wait.
21. Sometimes if I’m feeling sad, just thinking of you makes me feel better.
22. You really took your time on…to do it well. (Fill in with something that your child was focused on or worked hard on.)
23. I love how you put your outfit together! It looks so cheerful/colorful/sophisticated/comfortable.
24. I enjoy listening to your stories.
25. I feel so lucky to be your mom/dad.
26. Your creativity amazes me.
27. I could tell you were really focused when you… (Finish with something your child was focusing on, like making art, tying their shoes, riding their bike, and so on.)
28. I’m so grateful you’re my daughter/son.
29. You want to try to do this by yourself, and that shows you’re growing up.
30. I’m proud of the person you are.
31. I love to hear/see how passionate you are about… (Finish with whatever your child is passionate about and loves to talk about.)
32. Your creativity/personality shines through in your artwork/writing.
33. I love how you did your hair today.
34. I love to watch you… (Then give an activity your child enjoys, like play soccer, get wrapped up in reading a book, make art, play your clarinet, and so on.)
35. You have the best laugh/smile.
36. Every morning, I look forward to getting to see you.
37. You got your homework done right away. That must feel good to have that out of the way!
38. You make my heart feel full.
39. You tell the best jokes!
40. Your art/writing makes my heart happy. Thank you for sharing it with me.
41. The jewelry/belt/socks/shoes you picked out today are a nice touch. (Alternative: That [accessory] goes great with your outfit.)
42. You’re one of a kind.
43. I could watch you…all day! (Fill in with an activity your child enjoys, like play soccer, dance, make art, play the piano, and so on.)
44. I love your sense of style.
45. Seeing you smile makes me smile.
46. Picking you up from school and hearing about your day is something I look forward to.
47. I’m grateful that you’re in my life.
48. I love your sense of humor.
49. I can tell you really enjoy… (Finish with whatever your child loves to do.)
50. You’re always so willing to try new things. That makes life with you extra fun.
51. I love hearing your ideas.
52. It’s you I like. Every part of you. (Perfect for fans of Mister Rogers!)^†

^† This site is reader-supported. When you buy through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

53. I love walking into a room and seeing you engrossed in a book.
54. You’re always on the move. I love your energy!
55. I have fun when I’m with you.
56. You inspire me to be a better person.
57. I love getting to hear how you think through a problem.
58. You make a difference in my life.
59. Just seeing your face makes me smile.
60. You are my favorite 5-year-old.
61. I love your enthusiasm for… (Finish with whatever your child is passionate about.)
62. You look really well put-together today.
63. I love seeing the world through your eyes.
64. You are a precious treasure to me.
65. I love the colors you chose for your artwork.
66. You are wonderful, just the way you are.
67. I admire your persistence in solving that problem.
68. I love being around you, no matter what we’re doing.
69. One of my favorite times of every day is when we snuggle at bedtime.
70. I love the way your mind works.
71. Thank you for sharing your artwork/writing with me. Can I put it up on the fridge? (Alternative: Can I put it in your portfolio? Side note: We love these slim art portfolios and get a new one every year for each kid to display their work.)
72. I love your laugh/smile.
73. I’m a fan of you. (This one is inspired by our favorite pick for family movie night, We Bought a Zoo.)
74. I love you just the way you are.
75. I’m so grateful I got to spend today with you.
76. You light up my day.
77. I feel blessed to have you in my life.
78. You make me happy, just by being you.

Compliments for Kids to Recognize Helpful Behavior

These phrases can nurture your child to see themselves as the type of person who helps and encourage them to make helpful choices in the future.

Quick tip: When you’re trying to encourage helpful behavior, you’ll make the most impact when you draw the connection to who your child is, like being a helper or being a kind person. Research shows that when you praise kids for being a helpful person rather than praising them just for helping, kids are much more likely to act generously in the future. Here’s why: Your words shape your child’s self-image, and by seeing themselves as “helpers” for example, they’ll be more likely to behave in a way that lives up to that self-image.

1. You had an opportunity to be a helper, and you stepped up to the plate.
2. I appreciate when you… (Finish with a specific example of something your child does that’s helpful or kind.)
3. You’re always willing to help out when I ask. I really appreciate that.
4. You shared…with your sister/brother/friend. That was generous of you. (Fill in with whatever they shared, like a cookie, a toy, crayons, and so on.)
5. When I was your age, I would have loved to have a friend like you.
6. You hung up your backpack/put away your shoes as soon as you got home. That helps our family have a comfy and tidy home. Thank you!
7. Thank you for being a helper.
8. Your kindness warms my heart.
9. I saw when you… (Then give a specific example of your child doing something helpful or kind.)
10. Your sister/brother/friend needed help, and you chose to be a helper. How do you think they feel now?
11. When you…, that showed me you’re a team player. (Fill in with a specific example of your child doing something collaborative.)
12. I appreciate that you’re such a helper.
13. It feels good to be a helper, doesn’t it?
14. That was a kind decision when you… (Then give a specific example of something your child did that was kind.)
15. Thank you for pitching in! How does it feel to be a helper?
16. I see you being a helper, and I appreciate it.
17. That was a tough decision, and you made the choice to be a kind/generous/brave person.
18. That’s what a thoughtful/kind/brave person does.
19. I love seeing you be a helper.
20. Seeing you do that makes me smile.
21. You… That shows you have a big heart. (Fill in with a specific example of something your child did that was kind.)
22. That was a big task/project, and you stuck to it until it was done. What a hard worker you are!
23. Sometimes it’s hard to make the kind/generous/brave choice, but you did it.
24. You took a moment to think about your sister/brother/friend, and you made the choice to be a helper.
25. You put yourself in their shoes to feel what they were feeling. That’s called empathy, and being an empathetic person is so important.
26. Friends/sisters/brothers look out for each other, and that’s exactly what you did.
27. I love seeing you work together.
28. You have a kind/generous heart. You inspire me.
29. Your choices matter, and you made the kind/generous/brave choice.
30. When you cleaned up the toys/loaded the dishwasher, that showed me that you’re a helper.
31. You are an example to your friends/siblings.
32. Your sister/brother/friend was upset, and you comforted them/gave them a hug. You’re such a caring sibling/friend.

Get Your Free Cheat Sheet: 110 Compliments for Kids

When your child could use a pick-me-up, use this cheat sheet of the most powerful compliments for kids to help boost their self-worth.

1. Get the free cheat sheet. Join my weekly-ish newsletter and as a bonus, you’ll get the printable! Just click here to get it and subscribe.
2. Print. Any paper will do the trick, but card stock would be ideal.
3. Keep your cheat sheet somewhere handy like in your nightstand or in your purse or wallet.
4. Say a phrase to your child. Your loving words will help boost your child’s self-worth, which is important to their mental health, happiness, and confidence. (Quick reminder: For the best experience, compliment your child’s actions and be as specific as possible.)

Here’s a sneak peek of your printable cheat sheet:

Your Turn

What are your go-to compliments for kids? Share in a comment below!

The post 110 Powerful Compliments for Kids to Boost Their Self-Worth appeared first on Happy You, Happy Family.

As just about anything you attempt to do with a 3-year-old, playing a board game with them requires a Mother Teresa level of patience.

Between a preschooler’s short attention span and their inability to sit still longer than a few minutes, you’ll be lucky to get through a whole game with them. As an added bonus, they have an almost gleeful disregard for following the game rules.

And yet, skipping board games with your preschooler isn’t the answer, either.

Because research shows that playing board games with your preschooler improves their social skills, such as by developing a cooperative spirit, teaching them how to take turns, and nurturing other prosocial behaviors like sharing and helping others. Board games can also boost educational knowledge. For example, playing a number board game with a preschooler supports their early mathematical development.

Short on Time? Here Are Our Top Picks

If you’re in a rush, here’s a quick run-down of the best board games for 3-year-olds that have been most popular with the parents and kids in this community:

• Best Overall Board Game for 3-Year-Olds: Spot It! Jr Animals, $10†
• Best Cooperative Game for 3-Year-Olds: Orchard or Hoot Owl Hoot, $50 or $19
• Best Educational Game for 3-Year-Olds: Concept Kids: Animals, $28
• Best Memory and Matching Game for 3-Year-Olds: Sequence for Kids, $16
• Best Card Game for 3-Year-Olds: Spot It! Jr Animals, $10

^† This site is reader-supported. When you buy through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission. All prices shown are from time of publishing.

What’s a Parent to Do?

Unfortunately, the most commonly recommended board games for 3-year-olds like Candyland and Chutes & Ladders are all chance and no strategy. At best, they prepare your child to understand the concept of a scratch-off lottery ticket.

Not to mention the whole point of playing a game with your 3-year-old is to have fun while connecting. If you’ve actually managed to get your child to sit still for a game but you’re bored out of your mind, your child will sense that. Kids are more perceptive than we give them credit for.

The solution: Play better games.

When you play board games that you and your 3-year-old enjoy, you’ll be more likely to play with your child. Because keeping a copy of Hungry Hungry Hippos in your closet that you secretly hope your preschooler won’t find certainly isn’t going to help grow their social skills and educational knowledge.

Instead, cleanse your game collection of those mind-numbing board games for 3-year-olds and replace them with games you’ll both look forward to. Life is too short to be pulling out your hair when you could be giggling with your preschooler.

16 Board Games for 3-Year-Olds Your Child Will Love (And You Will, Too)

Use this list of fun board games for 3-year-olds to beef up your family game collection, and you won’t be sorry. (See what I did there?)

This list grew out of my family’s quest for the best family board games and card games over the last several years. Plus, we researched for hours and hours online to find as many suggestions as possible of board games for 3-year-olds, then market-tested them with our own crew and with friends who have preschoolers.

Not only will your child love these board games and card games, but you will too. If you need more ideas after you check out this list, head over to our list of the best preschool board games for more ideas.

And if your 3-year-old has a short attention span or isn’t interested in following board game rules, you’ll find a section at the end of this article to help you with that, too.

Related: The Best 21 Preschool Board Games You’ll Actually Enjoy, Too

But First, a Warning

When my second child was three, she swallowed a coin that got stuck in her throat. One emergency room visit, one surgery, and one five-figure hospital bill later, trust me that choking hazards are nothing to take lightly. We were lucky that we caught it in time.

Some of these board games for 3-year-olds—even the games marketed specifically for preschoolers—may contain game pieces that are the perfect size to be choking hazards. Please always keep a close eye on your child when they’re playing with a game that has small pieces. And if you have an infant or toddler, make sure they’re sleeping or otherwise occupied so they don’t find a fallen game piece and pop it into their mouth.

A Quick Note About Suggested Ages

Keep in mind that as with anything when it comes to kids and suggested ages, your mileage may vary. For example, some 2-year-olds might be able to play and enjoy some games for 3-year-olds, whereas some 3-year-olds might need help playing a few games marketed to 2-year-olds.

If you try a game and your child doesn’t seem ready for it, put it away for a couple weeks or a month, then try again. Your preschooler’s brain is growing constantly, so they might surprise you sooner rather than later!

Note: indicates my family’s absolute favorite board games for 3-year-olds. These are the games my whole family can’t get enough of! In fact, we love them so much that we stock them in our store. Order from us here, and you’ll be supporting a family-owned business while also treating your own family to a fun new game!

Cooperative Games for 3-Year-Olds

When you’re starting out playing board games with your 3-year-old, cooperative games are your best bet. That’s because competitive elements of a game tend to go right over preschoolers’ heads. Also, competitive games typically leave younger kids feeling less enthusiastic about the game and may even lead to more aggressive behavior and less cooperation after the game.

Here are the best cooperative games for 3-year-olds, according to the parents and families in our community.

1. Hoot Owl Hoot or Orchard by HABA

Time to Play: 15 minutes for Hoot Owl Hoot; 10 minutes for Orchard
Number of Players: 2–4 for Hoot Owl Hoot; 1-8 for Orchard
Minimum Age: Both games are a great fit for 3-year-olds and up
Get It: Hoot Owl Hoot or Orchard

When it comes to cooperative games for 3-year-olds, these two are our favorites aside from Feed the Woozle below. But because the game play for these two games is so similar, I recommend picking up either Hoot Owl Hoot or Orchard.

My kids love both games, so you really can’t go wrong. The wooden game pieces and picnic baskets for Orchard are super well-made and sturdy, but if that game is a bit outside your price range, Hoot Owl Hoot is just as fun. My kids regularly pull out both games to play together independently!

Pro tip: With Orchard, if your child still tends to put small objects in their mouth, I recommend starting out with the First Orchard edition because it has larger game pieces perfect for younger kids.

222 families purchased this game after reading this post…

$36 from Amazon* $36 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Orchard or First Orchard

    
“We LOVE Orchard and Animal Upon Animal!” – Richard

Note: The manufacturer says Hoot Owl Hoot is for ages 4 and up, but according to several other families (including mine!) the vast majority of 3-year-olds are ready for this game.

877 families purchased this game after reading this post…

$19 from Amazon* $19 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Hoot Owl Hoot

    
“Family games should be fun for everyone! We have five kids, and that is one of the rules of our Friday Family Fun Night. We play a lot of co-op games with our kids — Hoot Owl Hoot and Outfoxed are really fun! … Co-op games are great for teaching kids slowly, as open hands and working together are good.” – Michelle

By the way, we’ve tested nearly every cooperative game for 3-year-olds made by Peaceable Kingdom, the same folks who make Hoot Owl Hoot. The other games were fun too, but Hoot Owl Hoot has been the clear winner!

2. Feed the Woozle

Time to Play: 10-15 minutes
Number of Players: 2–5
Minimum Age: Some 2-year-olds can play this, so it’s a great fit for 3-year-olds and up
Get It: Feed the Woozle

In this cooperative game, you work together to feed the Woozle by balancing snacks on a spoon while you deliver them. And as an added challenge, you’ll have to hula dance, bunny hop, or do something else silly at the same time. But watch out because if a snack falls along the way, the Woozle won’t eat it. When you’ve fed the Woozle 12 snacks, your whole team wins.

Cooperative games like this are great for building teamwork skills while still getting practice with taking turns. For that reason, this is a perfect first board game for 3-year-olds to teach turn-taking, foster good sportsmanship as you encourage your teammates, and nurture a sense of collaboration as you work together. And because each game takes around 10 minutes, it’s perfect for short attention spans, too.

This game also helps develop motor skills, gives practice with counting, and builds frustration tolerance. But most important of all, it’s pure silly fun!

Pro tip: When you need a way to keep your kids entertained so you can load the dishwasher (or catch a catnap), this game works great for an older sibling to play with a younger sibling. My kids play this together all on their own at least once a week!

$24 from Amazon* $24 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Feed the Woozle

    
“My 6-year-old and 3-year-old love this goofy little game! Sometimes, we’ll all play together, and it’s fun to see my kids actually get along for 10 consecutive minutes. But if I’m busy, the setup is easy enough that the two of them can play together without me.” – Jackie

3. Concept Kids: Animals

Time to Play: 20-30 minutes
Number of Players: 2–12
Minimum Age: Most 3-year-olds can play this with a little help
Get It: Concept Kids: Animals

This cooperative guessing game is perfect for kids who love animals, and it’s one of those rare educational games that’s actually fun for both kids and adults.

As you play, you’ll build your child’s deductive reasoning skills, foster their sense of teamwork, and load them up with oodles of new animal facts. Your child will have so much fun playing they won’t even realize how much they’re learning along the way!

This game is a particularly excellent choice for younger kids because it doesn’t require reading. Plus, if your kids tend to butt heads, the cooperative gameplay will get them working together.

Note: The manufacturer says this is for ages 4 and up, but according to several other families (including mine!) most 3-year-olds are ready for this game.

$25 from Amazon* $25 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Concept Kids: Animals

    
“We got this game when our youngest was 3, and I wish we’d known about it when our older kids were that age. It’s an under the radar gem! This is my preschooler’s favorite game, and unlike most games for young kids, I actually want to play this one.” – Taylor

4. Outfoxed!

Time to Play: 15 minutes
Number of Players: 2-4
Minimum Age: 3-year-olds can play this with a little help
Get It: Outfoxed!

This board game is like Clue but for 3-year-olds and 4-year-olds. A fox stole a pot pie, and you have to figure out which fox it was before they escape into the foxhole.

My kids will regularly play this cooperative whodunnit game independently, and I love watching them work together as a team to solve the mystery.

This is a fun little game to build your 3-year-old’s logic and deductive reasoning skills.

Note: The manufacturer says this is for ages 5 and up, but according to several other families (including mine!) some 3-year-olds are ready for this game.

1,129 families purchased this game after reading this post…

$16 from Amazon* $16 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Outfoxed

    
“Outfoxed is cooperative so it’s fun for everyone and easy enough for even preschoolers to participate!” – Elizabeth

5. My First Castle Panic

Time to Play: 20 minutes
Number of Players: 1-4
Minimum Age: 3-year-olds can play this with a little help
Get It: My First Castle Panic

Castle Panic is one of my favorite cooperative board games for the whole family, so I was excited to discover they had a kids’ edition.

Because this is a cooperative game, you work together to fight off a horde of monsters who are trying to tear down your castle walls and destroy your castle. It sure is fun to work together as a family towards a common goal that doesn’t involve loading the dishwasher!

Note: The manufacturer says this is for ages 4 and up, but according to several other families (including mine!) most 3-year-olds are ready for this game.

$28 from Amazon* $22 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

My First Castle Panic

    
“We play Castle Panic and Carcassonne with our boys, and they LOVE them both. They are 3 and 6. Sometimes, our 3 year old is on a team, but he can usually play by himself for both games.” – Autumn

6. Dinosaur Escape

Time to Play: 10-20 minutes
Number of Players: 2-4
Minimum Age: 3-year-olds can play this with a little help
Get It: Dinosaur Escape

This is another of our favorite cooperative board games for 3-year-olds. In this one, all the players work together to get all the dinosaurs safely to the island before the volcano erupts.

Your child will build memory skills and learn how to work on a team, all while having fun playing in a pretend world with dinosaurs and an erupting volcano. Even my 12-year-old gets into this preschool game!

Because this game is designed for younger kids, you’ll rarely lose to the volcano. But for 3-year-olds just getting their feet wet in the world of board games, that goes in the pro column because it helps build their confidence.

If you’d like to make this game more challenging over time, the game instructions include suggestions for variations. Or you and your kids can come up with your own house rules. Here are a few rules we sometimes play with to make it more challenging for older kids:

• Dinosaurs can search only the area they’re in
• Game pieces can move in only one direction
• Add more dinosaur or animal figurines so you have to rescue more before the volcano blows
• Each player can move only one dinosaur
• If you get a T-Rex, shuffle all the fern tiles and redistribute
• If you get a lizard, go back one space

Note: The manufacturer says this is for ages 4 and up, but according to several other families (including mine!) most 3-year-olds are ready for this game.

$17 from Amazon* $17 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Dinosaur Escape

    
“We LOVE Dinosaur Escape in our family. It only takes about 10 mins to complete so it holds our 2 year old’s attention span. It’s simple enough for both our 5 year old and 2 year old to grasp. But best of all, it’s a cooperative game that gets them excited to work together…this is a winner!” – Katie

Educational Games for 3-Year-Olds

Research shows that playing an educational board game with your 3-year-old can help them learn. As one example, playing a number board game with a preschooler supports their early mathematical development.

But all educational board games are not created equal. Some learning games can be a snoozefest for your preschooler (and you). Here are the tried-and-true educational games for 3-year-olds that you’ll actually enjoy together.

1. Hoot Owl Hoot or Orchard by HABA

Time to Play: 15 minutes for Hoot Owl Hoot; 10 minutes for Orchard
Number of Players: 2–4 for Hoot Owl Hoot; 1-8 for Orchard
Minimum Age: Both games are a great fit for 3-year-olds and up
Get It: Hoot Owl Hoot or Orchard

With both these cooperative board games for 3-year-olds, your child will get practice with color matching. Hoot Owl Hoot also gives young kids a taste of strategic thinking and planning ahead.

Jump to the full description earlier in this post.

2. Concept Kids: Animals

Time to Play: 20-30 minutes
Number of Players: 2–12
Minimum Age: Most 3-year-olds can play this with a little help
Get It: Concept Kids: Animals

This delightful game will get your 3-year-old thinking about categories, similarities, and differences. Plus, they’ll get to hone their deductive reasoning skills.

Jump to the full description earlier in this post.

3. Outfoxed!

Time to Play: 15 minutes
Number of Players: 2-4
Minimum Age: 3-year-olds can play this with a little help
Get It: Outfoxed!

I’ve loved playing this game with all my kids at age three! If you want to build your child’s deductive reasoning ability, this is the best pick.

Jump to the full description earlier in this post.

4. My First Castle Panic

Time to Play: 20 minutes
Number of Players: 1-4
Minimum Age: 3-year-olds can play this with a little help
Get It: My First Castle Panic

This cooperative game is excellent for teaching your child to slow down and think through their next steps. And because it’s cooperative, you can be a gentle support to your child as they develop their strategic thinking skills.

Jump to the full description earlier in this post.

5. Sequence Letters

Time to Play: 20 minutes
Number of Players: 2-4
Minimum Age: 3-year-olds can play this with a little help
Get It: Sequence Letters

This game will help your child with recognizing letters and the sounds they make, but unlike most educational games, they’ll actually have fun playing this one. (And so will you!)

Note: The manufacturer says this is for ages 4 and up, but according to several other families (including mine!) most 3-year-olds are ready for this game.

1,202 families purchased this game after reading this post…

$15 from Amazon* $15 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Sequence for Kids or Sequence Letters

    
“The one we have enjoyed playing most with our 4-yr-old daughter is Sequence for Kids. We loved it so much that she wanted to purchase one for her friend for Christmas. :)” – Kim

Memory and Matching Games for 3-Year-Olds

Memory and matching games are the perfect fit for 3-year-olds because those kinds of games support the development of their working memory as well as their emotional knowledge, which they need for healthy social play. This is important because working memory is essential to early childhood learning. Plus, research shows preschoolers with strong working memory skills are more likely to graduate high school.

Below, you’ll find the best memory and matching games for 3-year-olds, as reviewed by real parents and families in this community.

1. Sequence for Kids

Time to Play: 20 minutes
Number of Players: 2-4
Minimum Age: 3-year-olds and up can understand and enjoy this game
Get It: Sequence for Kids

Most 3-year-olds aren’t yet ready for the classic Sequence game, so the Sequence for Kids version is a great way to get them familiar with that fun game before they’re ready to graduate.

What I love about this game is that after you play a few times, you’ll notice your child start thinking ahead a couple turns instead of just playing the second they find a match, which is excellent for developing their strategic thinking skills.

1,202 families purchased this game after reading this post…

$15 from Amazon* $15 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Sequence for Kids or Sequence Letters

    
“The one we have enjoyed playing most with our 4-yr-old daughter is Sequence for Kids. We loved it so much that she wanted to purchase one for her friend for Christmas. :)” – Kim

2. Spot It! Jr. Animals

Time to Play: 10-20 minutes
Number of Players: 2–8
Minimum Age: Even toddlers can play this one, so it’s an excellent pick for 3-year-olds and up
Get It: Spot It! Jr. Animals

This card game is similar to the regular version of Spot It! but simplified for younger kids with larger images and fewer images on each card.

My favorite part of this matching game for 3-year-olds is that it’s so portable. I can throw it in my purse when we’re heading somewhere the kids will have to wait a bit, like the doctor’s office or to a restaurant. The small tin holding the cards also makes this game a great fit as a stocking stuffer for kids.

If your child loves this game, Spot It! 123 is another version that will help develop their number sense.

1,132 families purchased this game after reading this post…

Out of stock on Amazon* $10 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Spot It! Jr Animals or Classic or 123

    
“A must have game for every home perfect for ALL ages…Spot It! It’s a matching game on a whole new level. My husband and I love this game as much as the kids!” – Cristy

3. Life on Earth Memory Game

Time to Play: 10-20 minutes
Number of Players: 1 or more
Minimum Age: 3-year-olds and up can understand and enjoy this game
Get It: Life on Earth Memory Game

It took us three tries to find the best memory matching game for 3-year-olds: the Life on Earth game by eeBoo.

The original Memory game was fine, but the artwork is babyish so our older kids weren’t as interested in playing with their younger sibling, not to mention the cardboard pieces were flimsy and easy to bend. Another edition was a little too “creative” for young kids to figure out, and we couldn’t seem to find the memory game that was the perfect fit.

Then we found the Life on Earth edition: The artwork is gorgeous, and the thick, sturdy pieces are perfect to prevent bending or ripping by curious little hands. Plus, with younger kids, each piece gives you an opportunity to talk through different types of animals and share fun tidbits you know about them. Great for building your child’s vocabulary!

Here are a few ways you can play this memory game with your 3-year-old:

• Classic game: Flip all the cards upside down and take turns flipping two at a time to find matches.
• Variation for younger kids: Flip all the cards right side up and take turns spotting matches. Or as another option, you can set out just a few matching sets at a time like 3 or 4 matching sets face down.
• Sorting game: Flip all the cards up and sort them into groups. For example: Which of these would you find in the ocean? The sky? On land? Or: Find all the purple cards, and so on.

$17 from Amazon* * Price at time of publishing

Life on Earth Memory Game

    
“I’ve gone through a few different memory games over the years as my kids have grown, and I wish I’d just started with this one. The pieces are durable, the illustrations are beautiful, and I love watching my 3-year-old play with her grandparents!” – Jenny

4. Outfoxed!

Time to Play: 15 minutes
Number of Players: 2-4
Minimum Age: 3-year-olds can play this with a little help
Get It: Outfoxed!

This clever cooperative game helps develop your child’s working memory skills because when you receive new clues, you have to compare that to what you know about the pool of suspects. Plus, Outfoxed is just plain fun. This is an all-time favorite for my family!

Jump to the full description earlier in this post.

5. Concept Kids: Animals

Time to Play: 20-30 minutes
Number of Players: 2–12
Minimum Age: Most 3-year-olds can play this with a little help
Get It: Concept Kids: Animals

This is another fun cooperative game that will give your child practice with memory skills. For example, they have to remember which animal they’re giving clues about, and they have to remember which clues they’ve already given. But because 3-year-olds are still learning, all is not lost if they forget! They can simply peek at the animal card again, or they can check the clues on the board.

Jump to the full description earlier in this post.

6. Dinosaur Escape

Time to Play: 10-20 minutes
Number of Players: 2-4
Minimum Age: 3-year-olds can play this with a little help
Get It: Dinosaur Escape

In this cooperative game, your child will build memory skills while playing in a pretend world with dinosaurs and an erupting volcano. If your 3-year-old loves dinosaurs, this game is a must!

Jump to the full description earlier in this post.

Card Games for 3-Year-Olds

Card games are a fun choice for playing with your preschooler because they’re typically quick to play, which is great for their short attention span. And you can typically set up a card game more quickly than a board game so that your 3-year-old doesn’t lose interest before you even start the game.

In this section, you’ll find the best card games for 3-year-olds that you’ll both enjoy.

1. Spot It! Jr. Animals

Time to Play: 10-20 minutes
Number of Players: 2–8
Minimum Age: Even toddlers can play this one, so it’s an excellent pick for 3-year-olds and up
Get It: Spot It! Jr. Animals

This card game for 3-year-olds is simple and quick yet still challenging enough to keep adults engaged, too. Whenever we would head on a trip with our kids at age three, this portable little game is the first game I’d pack.

After your child masters this version for younger kids, they can graduate to the regular version of Spot It!.

Jump to the full description earlier in this post.

2. Create a Story Cards

Time to Play: 5-15 minutes
Number of Players: 2 or more
Minimum Age: 2-year-olds can play this one (even if their stories don’t make a lot of sense!), so this is a great fit for 3-year-olds and up
Get It: Create a Story Cards

This simple card game for 3-year-olds is a great way to foster your child’s imagination and build literacy skills.

The game has several variations, but our favorite is this: Each player takes turns picking a random card. The first person starts a story with “Once upon a time…” and then on the next turn, the next person uses their card as inspiration to add to the story.

The stories we come up with as a family always leave us giggling!

What’s especially great about this game is you have several versions to choose from, and to kick it up a notch you can even mix different sets together:

• Fairy Tale Mix-Up
• Animal Village
• Mystery in the Forest
• Volcano Island

This one also makes for a fun travel game to take along on road trips or plane rides.

1,208 families purchased this game after reading this post…

$12 from Amazon* $12 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Create a Story Cards

    
“This little game is quick, easy, and fun! You pick a card, say “Once upon a time…”, and let your child fill in the details. Then you can ask follow-up questions like “and then what happened?” until they peter out. I love that this requires minimal brainpower from me when I’m tired (which is always) and my daughter LOVES coming up with the stories. Great for her imagination!” – Fiona

3. Sleeping Queens

Time to Play: 10-15 minutes
Number of Players: 2–5
Minimum Age: 3-year-olds can play this with a little help
Get It: Sleeping Queens

This card game is technically for older kids, but our preschoolers all played this game since the age of three. Of all the games for 3-year-olds in this list, this one has been a top favorite for our kids and our number one go-to as a family. The rules are simple enough for a preschooler to understand, but the game still keeps everyone on their toes.

We really and truly never get tired of this one. Plus, you can play a whole game in about 10 minutes, which is perfect for getting in a dose of family connection before sending little ones off to bed.

Note: The manufacturer says this is for ages 8 and up, but according to several other families (including mine!) many 3-year-olds are ready for this game if you help them.

4,687 families purchased this game after reading this post…

$18 from Amazon* $18 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Sleeping Queens

    
“My daughter and I love Sleeping Queens! It teaches them math without them even realizing it – or me, for that matter. I remember my daughter laid down a sequence that was like 1 + 3 + 5 = 9, and I thought ‘How did you know that…?’ Then I realized she just figured it out from doing math in the game. So cool to watch her learn right before my eyes.” – Ann

By the way, when you’re playing card games with your child, this card holder is a must have for little hands. Your child can hold it to see their cards, or they can set the holder down on the table for a break. (This particular card holder has stood the test of time, as opposed to other card holders we’ve tried.)

Readers who bought Sleeping Queens also bought

$9 from Amazon* $7 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Little Hands Playing Card Holder
    
“I love the card holder, plus your suggestions for how to play with little kids!” – Linda

More Awesome Games for 3-Year-Olds

If you need more ideas of games to play with your preschooler, here are the best games for 3-year-olds that didn’t fall into the above categories.

1. Yeti in My Spaghetti

Time to Play: 5-15 minutes
Number of Players: 1 or more players
Minimum Age: 3-year-olds can play this with a little help
Get It: Yeti in My Spaghetti

This game is similar to Ker-Plunk, but it’s a better fit for 3-year-olds because Ker-Plunk’s marbles are choking hazards.

To play this fun little game, you lay the spaghetti pieces across the bowl then put the yeti on top. (No logic or story behind this setup—just go with it.) Then each player takes turns pulling out one piece of spaghetti. If the yeti falls to the bottom of the bowl on your turn, you lose. This is usually the point where the kids collapse into giggles, which can be contagious!

This game is perfect for preschoolers because it helps develop their executive functioning skills when they learn (the hard way) to be patient and pull the spaghetti pieces out slowly.

162 families purchased this game after reading this post…

$14 from Amazon* $14 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Yeti in My Spaghetti

    
“We love Yeti in My Spaghetti. :) Low competition and just a fun game!” – Jane

2. Animal Upon Animal

Time to Play: 10-15 minutes
Number of Players: 1-4
Minimum Age: Even some 2-year-olds can play this one, so it’s a great fit for 3-year-olds
Get It: Animal Upon Animal

When your child is ready to move from cooperative to competitive board games, this is a fun stacking game. In this game, you stack different wooden animal figurines on top of a large alligator, trying to see how high you can stack them before it all comes crashing down. This game develops your child’s executive functioning skills as they learn they’ll need to be patient and use creative problem-solving in order to get their animals to stack without falling down.

But even when the stack does come crashing down? Giggles all around.

This game is great for developing your child’s fine motor skills. But it can also be a fun challenge even for adults because the painted pieces are a bit on the slick side, so it’s harder to stack them than you might imagine.

Then when your child beats you fair and square at this game, you won’t even care because they’ll literally glow with pride.

And unlike some other stacking games for kids that are made with low-quality plastic, these sturdy wooden pieces are made to last. 3-year-olds aren’t always the gentlest with flimsy game pieces, but our copy of this game has lasted through four kids! (Side note: This game is made by the same company who makes Orchard, which my kids also love and is featured earlier in this list.)

At first, start by just stacking the pieces like you would with blocks. As your child gets more confident and comfortable with the physics of the game, you can follow the game rules.

Warning: If your child still tends to put small objects in their mouth, I recommend starting out with the First Animal Upon Animal edition because it has larger game pieces perfect for younger kids, then later you can get this edition.

139 families purchased this game after reading this post…

$20 from Amazon* $20 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Animal Upon Animal

    
“We LOVE Orchard and Animal Upon Animal!” – Richard

3. The Sneaky, Snacky Squirrel Game

Time to Play: 15 minutes
Number of Players: 2-4
Minimum Age: Even toddlers get into this one, so it’s excellent for 3-year-olds and up
Get It: The Sneaky, Snacky Squirrel Game

This makes a good first board game for 3-year-olds because it doesn’t require a lot of strategic thinking, it’s quick to play, and the game rules are easy to understand. Plus, the artwork is adorable!

But here’s my favorite aspect of this game: Kids can easily play this independently while you sneak a catnap on the couch.

If you have more than one child or your child likes to play board games with friends, you’ll likely want to play this with the kids the first couple of times to help them learn the rules, but after that you can peace out.

Here’s the setup: Your forest friends are hungry, and they need your help. Be the first to fill your log with delicious acorns, and you win.

563 families purchased this game after reading this post…

$22 from Amazon* $22 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

The Sneaky, Snacky Squirrel Game

    
“Great fun for little ones and adults!!! We play with my 5 year old who loves it and my 2 year old who is starting to understand. It’s one of the few kids games that is actually fun for me to play as well. I highly recommend this game. It is great quality and great design!” – Dan

Beware: Board Games for 3-Year-Olds to Avoid

If your child is enjoying playing a game with you and you’re enjoying the experience too, ultimately, that’s the most important factor in what makes a board game a good fit for your family.

With that said, some parents have reported certain board games for 3-year-olds as being mind-numbing for adults and/or frustrating for the child.

If you want to avoid that experience, here are a few board games for 3-year-olds to skip bringing into your home. If you already have any of these and you want to phase them out, what’s worked well for other parents is to move the game to a less visible spot wherever you store board games and instead move one of the fun games from earlier in this article in their place.

• Candyland: This game does give kids practice with taking turns and following directions, but that’s true of any game. Kids can get unnecessarily frustrated with this game because the penalties are completely random, and they have no agency for making a choice that would influence the outcome of their turn. Adults don’t enjoy this game because it’s repetitive and boring, with absolutely zero mental effort required. The game manufacturer also seems to have changed the game board in recent years, such as by making the path visually busy and hard to follow and by adding more squares to the path to make the game longer. Neither of which are a good fit for young children.
• Hi Ho! Cherry-O: This game does require counting, so in theory it could be an educational game for 3-year-olds. But if your child ends up frustrated and sad, they won’t be learning anything. As an adult, setting up the tiny fruit pieces (40 of them!) to start the game is tedious. Also, when you grab your basket from the game board, those tiny fruit pieces will roll into the hole left by your basket—and you have to pause the game to put them all back where they belong. From a child’s perspective, the spinner is unfriendly, with almost half of the spaces you can land on forcing you to give all your fruits back. That can be incredibly frustrating for young kids.
• Chutes & Ladders: As with Candyland, this game involves zero decision-making. Just spin the wheel and move, which makes it mind-numbing for adults and means it doesn’t have staying power with kids as they grow. Also, adults and kids don’t enjoy that this game seems to drag on, especially as you reach the end.
• Hungry Hungry Hippos: This game is frustrating for young kids because the hippos tend to detach during the gameplay, and sometimes the mouths won’t open, whereas other times, the mouths get stuck open. That means you have to stop the game and fix it, which requires extra patience on a young child’s part—not their strong suit. If that weren’t bad enough, the marbles often get stuck inside the track or a hippo’s neck, so you have to stop the game and fish them out. On the adult side, the setup for this game is tedious, as is having to be “tech support” when the game breaks while you’re playing it.
• Don’t Break the Ice: The legs of the ice stand come off, which is helpful when you need to put this game back in the box, but not so helpful when you’re in the middle of the game and they come off. Then your child has to wait while you put it back together, interrupting the flow of play. The ice also falls out too easily, especially with repeated plays as what’s holding the ice in place loosens over time. And as with the other non-recommended board games for 3-year-olds in this list, the game is all luck and no strategy.
• Let’s Go Fishin’: Similar to Hungry Hungry Hippos, this game does give young kids motor skill practice. However, the motor that spins the board goes fast and the fish are very small, so it’s too challenging for many 3-year-olds. Also, adults report that the sounds of the motor and the fish rotating are grating, plus kids who are sensitive to sensory input hate the noise. But most important of all, the current version of this game seems to have quality control issues because it often breaks after a few times of playing it.

How to Play Board Games With Your 3-Year-Old: 8 Tried-And-True Tips

If you haven’t played many board games with your preschooler yet or if you’ve tried and it hasn’t worked well, this section is for you.

Preschoolers aren’t exactly known for their ability to sit still, follow directions, and take turns. So at first, playing board games with your child can feel a bit…futile. They zip off three minutes into the game, they seem determined to destroy as many game components as possible, and trying to bend your preschooler’s will to follow the rules can land you in the middle of an epic tantrum wondering when the “fun” is supposed to start.

After introducing my own four children to board games and also playing countless games with the preschoolers of our friends and neighbors over the years, I’ve stumbled on a few tricks for how to make playing games with your 3-year-old go more smoothly.

Here are a few tips for introducing your preschooler to board games so that you’ll both grow to enjoy the experience of playing games:

• Do a test run. Your preschooler has a limited attention span. So if you’re playing a brand-new-to-you game for the first time, you might use up all their patience while you’re reading the rules and figuring out the game. Before you sit down to play a new game with your child, play it by yourself after your their bedtime or during naptime (if you’re still lucky enough to have a napper at this age!). That way, when you do play the first time with your child, you’ll be able to jump right into the fun part.
• Go for cooperative first. When you’re starting out, play cooperative games for 3-year-olds like Outfoxed! or Orchard. Why? Because competitive elements of a game tend to go right over preschoolers’ heads. Also, competitive games typically leave younger kids feeling less enthusiastic about the game and may even lead to more aggressive behavior and less cooperation after the game. If you do play a competitive game where there’s one winner, you can make a big deal about how much fun it was to play the game together. You can also model good sportsmanship by congratulating the winner, but try to keep the focus on how fun the whole game experience was.
• Make it quick. Because young children have short attention spans, you’ll have the best results if you start out with quick 5- or 10-minute games like Yeti in My Spaghetti, rather than games that take 15 to 20 minutes or longer.
• Let them choose. Wherever you typically keep your board games, make sure the preschooler-friendly games are at eye level and the others are less visible. Then let your child pick which game they want to play. (Forcing a child to play a specific game they’re not interested in typically won’t result in a fun experience!)
• Put fun first. If you’re a stickler for following the rules (that’s me!), you might get especially frustrated when your 3-year-old loses interest in a game you’ve started or refuses to play by the rules. But if at any point you or your child are no longer having fun, give yourself permission to hit the pause button on that game and try again later. I am absolutely guilty of turning a game into an unnecessary power struggle with my child, and that never ends well!
• Bend the rules. While your child gets used to playing games, feel free to bend the rules to simplify a game or make it more fun for them. Some of the board games for 3-year-olds listed above include rule variations for younger children, but you can make up your own variations too. The ultimate goal is to connect with your child and inspire a love of playing games, so be flexible. For example, when we’re playing the Life on Earth Memory Game with a 3-year-old, we flip all the cards right side up and take turns spotting matches that way. Or as another alternative, you can set out just five to six matching pairs at a time and flip those over.
• Repeat yourself. For a young brain to learn, they need repetition. So while it may feel frustrating to keep reminding your child of what to do next and what not to do, gentle and kind reminders are exactly what they need to improve their ability to focus, remember instructions, and control their impulses.
• Play on teams. To get your child used to the mechanics of game play, play a few rounds with them on your “team” before you let them loose to play on their own. When you’re on a team together, your preschooler can be responsible for things like rolling dice, picking a card from the draw pile, moving your pawn, and so on.
• Follow the leader. For example, if your child is having fun stacking the animal pieces in Animal Upon Animal, that’s awesome. But if instead they start playing pretend with the animals and doing all the animal noises, that’s awesome too. The overall goal of playing board games with your preschooler is to have fun together, so follow your child’s lead and roll with the punches.
• Narrate the game. Pretend you’re a sportscaster, and comment on everything that happens in the game. Narrating the game both helps your child understand the game rules and boosts their vocabulary. Also, game strategy may be a foreign concept to your preschooler right now, so talking through your own decisions during the game can help build their reasoning skills.
• Move back one space. Every child develops at their own pace. If the board games for 3-year-olds in this article aren’t working for your 3-year-old, that’s perfectly okay and nothing to worry about. You can follow the tips in the rest of this section to infuse a playful spirit into your board game experience until your child is ready for more, or you can pick up one of the best board games for toddlers and see if those might be a better fit for now. Remember: If you try a game and your child doesn’t seem ready for it, put it away for a couple weeks or a month, then try again. Your preschooler’s brain is growing constantly, so they might surprise you sooner rather than later!

Your Turn

What are your favorite board games for 3-year-olds? Share in a comment below!

The post 16 Best Board Games for 3-Year-Olds (Plus What to Avoid) appeared first on Happy You, Happy Family.

Soon after my youngest turned five, he set something into motion that nurtured his emotional wellbeing in a powerful way, although I didn’t realize it at the time.

One morning after he’d eaten breakfast and his big sisters were still sleeping, he picked out two children’s books and came into my bedroom where I was catching up on email.

“Will you read these to me?” he asked in a small voice, almost like he was preparing himself for the “I’m sorry, I’m busy right now” that was sure to come.

But for whatever reason that day, I looked at my youngest child and pictured him five years older, sleeping in like his sisters and no longer asking me to read to him. So instead of mentally reviewing my long to-do list, I caught myself.

I smiled. “Sure, buddy.”

He lit up. We climbed into my bed, got under the covers, and read together, just the two of us. And that was the start of a cozy morning routine that’s still going to this day. All it takes is 10 minutes, but every morning, he bounces away smiling—the 5-year-old embodiment of Tigger energy.

Which Is Cute, But…

My youngest has always been my most emotionally intense child. His feelings are big, and he lets you know it.

Several times a day whenever he gets frustrated or angry or disappointed, he wails at top volume. The storm passes fairly quickly, but it certainly is a bumpy ride when you’re in the thick of it.

But after he turned five, he started to mellow a bit. His outbursts weren’t quite so intense or quite so loud. They became fewer and further between. Plus, he was able to play independently for longer stints.

I thought we’d finally hit a developmental milestone when it came to his emotional regulation. I love how emotionally attuned my child is and I wouldn’t change him for the world, and yet it was still a relief to have fewer outbursts to navigate every day.

Then One Day, Something Changed

One weekday morning, I had a doctor’s appointment, and I had to boogie in order to get out the door on time. So when my son came in to ask me to read to him, I said I didn’t have time.

He hung his head a little but didn’t have an outburst, so I thought he was fine.

But when I got home from my appointment later that morning, it was like we’d unknowingly traveled in a time machine to a year ago.

His big feelings were front and center, exploding into outbursts at every little disappointment. He suddenly seemed incapable of playing by himself, so he repeatedly demanded his big sisters play with him, then would melt into a puddle when they couldn’t immediately drop what they were doing to play.

My husband and I tried to troubleshoot all day: Is he hungry? Is he starting to get sick? Are we in the Twilight Zone?

Related: 101 Heartfelt and Simple Ways to Love Your Child Every Day {Printable}

Can You Guess What Happened Next?

That night, my husband and I collapsed into bed a full hour before our normal bedtime, worn out from the emotional rollercoaster.

Then the next morning, my son came into my bedroom like normal, and we cozied up in bed together to read. And 10 minutes later, his love tank was full, and he was off to the races.

Thinking the previous day had signaled a developmental regression, I braced myself for the outbursts that were sure to come.

But they never did.

He was back to himself again, not the version of himself from a year ago. My brain tried to solve the puzzle: What was different about the day before? What changed?

Finally, I Connected the Dots

When we started the day with meaningful one-on-one connection, my son felt secure in my unconditional love for him. He could ride the waves of his emotions rather than getting swept away or pulled under. He was better able to play independently.

He was happier.

As a Certified Parent Educator, I know the science is clear: Children need unconditional love from their parents. Research shows that children who grow up feeling loved and accepted by their parents tend to have a healthier self-esteem, fewer behavior problems, and better academic performance.

And yet, even with all the training I’ve completed and all the families I’ve worked with, it took me a full day of racking my brain to solve the mystery of my own son’s behavioral setback.

Please Give Yourself Grace

When it’s your own child, it’s hard to see the difference that a small dose of meaningful connection can make. It’s like you’re trying to focus on a picture that’s too close to your face.

Plus, your own emotions can cloud your vision.

For example, if you’re stressed, you tend to be less responsive, so you’ll likely miss a shift in your child’s behavioral patterns that might signal a need for more connection. Instead, their outbursts or meltdowns feel like just One More Thing you need to deal with, and you might snap at your child or lose your temper. (Ask me how I know.)

And that disconnection can lead to even more emotional storms, which pushes you further apart from your child. Your child feels unmoored from the anchor of your unconditional love—and it shows in their behavior—and you feel at your wit’s end.

Related: 60 Meaningful Family Bonding Activities to Nurture a Loving Bond

So What’s the Fix?

Pay it forward to your future selves with the best morning routine for kids. Before the emotional storms—from your child or you. Before the disconnection. Before the distance feels too vast to close.

Spend 10 minutes filling your child’s tank.

You can cozy up to read a children’s book together, go for a quick walk around the block, or sit down and play a quick card game. (My favorite card game to play with younger kids is Sleeping Queens, and for older elementary kids and tweens, my go-to is Rat-a-Tat Cat or Love Letter.)

Not only will you grease the wheels for a smoother day with your child, you’ll also nurture a warm and loving parent-child relationship that will last into the teenage years and beyond.

274 families purchased this game after reading this post…

$13 from Amazon* $12 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Rat-a-Tat Cat

    
“My 5 year old’s current favorite is Rat a Tat Cat by Gamewright. I really like how the rules can be adapted for an ‘easy’ and ‘hard’ version of the game, giving the game more longevity!” – Patricia

^† This site is reader-supported. When you buy through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

But You Might Run Into This Problem

Unfortunately, when you’re busy or tired, it’s incredibly difficult to think of something fun and sweet to do to connect with your child.

Which is why I created these Family Connection Cards, based on the science of what actually works when you need to connect with your child. These cards remove the mental burden of figuring out how to connect so you can focus on enjoying the meaningful moment with your child.

You can keep the cards anywhere in your home—on your kitchen counter, your nightstand, or next to your phone charger—and pick a card once a morning or any time you notice your child is acting moody or not cooperative.

With these cards in your parenting toolbox, you’ll make your child feel absolutely loved and stop the power struggles caused by disconnection—in just 10 minutes a day.

What About…?

If you like the idea of starting off your day with a dose of meaningful connection, but you get tripped up on the specifics of how to make it happen, this section is for you.

Our mornings are so rushed! I don’t see how I could fit this in.

To create space in your own morning routine, you can set your alarm for 10 minutes earlier. But if the issue is that your child has no extra time in the morning, try doubling up your connection time with something else already in your routine. For example:

• Before your child wakes up, cuddle up next to them in bed. After they wake up, you can ask them what they’re looking forward to that day.
• While your child eats breakfast, sit with them and read a children’s book aloud.
• While they pack their lunch or their backpack, queue up your child’s favorite playlist and kick off an impromptu family dance party.
• While you drive them to school, tell a funny story from their childhood or yours. If you can’t think of a story, ask a meaningful question to engage and connect. (Not sure what to ask? Try one of our conversation starters for kids.)

My kid is a grump in the morning. Any suggestions?

Some kids aren’t chipper in the morning, just like some adults—and that’s perfectly normal. However, it could be worth starting a conversation with your child at another time of day to find out what’s going on. You could start by saying, “I’ve noticed that you have a hard time getting up in the morning.” Or, “It seems like you’re struggling to feel calm and happy on school mornings.”

You might discover that your child isn’t getting enough sleep the night before, that they’re anxious about something happening at school, that they feel rushed in the morning and that’s engaging their fight-or-flight response, or something else.

My tween or teen is always on their phone. How can I connect with them?

Try meeting your child where they are and connecting through technology. For example, you could:

• The previous day, keep an eye out for a funny video on YouTube or TikTok that your child might enjoy. The next morning, say, “I found a video I thought you might get a kick out of.” Then hold out your phone and watch it together.
• Start a tradition of playing a phone game with your child, like Words With Friends or a chess app. Then in the morning, you could say, “Do you have a couple minutes to sit with me and play a few turns back and forth?” Or as another option, you can sit together every morning and solve that day’s Wordle to see who gets it first.
• Ask for their best finds by saying, “I could use a pick-me-up. Have you come across any funny videos this morning?” Depending on what your teen is into, replace “videos” with tweets, posts, songs, and so on.
• Seek out news and updates about what your child is into. For example, if they love Taylor Swift, check the latest gossipy tidbits on Twitter and save interesting tweets to show your child: “Hey, did you see this yet?”

If none of that works and you already have a no-phone rule in your family during meals, you can sit down with your child while they eat breakfast and just chat. You can ask them what they have going on that day, ask what they’re looking forward to (or what they’re dreading), or ask one of our conversation starters for kids.

And if that doesn’t work, you can strike up a conversation while their hands are otherwise busy and phone-free, like while they’re making their lunch or packing their backpack.

But Could It Have Been a Fluke?

A couple weeks after my epiphany, I had another busy morning where I was rushing to get ready before a virtual meeting for work.

While I could have afforded 10 minutes with my son, I was stressed and wanted to reclaim that time for myself. To make myself feel better about begging off that morning, I started to question my earlier lightbulb moment: Maybe he’d just had a bad day, and his emotional setback had nothing to do with our cozy connection time?

So when he woke up later that morning, I explained I was running late, and I didn’t have time to read right now.

Just like before, he hung his head but seemed to take the disappointment in stride.

Then 15 minutes later, his emotions boiled over because his sisters wouldn’t stop eating breakfast to play a game with him. When he got over that, he lost it a bit later when he couldn’t find the Scotch tape for an art project he’d started.

By the third outburst, I had seen enough. Skipping out on our time together was making the morning harder for my son, and instead of the extra time alleviating my stress, my decision to skip reading was adding to my stress.

I asked if he wanted to read together, and he came running into my room.

To be clear, our connection time didn’t remove all emotional upset from his day—I’m not trying to cultivate a preschool-sized robot, here! But our time together smoothed out the bumps in the road so that he (and I) could better handle whatever life threw at him, Tigger energy fully intact.

Your Turn

What’s your best tip for a positive morning routine for kids? Share in a comment below!

The post This 10-Minute Morning Routine for Kids Will Make Your Life Easier appeared first on Happy You, Happy Family.

After our fourth child was born, my husband and I didn’t have a date night for nearly a year. Which sounds like it could be a recipe for marriage problems.

Because couples who never take time away to be alone tend to feel disconnected. They might start snipping at each other over small things. They might forget why they started on this wild, chaotic parenting journey together and begin to feel more like roommates than life partners.

Research shows that says date night is an important ingredient for a healthy marriage—in science speak, they call it shared recreation. According to the The Date Night Opportunity report, wives who had regular date nights were 22 percent more likely to report being “very happy” in their marriage, and husbands were 20 percent more likely to. Plus, spouses who experience frequent date nights were 28 percent more likely to report that divorce “was not at all likely” in the future, compared to spouses with infrequent date nights.

Date night is especially important when you have kids—because how else will you get to have an actual conversation with your partner without someone asking for help with homework, interrupting to tell you about the coolest thing ever in Minecraft, or screaming so loud you’re sure the neighbors will call the cops on you?

And yet, even though my husband and I had been skipping date night for a while, and even with four kids to wrangle, we felt more connected than ever.

Because we did something different than date night.

But First, Here’s the Problem With Date Night

If you don’t have family in town, “date night” is synonymous with “hire a babysitter,” and that can get awfully expensive. Dropping 50 to 100 bucks just to get time alone with each other stings a bit, especially if you’re on a tight budget.

Even if you do have family in town, they have their own lives to live and aren’t going to be available just because you happen to be in the mood for a date night.

But that’s not even the biggest problem with date night.

After spending all day feeding four hungry mouths, refereeing sibling squabbles and mediating emotional outbursts, running errands to keep stocked on toilet paper and more food for those hungry little mouths, and and and…

As parents, by the end of the day, we’re done.

But date night means right when you’re at your most spent, you have to get all gussied up and be on your A game with your partner. When all you really want is to throw on your comfiest pair of jammies, grab a pint of pistachio ice cream, and zone out to the latest episode of The Voice.

As Parents, We Have to Get Creative

My husband and I found an alternative to date night that doesn’t cost 100 bucks, doesn’t have to happen when we’re at our most exhausted, and still leaves us feeling all lovey-dovey.

During that first year after our youngest was born, instead of date nights, we did lunch dates.

We were able to have an entire conversation without being interrupted. We could make googly eyes at each other without the kids walking up and asking, “Why does your face look so weird?”. We could even indulge in actual swear words instead of “fudgesicle,” “poop nugget,” and “son of a biscuit eater.”

If you’ve never considered a lunch date before, you might be intrigued by the idea, or you might be wondering how that could possibly work for your situation.

But Whatever You Do, Do Something

If a lunch date isn’t feasible for you, that’s okay! In this article, I’ve compiled the best date night ideas for parents.

It doesn’t matter which date night idea you try, but it does matter that you try—and make it something new. Research shows that connecting one-on-one is essential to a healthy relationship, but for the biggest boost to your bond, novel experiences are key. Repeating the same date night once a month can become a mundane routine and won’t deliver the same increase in relationship satisfaction.

And I can tell you from personal experience that making time to try out something new on date night—even when you’re busy and exhausted—will pay off.

Here’s What Date Night Can Do For You

After being together for well over a decade, my husband and I are just as into each other as ever. But when we go through a stressful period and don’t make time for a date night (in lunch form or otherwise), the disconnection creeps in, sucking our patience dry and souring our tone of voice with each other.

So when that happens, I pull up this list of parent date ideas that I’ve been keeping on my phone, and we pick something to try.

Even if all we have is a few minutes to spare for our date, we walk away feeling reconnected. Like we’re a team. A team that just so happens to possess a special talent for using impromptu hugs and kisses to gross out their teenager.

What to Do About Childcare

If we’re talking about date nights for parents, we need to address the (expensive) elephant in the room: Babysitters can be pricey, and finding a reliable sitter can turn into a project and a half.

Here are a few creative ways to handle childcare so that you can make space for regular date nights with your partner:

• When you both work outside the home: Meet up for a day date during work hours. Schedule a “doctor’s appointment” if you need to—what your boss doesn’t know won’t hurt ’em!
• When one person works and the other stays home with the kids: If your kids aren’t in school, ask a fellow stay-at-home parent if they would be up for a swap. You watch their kids for an hour and a half, they watch your kids for an hour and a half—and you both get a much needed boost for your relationships without springing for a sitter.
• If your kids have quiet time: If you’ve got a quiet time routine in your family (or if your kids are still napping), co-opt that time for your couple connection time.
• If your kids are in school or daycare: Schedule a day date while the kids are away. Or if you can’t afford an hour or two, set your alarm a little earlier and get ready as fast as you can to give you 15 minutes of bonus time. Then drop your child off earlier and meet your partner for a quick date, even if it’s just to grab coffee and sit outside while you chat and sip.
• If you live near family: Don’t be afraid to ask aunts and uncles, grandparents, or other extended family to watch your child so you can reconnect with your partner. As a bonus, your family member will get some quality time with your child, which will strengthen their relationship.
• If you belong to a gym: Some gyms provide on-site childcare as one of their perks. You can drop your kids off, do a group class or work out together, then unwind with snacks before it’s time to pick up the kids.
• Look for a parents’ night out: Search for a parents’ night out program in your area so you can drop your kids off for a couple hours. These will typically be run by a children’s museum, a gymnastics spot, your parks and recreation department, or a local church.
• Hire Mister Rogers to babysit: Set your child up with some guilt-free screen time and find a quiet(er) nook of your home to enjoy some time together, just the two of you. (My husband and I have also been known to sneak outside to the porch or backyard!) And don’t be afraid to explain to your child what’s happening and why: When you’re in a relationship with another person, it’s important to have time together, just the two of you. They might as well start learning about healthy relationships now!
• If none of that will work for you: If you’re as tired as I am at the end of the day, you just want to collapse into bed after you tuck your kids in. But if you can manage to stay up 10 to 15 minutes extra after the kids are in bed, you can still connect with your partner in a meaningful way. To help you stay awake, you can plan ahead with a coffee in the late afternoon at least six hours before you plan to hit the hay. If you’re sensitive to caffeine, you could also try an after-dinner family walk around the neighborhood because physical activity can help you stay awake. Another option is to kick off your date with a healthy snack that isn’t too sugary, like apple slices or banana with nut butter, carrots and hummus, or a handful of trail mix. Your body’s digestive process will help keep you awake a little longer.
• If shift work makes dates tricky: Any time you and your partner are physically in the same space at the same time, you can make up any kind of date you want. Try a coffee date, a pint-of-ice-cream date, or a let’s-lie-in-bed-for-10-minutes-because-we’re-both-exhausted date. (All of which you’ll find in the list below!)

Related: 20 Quick + Powerful Ways to Reconnect With Your Spouse Right Now {Printable}

100 Fun Date Night Ideas for Parents to Make You Feel Closer

Below, you’ll find a list of the best date night ideas for parents to bring you and your partner closer together, even when you’re busy and tired. You’ll feel more connected and ready to tackle whatever tantrums, sibling fights, or mealtime battles come your way.

To put together this list, I scoured every article and Reddit post I could get my hands on, talked to friends and family to hear about their favorite dates, and surveyed the more than 100,000 readers in this community—then I compiled all the most-loved ideas into one epic list. And if getting a babysitter isn’t feasible, you should know that this list includes oodles of at-home date night ideas for parents.

You can treat this list as a bucket list and make your way through each date idea, checking each one off as you go. Or you can bookmark this page in your browser and circle back to it any time you need a fresh date night idea.

Pro tip: If you want to make sure date night happens, the absolute best way to do that is to add it to your family calendar. For example, you can make it a recurring monthly entry, such as the first Friday or Saturday of every month. Then when you see it pop up on the calendar for that week, use this list to plan what you’ll do together.

But First, a Warning

If you don’t often get time alone together, your date conversation might turn into figuring out what to make for dinner, reminding each other about appointments you need to make, or talking about the kids the whole time.

And there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. If that’s what you want to talk about, then you’re making the most of your time together.

But if you want to foster a meaningful conversation about what’s on your minds and hearts, my go-to favorite is to ask one of these conversation starters for couples during your date. These magic questions for couples are inspired by the latest research on how you can make your relationship last.

No Childcare Required: The Best Date Night Ideas for Parents

Here are all the best at-home date night ideas for parents that don’t require a babysitter.

1. Meet for lunch.

When the chaos of parenting life is dragging you down but adding “schedule a date night” to your to-do list stresses you out, try meeting your partner for a quick lunch date instead. And the best part is when you move your date to the daytime, you can still end the day with your comfy jammies, pistachio ice cream, and Netflix queue.

My husband and I have been meeting up for lunch dates for years, and as our work and home routines have evolved, so have our lunch dates.

For example, we’ve grabbed lunch at a restaurant, met at one person’s office to eat leftovers we brought from home, or had dates in our car while we shared sandwiches. Or when one of us was a stay-at-home parent and the other was working, the working parent would drive home for lunch during the day.

As another option if the weather’s decent, you can find a nearby park with a picnic table. If you have kids in tow, send them off to play while you eat.

• Cost: Free if you eat leftovers; $20-40 depending on the restaurant
• Where: At home or go out

Related: 150 Conversation Starters for Couples That Will Make You Feel Closer Than Ever {Printable}

2. Sneak off for breakfast.

Wake up a little earlier than the rest of your crew so you can have a few minutes alone when your home is quiet. Here are a few ideas for how to make a breakfast date feel special:

• Work together to make something yummy for yourselves that you don’t usually get to have, like pancakes, bacon and eggs, or a coffee cake fresh from the oven. (My trusted source for the yummiest recipes is Smitten Kitchen.)
• Grab a new kind of coffee from the store and try it together for the first time. If you want to really go all-out, you can get this fun coffee subscription box^† where you can sample new roasts and find a new favorite. Kind of like a wine tasting—but with coffee and delivered straight to your door. If you prefer tea, they also have a tea-of-the-month club that I can personally recommend.
• Make a couple breakfast plates and climb back into bed together for breakfast in bed. If you’re worried about getting crumbs in bed, you can lay a picnic blanket down first.
• Set up a breakfast grazing board with cheese, fruit, and toast with jam.
• Send one person out to pick up breakfast tacos, donuts, or breakfast sandwiches, then bring them home so you can enjoy them together.

^† This site is reader-supported. When you buy through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission. All prices shown are from time of publishing.

If you have any goodies left over after your breakfast date, you can share them with your child and make their day, too.

• Cost: Free if you eat at home; $10-20 depending on what goodies you get
• Where: At home

Atlas Coffee Club Subscription Box

With this monthly gift box, you can sample a wide variety of roasts and find a new favorite. Kind of like a wine tasting—but with coffee and delivered straight to your door. If you prefer tea, they also have a tea-of-the-month club.

$50 from Atlas Coffee Club

3. Go head-to-head.

After the kids are in bed, embrace your inner child and bust out a board game or card game to play together. You can go for a lovingly cutthroat vibe or try a cooperative game where you work together.

These are my favorite games to play with my husband, and they’re also popular with the families in this community:

• 7 Wonders Duel: This is the ultimate two-player strategy game. Your goal is to develop your city’s civilization and build the Wonders of the World. The game takes just 30 minutes, and every game delivers a fresh challenge.
• Forbidden Island: In this cooperative game, you work together to collect treasure before the ancient island you’re on sinks into the ocean—plus you have to rescue your whole team off the island with a helicopter before you sink with the island. Even though I know it’s not real, my heart races every time we get to the end of this game!
• Ticket to Ride: In this game, your goal is to figure out the best routes to travel across America by train. This game, paired with a favorite night-time beverage, always relaxes me after a long day of kid-wrangling.
• Azul: This quick brain puzzle of a game with gorgeous art is the perfect choice for a cozy night with a cup of tea or cocoa. You’re a tile-laying artist, and you’re hired to build a mosaic fit to decorate the king’s palace. You score points for the tiles you lay and for using a variety of colors.
• Quiddler: If you enjoy word games but don’t have the mental bandwidth to start a game of Scrabble right before you go to bed, this game is the perfect fit for you. Each card in your hand features a different letter, and the goal of the game is to use those letters to create words. Creating words scores points, and the person with the most points at the end wins. And if you need a shorter game, just play fewer rounds.

For more awesome game ideas, check out our recommendations for the best family board games.

• Cost: Free if you use games you already have; cost varies if you pick up a new game
• Where: At home

$28 from Amazon* $28 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

7 Wonders Duel

    
“My teenager played this at a friend’s house and came home raving about it, so I surprised him with a copy for his birthday. Now our whole family is HOOKED. The genius of this game is that every time you play it, your strategy has to shift based on the hand you’re dealt. So it never gets boring. It’s a family favorite for us!” – Gabriela

4. Climb back into bed.

On a weekday when you both get home from work, school, or whatever daily commitments took you away from home, climb into your bed and cuddle together for a few minutes.

This quick date works as a sort of reset button to help you unwind from the stresses of the day. And after a few minutes of shared quiet, you may find that it feels easier to open up about what’s on your heart.

Side note: This is one of our go-to strategies for connecting with our kids after school, too.

• Cost: Free
• Where: At home

5. Start a buddy read.

Pick a book you’re both interested in reading, then take turns reading a chapter to each other every night before bed. Most people love being read aloud to, but unfortunately as adults, we don’t get to experience being on the receiving end of that very often. (And if you’re doubting this, just look at how the audiobook industry is booming!)

If you pick a romance or a book with a romantic subplot, you might even get an extra jolt of inspiration in that department.

But if reading aloud isn’t a good fit for you, you can still pick a book you both want to read, then talk about what you’ve read every night before you go to bed. It’ll be like your own two-person book club!

If you need a recommendation, one of our favorite buddy reads has been The Anthropocene Reviewed because the chapters are short and easy to read, but they still made us think without taxing our (already exhausted) brains.

• Cost: Free if you get the book from the library; $5-30 if you buy a copy to keep
• Where: At home

The Anthropocene Reviewed

“What Green is really telling us with these unexpected stories about Sycamore Trees, Canada Geese, and Dr Pepper is how much there is to love in the world and why that love is worth the effort.” — NPR

$14 from Amazon $17 from Bookshop

6. Pamper yourselves.

Heading to an actual spa for a couples massage and a foot bath may not be practical, but you can create an at-home spa night on your own for much cheaper. All you need is one or two special supplies, such as a bath soak or bath salts, foot masks, face masks, massage oil, and so on.

Then take turns pampering each other. You can give each other a massage (head, foot, or otherwise), prepare the bath for one person and hang out and chat while they relax then swap places, or giggle at how silly you both look wearing a sheet mask.

If you enjoy this date night and want to make it a regular occurrence, you can pick up heated foot spas for two so that you can relax while you enjoy a movie. (A friend of mine got two of these foot spas for her and her husband, and she loves them!)

• Cost: Free if you already have spa supplies; cost varies depending on what you buy
• Where: At home

7. Go around the block.

While your kids are otherwise occupied, head outside with your honey for some fresh air and a walk around the block. All it takes is a few minutes, and you’ll finally be able to have a conversation without getting interrupted 27 million times. Plus, the physical activity will boost your feel-good endorphins and help you handle the stresses of parenting life even better.

For a lovely twist on this parent date idea, turn your walk into a nighttime stroll under the moon and stars. To plan your nighttime strolls for when it will be a full moon, you can automatically add the phases of the moon to your Google Calendar.

• Cost: Free
• Where: At home

8. Make something yummy.

Work together to make a special treat like muffins, cookies, or cupcakes. Not only will you get to spend quality time together in the kitchen, but you’ll also get to enjoy the delicious manifestation of that time well spent. And as a bonus, you’ll delight your child when you share the finished treats with them. (If you need ideas, my trusted source for the yummiest recipes is Smitten Kitchen.)

If you go the cupcake route, you can add to the fun by getting creative with the frosting. Channel your inner baking competition contestant and see who can decorate the best cupcake.

But if baking isn’t your bag, you can make a special treat like these next-level Rice Krispie treats or whip up a batch of homemade ice cream.

Or if sweets don’t do it for you, you can work together to make a special dinner. After the kids are in bed one night, find a recipe for something you’ve never made before, like homemade pizza, sushi, homemade pasta, a recipe from another culture, or a meal your kids would never eat. Then pick a weekend afternoon when the weather is decent, send your kids outside to play, and dive in together. If you’re making a recipe from another culture, you can play music from that area while you cook to add to the ambiance.

• Cost: Free if you use ingredients you already have; cost varies if you need supplies from the grocery store
• Where: At home

9. Reminisce together.

Make a special snack or drink, then cozy up on the couch together to look through family photo albums or your wedding album, or just flip through the albums on your phones. Seeing cute pictures from when your child was younger, snapshots from family vacations, or weird photos of your elbow you didn’t know were there (thanks, kid!) will naturally bring up a few stories.

As a bonus, if you don’t yet have any physical family photo albums, flag your favorite photos and send them off to Shutterfly to get printed. Your child will love looking through a photo album of family memories, and the photo album makes for a great present for grandparents, too.

• Cost: Free
• Where: At home

10. Embrace your creative side.

Create something together. Not only will you have fun doing something different together, but creating art has also been shown to impact health by reducing stress and anxiety, increasing positive emotions, and reducing the likelihood of depression.

For example, you can:

• Color in grown-up coloring books (this one’s my personal favorite, and the artist has a whole series of gorgeous coloring books)
• Watch a how-to-draw video and follow along together
• Set up a makeshift photo booth by hanging a sheet and gathering props, then take silly photos of each other
• Braid friendship bracelets for each other
• Build your own mini golf course around your home or yard using items you already have, like plastic cups, cardboard boxes, mason jars, PVC pipe, and so on
• Print out some favorite family photos and make a scrapbook together
• Bust out your kid’s watercolors and paint—even if you can’t draw well (hello, that’s me!), you can create abstract lines and patterns with watercolors that still look lovely
• Find a DIY project or craft that looks fun, grab the supplies, and do it together—like a mosaic photo frame, a tie-die kit, homemade soap, or a clay pottery kit for two like this
• Get one big blank canvas and follow a step-by-step painting tutorial video to create something together—for a ready-made kit that even non-crafty couples rave about, check out the date night kits from Painting to Gogh

If you’d rather head out for your joint creative session, you can sign up for a class at an art or pottery studio.

• Cost: Free if you use supplies you already have; cost varies if you need supplies from the store
• Where: At home or go out

11. Schedule a Do Nothing Day.

Pick a weekday when your child is in childcare or school and take the day off work and other obligations. Forget the errands you’ve been meaning to run, throw your to-do list out the window, and schedule absolutely nothing.

On your Do Nothing Day, you can climb back into bed and read in the peace and quiet, take your time lingering over breakfast with an extra pot of coffee, or bake something yummy. You can pick any other parent date idea from the list, or just go with the flow and see what feels fun in the moment.

Whatever you decide to do, take your time and enjoy being together because this isn’t about marking something off your to-do list.

• Cost: Free
• Where: At home

12. Stretch your brains together.

Think of something you’re both interested in learning about, like dog training, photography, cocktail mixology, floral arrangement, cooking, calligraphy, and so on. Then make a plan to learn about it together. You can take a virtual class on Skillshare or Masterclass, find an in-person class, or just binge a bunch of YouTube videos.

You’ll keep your brains sharp because research shows that regularly learning something new is one of the best steps you can take to keep your own brain healthy as you age. Plus, the shared experience of learning together will make you feel closer. And you might even discover a new favorite hobby!

• Cost: Free if you use YouTube; cost varies if you find a class to take—Masterclass is $10 a month, and Skillshare has a free 30-day trial
• Where: At home or go out

13. Share your tunes.

Whatever music you’ve been loving lately, play that for your honey. Then swap and listen to what they’ve been enjoying. Share your go-to workout song, the song that lifts you up on a bad day, or one with lyrics you love. For sweet love songs to share without making each other gag, check out our epic list of The All-Time Best Unknown Love Songs: 70+ Underrated Love Songs.

Research shows that listening to music together strengthens your bond and make you feel more connected. Side note: If you don’t yet have an “our song,” it’s not too late! Deciding on one together now can promote intimacy, positive emotions, and shared memories down the line.

To keep the fun going, you can listen to new releases from your favorite artists, check the charts to see what’s most popular (my husband and I always have fun listening and laughing about how out-of-touch we are with what’s popular), or explore brand-new-to-you tunes (we use the Discover Weekly playlist on Spotify).

For a fun variation on this date night, you can think back to all the songs you listened to when you were first dating, then make a playlist of those. Then any time you want to reminisce about the early days of your relationship, you have a ready-made playlist!

• Cost: Free
• Where: At home or anywhere, like if you have a few minutes in the car together

14. Cozy up on the couch.

After the kids are in bed, pop in a movie and host your own movie night for two. To make your movie night extra special, you can plan ahead with some fun snacks (maybe a new flavor of popcorn?) and/or drinks. Then add in a cozy blanket to snuggle up under, and you’re set.

If you need ideas for movies, check out our list of the Top 10 Romantic Comedies You’ll Fall in Love With. Every movie on that list also has my husband’s stamp of approval, including About Time, which became an all-time favorite for us both. (See below for the trailer!)

If the weather’s decent, you can also turn your couples’ movie night into a backyard movie night. All you need is a projector and a white sheet or a screen to project on, plus a blanket to spread in the grass or outdoor chairs. Bonus points if you roast marshmallows over a backyard fire pit. (Friends of ours have this fire pit, and we love sitting around it and chatting!) By the way, this is the outdoor projector I got for my husband one year for Father’s Day, and we use it every week during the summer.

• Cost: Free
• Where: At home

15. Eat early—or late.

Set your kids up with some guilt-free screen time and plan to eat an early dinner, just you and your partner. To dampen the sounds of kids being kids, you can eat in your bedroom or on your porch. If you have a backyard, you can also turn your dinner date into a picnic. All you need is a big blanket—this is my family’s favorite picnic blanket because nothing soaks through, and it’s easy to clean off.

If eating dinner early isn’t feasible, you can snack during the kids’ dinnertime to tide you over, then plan to enjoy a quiet dinner together after the kids are in bed. If you’re too knackered to cook, order takeout as a special treat and get it delivered. Then for a proper date vibe, turn out all the lights and have dinner by candlelight.

And if neither of those options will work, a fun twist on this parent date idea is to include your kids. Move a small table into a room you don’t usually eat in, like your living room, plus two chairs. Tell the kids you’re having a date night, and pretend you’re showing up to a restaurant. You can get dressed in fancy clothes, and your kids can be the host and wait staff. We’ve done this a handful of times, and our kids love it, plus we get a few moments to finish a conversation for once.

• Cost: Free, unless you opt for takeout
• Where: At home

16. Puzzle it out.

After the kids are in bed, set up a card table in your bedroom or clear out a corner of the floor, then tackle a big jigsaw puzzle together. This is one of our favorite ways to connect because puzzling is calming, plus it’s easy to pair with a nighttime beverage like a cup of tea or glass of wine. And while our hands are busy, the conversation ebbs and flows naturally.

If you don’t already have a puzzle, our favorite puzzle company is Ravensburger because their puzzles are well-made and never have those pieces where you’re not sure if they fit together or not.

• Cost: Free if you already have a puzzle; $10-30 if you need to pick one up
• Where: At home

17. Listen to a podcast.

Find a podcast that’s just for the two of you, and listen together every time there’s a new episode. If your kids are too loud, hole yourself up in your bedroom and tell them you’re folding laundry. Odds are, they’ll skedaddle.

But this is important: Listen to new episodes only when you’re together. If one person jumps ahead without the other, the other person might feel left out, and it will no longer be a shared experience to bring you closer.

If you need ideas for a new podcast, some of our favorite podcasts to listen to as a couple are This American Life, Hidden Brain, and Freakonomics.

• Cost: Free
• Where: At home or anywhere, like if you have a few minutes in the car together

18. Count the stars.

After the kids are in bed, head outside to count stars and pick out constellations. You can use a stargazing app to help you, or you can wing it.

If you don’t know any constellations, that’s okay. Embrace your playful side and invent new ones, then explain them to each other.

You can also plan ahead and check to see if there are any upcoming meteor showers, then schedule your stargazing date night around that.

• Cost: Free
• Where: At home

19. Solve a mystery.

If you and your partner like to watch or read whodunnits, put on your detective caps and solve a mystery together.

I’ve played the Hunt a Killer games and Unsolved Case Files, and they were both lots of fun.

If you find that you love the experience, you might try a mystery game subscription box like from the Mysterious Package Company.

• Cost: $30 for a game; cost varies for subscription boxes
• Where: At home

20. Make a sundae bar.

Pick up your favorite ice cream flavors and candy for toppings, and set up an ice cream bar for two. You can invent your own new combinations, or invent one for your partner that you think they’d like.

One of our favorite ice cream night concoctions is one we borrowed from a local ice cream shop: The Lawless Walrus. Start with chocolate ice cream, mix in Oreos and waffle cone pieces, then top with fudge. Divine!

• Cost: $10-30, depending on how many ice cream flavors or fixings you get
• Where: At home

21. Stroll down memory lane.

Grab a nice sheet of paper for each of you, set a timer for 15 minutes, and jot down as many favorite memories as you can. You can reminisce about moments you’ve shared together, memories of your kid, or even your own childhood memories. Research shows that couples who reminisce together tend to be more satisfied with their relationship and feel warmer and closer to their partner.

Alternatively, you can make a list of specific things you appreciate about the other person.

When the timer goes off, you can swap papers to read what the other person wrote, or you can take turns reading your list aloud to each other.

• Cost: Free
• Where: At home

22. Browse the shelves.

Visit a locally owned bookstore and browse around together, checking out the staff recommendations and the bestsellers. Alternatively, pick out books you think the other one would like, then sit down and read the jacket copy for all the books and pick your favorite to bring home.

If your kids are in tow, visit the library and bring them along. Take turns staying with the kids while one person goes to pick out a book for the other person. Check out everything, then read the jacket copy to each other when you get home and pick your next read.

• Cost: Free or $20-40 if you pick up two new books
• Where: At the bookstore or library

23. Make a cheese board.

Save yourselves the hassle of cooking dinner and pick up supplies for a fancy cheese board instead.

For Christmas one year, I got my husband The Cheese Board Deck, which has 50 different cards with creative ideas for styling your own cheese boards at home. We’ve been making our way through the deck, one cheese board a month, and we’ve tried so many new cheeses and other fun foods because of it. We’ve even starting doing a cheese board with the kids once in a while, too. (Who knew my kids would love cornichons?)

Side note: If you want to add a wine pairing to your cheese board, the same author of The Cheese Board Deck also has The Wine and Cheese Board Deck.

• Cost: Varies depending on what food you get
• Where: At home

24. Get your (video) game on.

If you already have a video game console, pick a game to play together. This date night idea works best if it’s a game neither of you have played before, especially if one of you isn’t an experienced gamer and one is. Because if one of you has already mastered a game, it won’t be as fun for the other person to get completely dominated or feel lost.

One of my fondest date night memories is when my husband and I got a new game for our gaming console, then spent the night tackling the game together. We felt like kids again!

• Cost: Free, unless you pick up a new game
• Where: At home

25. Host a tasting for two.

Whatever beverage you and your partner like to enjoy together—wine, beer, coffee, tea, or even soda—pick up a few different kinds at the store, then host your own tasting event where you sample a little of everything.

If you want to go all out, you can research cheeses or other foods to pair with each style of beverage. Even if you’re not doing a wine or beer tasting, you can still have fun making up your own pairings. Maybe a sarsaparilla-forward root beer pairs well with Sour Patch Kids?

To make this date night more economical, research ahead of time if any local grocery stores or liquor stores allow you to mix-and-match single beers into your own six-pack, or look for smaller bottles of wine. Most liquor stores will have an assortment of 375 milliliter bottles, which is half the size of a typical wine bottle.

• Cost: Varies but might be in the range of $20-75
• Where: At home

26. Plan your dream trip.

Brainstorm a list of your dream vacations (family or couple), then pick one to plan. Whether you plan it for next year or five years from now, you’ll bond over the shared experience of doing it together.

If you need some ideas to jump-start your brainstorming, here are a few:

• Go skiing or snowboarding in the winter or hiking the rest of the year
• Drive to the nearest beach or lake and go surfing, jet skiing, parasailing, or scuba diving
• Go to an all-inclusive family-friendly resort
• Plan the quintessential Disney trip
• Book a train trip
• Stay at a farm, such as with Farm Stay USA in the U.S.
• Visit a national park—Note: If you have a fourth grader, you can get a free annual pass to all national parks in the U.S.
• Rent an RV
• See the Northern Lights
• Book a cruise
• Plan a safari trip
• Travel to the best spot to catch an upcoming eclipse

As you plan together, you can research hotels, check restaurant menus, figure out a road trip route, “ooh” and “aah” at photos of sightseeing spots, and more.

• Cost: Free (the planning is, at least!)
• Where: At home

27. Get flexible together.

Before the kids wake up or after they’re in bed, queue up a video from Yoga With Adriene and find your flow. Just a few minutes in the morning or at bedtime can help reduce stress and anxiety while improving your flexibility, balance, and posture.

As you experience the delightfully calming influence of Adriene, your breathing and your bodies will get in sync. And if one of you falls out of a tricky pose, the giggles will bring you closer together.

If yoga isn’t your thing, find any interesting new-to-you workout video on YouTube and tackle the new challenge together.

• Cost: Free
• Where: At home

28. Quiz each other.

If you can’t make it to your neighborhood bar trivia night, host your own at home. Grab your favorite snacks and drinks, then pull up The New York Times Crossword or yesterday’s Jeopardy clues, then take turns quizzing each other. Or for a cooperative vibe, call out the clues and work out the answers together without keeping score.

• Cost: Free
• Where: At home

29. Camp out in your living room.

After the kids are in bed, set up an air mattress, or drag your own mattress into the living room. Get cozy under the covers together, then watch a movie or just talk in the dark—sleepover style.

To get in the camping spirit, make s’mores together. If you have a fire pit or grill, you can roast marshmallows together outside then come back inside to assemble them. Otherwise, the microwave will work just fine!

• Cost: Free unless you need s’mores fixings
• Where: At home

30. Eat the best.

Browse Goldbelly for your favorite foods and check reviews to see who’s doing it best, then have it delivered straight to your door. For example, you could get the best black-and-white cookie from New York City, world-famous pizza from Chicago, or the tastiest brisket from Texas.

• Cost: Varies but is typically around $50-100
• Where: At home

31. Hunt for treasure.

Set up an indoor scavenger hunt for two. You can reuse your kids’ plastic Easter eggs, tuck a surprise inside each one, then hide them around your home for the other person to find. To make sure this date prep isn’t one-sided, you can split the Easter eggs in half and each hide your batch. No Easter eggs on hand? Just hide the treat itself.

If you’re wondering what to hide for each other, here are a few ideas:

• A piece of chocolate or candy
• A slip of paper where you’ve written something you love about your partner
• A homemade coupon for one free back massage, taking over their chores for the day, or something else your partner would love
• Favorite photos of you together

Pro tip: Take photos of each item you hide so your kids don’t stumble on any stragglers later.

• Cost: Free
• Where: At home

32. Pick up new moves.

You might not be able to afford the time or expense of dance lessons, so try YouTube dance lessons at home. My husband and I are completely uncoordinated and clumsy, so this date night always results in lots of giggling.

To get started, search YouTube for “xyz dance lessons for beginners,” where “xyz” is whatever style of dance you’re interested in, like swing, salsa, or ballroom dancing.

• Cost: Free
• Where: At home

33. Host a comedy night.

If you can’t make it to your local comedy club, queue up a comedy special and recreate the experience at home. All you need is yummy snacks and your favorite beverage.

Shared laughter works wonders! Research shows that couples who regularly experience shared laughter feel closer to and more supported by their partners. Dr. Sara Algoe, a researcher at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, said shared laughter is like a probiotic for your relationship.

• Cost: Free
• Where: At home

34. Mix up something new.

Find a couple cocktail or mocktail recipes you’d like to try, then pick up all the ingredients you need to make them at home. Turn your kitchen counter into a makeshift bar and chat while you mix drinks. You can even dress up like you would to go to an actual bar, then pretend one of you is the bartender and get flirty.

For recipe ideas, my go-to starting point is always Smitten Kitchen’s drinks section.

• Cost: Varies depending on which ingredients you need
• Where: At home

35. Dream about the future.

Grab a notepad and a pen plus fun snacks, then make your official bucket list as a couple. Think of everything you’ve ever wanted to do “one day,” whether it’s trips you want to take just the two of you, classes to take together, or any other experience you want to share.

If you need ideas, the list of more parent date ideas in the next section is a great starting point.

• Cost: Free
• Where: At home

36. Start a new show.

Find a television show on Netflix, Hulu, or your favorite streaming service and start it together. This date night idea works especially well if you and your partner tend to watch your own favorite TV shows separately. When you find something you can enjoy together, the shared experience will make you feel even closer, plus it’ll give you excellent fodder for running jokes.

My husband and I still quote shows we watched years ago. (Whenever we have to move a piece of furniture together, we will always and forevermore end up yelling “PIVOT!” at each other.)

As an added bonus, starting a new show together queues up a weekly date opportunity so that you’re connecting on a regular basis.

If you need ideas for what to watch, head to Rotten Tomatoes and check the TV category. But if you like sitcoms, my husband and I devoured Brooklyn Nine Nine, Schitt’s Creek, and New Girl. For action or adventure, the Jack Ryan series (Amazon Prime) got our hearts racing. And for mystery, Only Murders in the Building (Hulu) is a delight!

• Cost: Free if you already have a streaming service
• Where: At home

37. Dip your food.

Dinner is more fun when you dip it in ooey gooey cheese. Get a fondue pot (or use your slow cooker) and make your own cheesy goodness at home. (We got this fondue pot because it doesn’t have harmful PFAS chemicals in the nonstick coating.)

If you don’t have a fondue pot or slow cooker, you can make a big batch of homemade marinara sauce or hummus instead. Then dip anything and everything—bread, vegetables, deli meat, meatballs, chips, pickles, or even large pasta shapes for a mac-and-cheese vibe.

And don’t forget dessert! You can make a classic chocolate fondue or mix it up with salted caramel, butterscotch, peanut butter, or cheesecake sauce. For dessert, you can dip fruit, pound cake, marshmallows, pretzels, nuts, cheesecake bites, mini waffles, brownie bites, or cookies.

• Cost: $50-100 for a fondue pot; cost varies depending on what food you get
• Where: At home

38. Build together.

Pick up a new LEGO set and dive in. Your inner child will be delighted! And if you pick a set that’s fairly involved, this date can keep the fun going over several nights.

If a traditional LEGO set doesn’t float your boat, consider one of the special sets in LEGO’s adult line, like a Pac-Man arcade game replica, a car model like the Ghostbusters car, or Van Gogh’s Starry Night.

• Cost: Varies depending on which LEGO set you choose
• Where: At home

39. Host a taste test.

Visit a gourmet grocery store and pick out a bunch of new-to-you foods to try, then have a night where you taste-test everything. You can go in knowing what you’re trying, or you can set it up as a blind taste test to make sure nobody knows what they’re tasting. And as a bonus, you might even find a new favorite.

For example, one of our go-to date nights is to visit World Market and pick out a bunch of different candy and chocolate bars, then bring them home and gorge ourselves silly. (A lesson we learned the hard way: Steer clear of pre-packaged Turkish Delight candy bars.)

Here are a few more foods you can sample on your taste-test night: different types of pasta, flavors of chips or popcorn, jams and jellies, cookies from a local bakery (get one of each flavor!), salsa, olives (stuffed and marinated), soda flavors, exotic fruit, bread varieties, hot sauce, ice cream, honey, nut butters—the options are endless!

• Cost: Varies depending on what food you get
• Where: At home

40. Play the Newlywed Game.

Even if you’ve been together a while, this can be a hilarious way to see how well you know each other, and you might even learn something new about your partner.

If you’re not familiar with the classic Newlywed Game setup, I included a clip from two celebrities playing it below. Here’s how it works:

1. Get two pads of paper and a bold pen or marker for each of you, or you can use two mini white boards like this.
2. Take turns asking each other questions like, “What’s the best present I’ve ever given you?”
3. Write down your answers separately. (No peeking!) For example, if I were asking my husband this question, he would write down the best present I’ve ever given him, and I would write down what I think is the best present I’ve ever given him.
4. After you’re both done writing, reveal your answers to each other. If your answers match, pat yourselves on the back and move onto the next question. If you want to make the game competitive, you can hand out points. For example, in this situation, I would get a point for guessing my husband’s answer correctly. With that said, I personally think it’s more fun to forget about keeping score and just play!

If your kids are around, you can invite them to watch your homegrown game show. They’ll likely think it’s hilarious, or they’ll get bored and wander off. Either way, you win!

Here’s a list of Newlywed Game questions you can use as a starting point, but feel free to make up your own questions that are custom tailored to you and your partner.

• Cost: Free
• Where: At home

When You Have a Babysitter: 60 More Date Night Ideas for Parents

If you have childcare squared away for your date night, here are a few more parent date ideas to help you reconnect and feel closer:

1. Pack a picnic. Find a nearby park or green space, then grab a big blanket (this is our go-to picnic blanket) and pack a meal to share—cheese and crackers is a classic and easy to prepare. A picnic basket is absolutely not necessary, but if you find that you enjoy picnics together, we gifted this lovely picnic basket to one of our kids, so we’ve borrowed it for picnic dates.
2. Grab coffee. Head to your neighborhood coffee shop, then treat yourselves to a fancy drink you wouldn’t normally splurge on. To get the conversation going, ask one fun question from our special set of Conversation Starters for Couples. As another option, you can bring along a favorite board or card game to play while you enjoy your drinks. Here’s a list of our all-time favorite family board games for all ages, many of which we sell in our family-owned shop here. Among the games we stock, the best portable games for couples that you can easily bring along to a coffee shop are Love Letter, Quiddler, SET, and Welcome To, which is a bit like Tetris but on paper.

$13 from Amazon* * Price at time of publishing

Love Letter

    
“My teen and tween love this quick little card game. To win, you need to rely on your deductive reasoning skills, plus a bit of luck. You can play a whole game in 20 minutes, but if you’re short on time, you can play one round in 5-7 minutes. But warning: Even when we set out to play ‘just one round,’ we always end up playing several!” – Tyler

3. Visit an arcade. Head to a classic video game arcade where you can play pinball, skee-ball, Pac-Man, and more. When you’re done playing, pick out something silly with the tickets you earned, then give it to your child when you get home.
4. Be a tourist. Pretend you’re a tourist in your own town, and plan a special outing to see one of the sights in your area. Often, we can live in a place for a while and not even experience the top sightseeing spots! If you need ideas for where to go, check TripAdvisor for the top-ranked spots in your area.
5. Batch your kindness. You might have heard before that regularly helping others is an important factor in living a long, happy life. So pick a day where you intentionally perform five small acts of kindness together. One study found that people who performed five giving acts all in a single day increased their happiness. You can deliver flowers to a friend, surprise a worker like a barista or wait staff with a really big tip just because, take baked goods to your neighborhood librarians or firefighters, donate old blankets and towels to your local animal shelter, pick up litter at a park, and so on. For more ideas, check out 38 Acts of Kindness for Families—For Every Age And Budget.
6. Ride it out. Plan a bike ride for just the two of you. As a bonus, you’ll get some exercise and fresh air along with your alone time. If you don’t have an area in your neighborhood that’s appropriate for bike rides, research areas nearby that could work by searching Google for “best bike rides in xyz” and replace “xyz” with your city’s name.
7. Sneak out. If the layout of your home allows for this, you can pretend you’re leaving on a date and say goodbye to your child and the babysitter, then when your kiddo’s distracted, sneak back into your room for a date night in bed. Make sure to squirrel away something fun to eat in your room ahead of time. Then you can watch something on your computer or tablet with headphones connected, or just talk with no interruptions. (But whisper if necessary to avoid detection!)
8. Play dress-up. Head to a department store or a shopping area or mall, then browse the clothing sections together. You pick something out for your partner to try on, and they pick out something for you to try on. Make sure to show each other how it looks on for maximum fun. Then if your picks turn out to look horrible, you’ll have fun laughing together. Or if you find something you love, you’ve got your next date night outfit sorted. Win-win!
9. Go out for ice cream. Visit a local ice cream parlor and treat yourselves to whatever looks good. Bonus points if you get a milkshake to share.
10. Watch a movie. It’s a classic for a reason! Head to a movie theater and get the full experience without any kids yelling in the background. For a fun twist on this quintessential date night, go to a drive-in movie theater or try a movie theater that serves food and drinks.
11. Go on a scavenger hunt. My personal favorite style is a photo scavenger hunt because the photos will help you remember the experience later on. When you find something on your list, snap a photo with the item and whomever found it. You can find oodles of free printable scavenger hunts online, so search Google and find one that looks fun for you and your partner.
12. Eat fancy. Make reservations for a special restaurant with fantastic reviews, get dressed up, and enjoy a top-notch meal.
13. Skip straight to dessert. If dinner at a fancy restaurant isn’t doable for your budget, make plans to just grab dessert instead.
14. Pick out gifts. If your child or another loved one has a birthday coming up or if it’s the winter holiday season, head out together to find gifts you can wrap together.
15. Park somewhere. Pick up takeout, then drive somewhere with a scenic view to park so you can eat while you enjoy the view. If you can’t find a scenic outlook, you can park anywhere and then climb in the back of your vehicle to watch a movie on your mobile device while you eat. (Vehicle entertainment systems work great for this too!) Or if you’re low-energy, just head to a Sonic drive-in and enjoy an old-fashioned car date.
16. Sing karaoke. Find a local karaoke bar, and belt your favorite tunes while you cheer each other on.
17. Take a tour. Many cities offer tours for visitors that can be lots of fun for residents, too. From food tours to architecture tours and more, you’ll enjoy seeing your town in a fresh way.
18. Browse the farmer’s market. Take your time visiting all the booths and sampling whatever looks yummy. But don’t forget to bring home goodies for your kids!
19. Throw axes. Visit an axe-throwing field and get your frustrations out.
20. Book a night. This one’s pricey but makes for a fun splurge on special occasions like your anniversary or a birthday.
    • If you can secure childcare for overnight, book a one-night stay at a local hotel or Airbnb and give yourselves a mini-staycation. You can get room service or order pizza, find a movie to watch, visit the hotel restaurant, hit up the pool—or just head to bed earlier than normal and get a great night of sleep for once.
    • If you can’t get an overnight babysitter, one of you can stay behind in the hotel to get a good night’s sleep while the other heads home, then plan to do it again in the near future and swap. But also, there’s no rule that says you have to stay all night in a hotel room! If you get a babysitter early and check in at 3 pm then leave at 11 pm, you’ve still gotten yourselves 8 hours of quality one-on-one time. (Side note: I also recently found out about Dayuse, where you can book a hotel for a couple hours during the day for a much cheaper price.)
    • Bonus: The next morning, return before checkout time with your kids so they can splash around in the hotel pool.
21. Try a food truck. Find a food truck with great reviews and take your partner there to try something new.
22. Listen to an author. Check your local bookstores’ schedules to see if any authors you like are coming into town, then make a plan to go hear them speak.
23. Send your kid elsewhere. Drop your child off with family, or send the babysitter on an outing with your child. They could go to a children’s museum, a park with a playground, the zoo, or anywhere else that your child would enjoy. Then you and your partner will have your home all to yourselves so you can use any of the at-home parent date ideas from this list.
24. Drink flights. Visit a winery, brewery, or bar and get a flight of different styles of wine or beer to sample. Some wineries and breweries also offer tours of the premises, which can add to your fun.
25. Find a trivia night. Local bars and restaurants will sometimes host weekly trivia nights. Show up, sign yourselves up as a team of two, and enjoy pub grub while you test your knowledge.
26. Give time together. Make a plan to volunteer at a local food bank, animal shelter, nursing home, community garden, and so on.
27. Climb rocks. Find a rock climbing wall in your area and challenge yourselves.
28. Recreate your first date. Wherever you had your first date, go back there and relive the moment. If that date spot is in another city, find a similar place in your current city. Bonus points if you try to remember what you wore that first time and wear something similar. And don’t forget to recreate your first kiss, too!
29. Go window shopping. Visit a walkable shopping area and browse to your heart’s content. If you see a coffee shop, pop in for a couple beverages to enjoy while you explore. You don’t even need to buy anything as you browse—just enjoy the stroll and conversation.
30. Try a new restaurant. Check reviews on Yelp or TripAdvisor and find a great restaurant you’ve never been to before, then experience it together.
31. Get a massage. Head to a local spa and splurge on a couples’ massage, facials, or his-and-her pedicures with foot massages.
32. Play putt-putt. Find a miniature golf course in your area and set aside an hour or two to play together.
33. Be artsy. Visit a nearby art museum or gallery and explore. Even if you know nothing about art, the new experience will bring you closer together. Some art museums will even host special events once in a while where you can get free wine and appetizers.
34. Plan a hike. For a parent date idea that will get your blood pumping, make a date to go on a hike. Bring plenty of water and fun snacks to keep you both fueled, or pack fixings for a picnic so you can break halfway to share a meal outdoors. If you don’t know of an area that’s appropriate for hikes, research areas nearby that could work by searching Google for “best hikes in xyz” and replace “xyz” with your city’s name.
35. Go bowling. Reserve time at a bowling alley in your area and see who’s the better bowler. Or if you’re both bad at bowling (hello, that’s us!), have fun laughing at your gutter balls while you eat pub grub.
36. Take a day trip. Find a fun destination that’s within driving distance and head there together to explore.
37. Have dessert in the driveway. At the end of your date night and on your way home, head to a convenience store and pick out your favorite candy or treat. Then when you get home, park in the driveway or parking lot and spend the last few minutes of your date enjoying your goodies and uninterrupted conversation.
38. Strap on skates. Go skating together at a roller skating or ice skating rink. Or if you have rollerblades, you can gear up for a turn around the neighborhood.
39. Catch the sunset or sunrise. Find out when the sunrise or sunset will be in your area, then make plans to watch the event together. Awe is a powerful emotion, and the shared experience of awe will bring you closer. Bonus points: Turn this into a picnic date by packing breakfast or dinner.
40. Cheer on your team. Get tickets to a live sporting event, whether for major league sports, minor league baseball, a nearby college team, or roller derby. For the full experience, junk it up at the concession stands.
41. Swing each other. Find a park with swings that are sturdy enough for grown-ups, then head there during a non-peak time to swing and talk. And if no kids are around, you might even get away with a trip down the slide!
42. Shoot paint. Find a paintball field and suit up. Whether you play on the same team or against each other, you’ll get some exercise and build memories.
43. Visit a nursery. Go to a local nursery or home improvement store and pick out a houseplant you can take care of together.
44. Take a cooking class. The host of a cooking class will usually have everything organized and prepped for you ahead of time, so all you have to do is show up and have fun cooking something new together.
45. Go birdwatching. Head to a green area nearby and see how many different birds you can spot. You can even find a birdwatching app and take photos to submit your finds to the app.
46. Play an outside game. Get some fresh air while you play together. Try frisbee, disc golf, badminton, tennis, or just kick a soccer ball around at a neighborhood park.
47. See a show. Catch a live concert, play or musical, dance performance, comedy show, or other kind of performance.
48. Go swimming. When the weather’s warm, visit a local pool and enjoy cooling off in the water together—without having to worry about reapplying sunscreen on your kids. As an alternative, you can visit a nearby lake or river and rent a canoe, a kayak, or paddle boards.
49. Admire a garden. Enjoy the outdoors at a local nature center, botanical garden, or butterfly garden.
50. Try skydiving. Many big cities and metropolitan areas now have indoor skydiving simulators, in case the idea of actual skydiving strikes fear into your heart. (That’s me!)
51. Escape together. Visit an escape room and have fun solving the puzzles as a team.
52. Dance every week. Find a local dance studio offering weekly lessons and sign up. Together, you can learn ballroom, salsa, swing dancing, or line dancing.
53. Visit an amusement park. Embrace your inner child and visit a theme park or amusement park together.
54. Ride horses. Go horseback riding together, or if you’ve never done it before, get lessons as a couple.
55. Visit a thrift store. Whether you laugh at ridiculous fashion choices from the past or hunt for hidden gems, a local thrift store can make for a fun date spot. For an alternative, try your local flea market.
56. Hit balls. Find some nearby batting cages and take turns hitting balls. Or if baseball isn’t your thing, find a driving range or visit Top Golf.
57. Go geocaching. Never tried it before? That’s okay. Just have fun exploring together.
58. Drive together. Find a go-kart track and race each other.
59. Climb ropes. If you have a zipline or ropes course in your area, this is a fun date that’ll give you a thrill.
60. Fly high. Book a hot air balloon ride. It can be pricey, but you’ll remember it forever!

Get your copy: 150 Conversation Starters for Couples That Will Make You Feel Closer Than Ever

Your Turn

What are your favorite date night ideas for parents? Share in a comment below!

The post The Best 100 Date Night Ideas for Parents—Even When You’re Exhausted appeared first on Happy You, Happy Family.

One morning after my 10-year-old had woken up and was fixing herself a bowl of cereal, I walked up and said, “Hey, can I have a hug?”

She looked up at me, one corner of her mouth lifted.

“What?” I asked.

“Mommy,” she said, fully smiling now. “You already gave me a hug.”

“I did?”

She laughed. “Yeah, like two minutes ago!”

“Oh,” I said. And then a hazy memory of a quick good morning hug swam back into view.

Bonus: As a bonus for joining my weekly newsletter, get a free printable that will help you strengthen your hugging habit and make sure your child gets all the powerful benefits that great hugs can provide.

Why Would I Forget Hugging My Child?

That first hug we shared had been rushed. Routine and mindless. I’d been on my way to let the dog outside when my child had walked up to me for a hug, so my mind was focused on checking off my task, not on our hug.

But because I hadn’t given the hug my full attention, I barely remembered it.

And yet, as a Certified Parent Educator, I’m trained on the science behind hugs and the benefits of hugging your child. For example, warm, affectionate physical contact like a hug from a parent increases oxytocin, which is commonly referred to as the “love hormone” because it promotes bonding and facilitates feelings of trust. Plus, research shows that warmth and affection expressed by a parent to their child results in life-long positive outcomes for the child, including higher self-esteem, better parent-child communication, and fewer psychological and behavioral problems.

But here I was, doling out quick half-second hugs that were so routine that my brain didn’t even deem them worthy to encode in memory.

If our hugs weren’t notable for me, I knew they weren’t as meaningful as they could be for my child. So I decided we needed to shake up our hugging routine.

Related: How Hugging Your Child Shapes Their Happiness for Life {Printable}

How to Hug Your Child: 21 Sweet and Silly Hugs to Make Them Feel Loved

After my epiphany, I invited my kids to help me invent a few new ways to hug each other so that our hugs would be heartfelt and meaningful.

Then we sat down and made a list, adding in all the other types of hugs we’ve ever heard of, so that we could share the full list with you.

If you want to delight your child and show them you love them, then surprise them with a new kind of hug from this list. Every hug in this list may not be a good fit for every family, but it sure is fun to try them all out and see what kind of physical affection your child likes best!

But First, a Warning

While hugging your child is beneficial for you and your child, the point is not to force hugs on anyone. Just as you probably aren’t always in the mood for a hug or physical affection, your child sometimes may not want a hug either.

Before you hug your child, you can ask a simple question like “Can I have a hug?” or “Hey, got a second for a hug?” to remind your child they get to decide. Or as another option, you can use this genius solution to put your child in the driver’s seat on the kind of affection they want.

1. The Long Hug

This is your garden-variety hug, but make it last 6 seconds or more.

Here’s why that’s important: When you hold a hug for several seconds, oxytocin and serotonin start flowing. Those are the chemicals that promote bonding and reduce your stress, plus they boost your mood.

Science hasn’t given us a definitive answer yet on exactly how long a hug needs to last to get all those benefits, but the author of The Happiness Project discovered research indicating that six seconds is where the magic starts to happen.

With that said, counting the seconds can take you out of the moment, so try to hold on until you start to feel relaxed. Or you can try my trick: I challenge myself to be the last one to let go of the hug.

2. The Sandwich Hug

This hug needs two adults to make a “sandwich” with your child in the middle:

1. Call out your child’s name and add the word “sandwich,” like “Oliver Sandwich!”
2. One adult stands in front of your child while the other stands behind.
3. Both adults put your arms around your child and hug.

3. The Deep Breath Hug

When your child is upset, a hug paired with deep breaths can comfort them and help calm their big emotions.

While you’re holding on, take deliberate deep breaths. Odds are, your child will follow your lead and take a deep breath too, which will help calm their nervous system. (This is called the Chameleon Effect—a human unconsciously mimicking the behavior of another.)

4. The Rocking Hug

As you’re hugging, rock your child side-to-side.

My toddlers have especially liked it when I also said, “Mmm mmm mmm!” timing one “mmm” with every rock.

5. The Side Hug

This works well if your child is busy doing something because you can sidle up next to them, put one arm around them, and squeeze.

For an extra boost of connection, plant a kiss on their cheek or the top of their head.

6. The Heartbeat Hug

This is another hug for when your child’s upset or coming down from a tantrum or emotional outburst. Guide your child’s head to rest where your heart is so they can hear your heartbeat.

Some research indicates that when humans are in proximity, their heartbeats synchronize. If you’re calm and your child isn’t, hearing your heartbeat might help them regulate their heart rate to match yours. (The fancy term for this phenomenon is interpersonal synchrony.)

7. The Bear Hug or The Whole-Hearted Hug

Throw your arms wide and put your whole heart into that hug.

8. The Catch Me Hug

Open your arms, bend your knees, and encourage your child to run and jump into your arms, then hold on.

9. The Reverse Hug or The Back Hug

Tweens and teenagers typically like this one because they get to pretend they’re too cool for a regular hug, but they still get the benefits of cuddling with you.

To try this hug, stand behind your child and throw your arms around them.

10. The Scoop and Hug

Walk up to your child and scoop them up into your arms for a hug.

11. The Lap Hug

Pull your child into your lap, then wrap your arms around them.

12. The Love Blanket

Younger kids love this one at bedtime!

When you go to hug your child good night, lay on top of them without putting all your weight on them. For guaranteed giggles, call out “Attack of the Love Blanket!”

Side note: My kids are huge Bluey fans, so any time they want to initiate The Love Blanket hug, all they have to do is say “dunny,” and they know I’ll give them a “squish-squash!”

13. The Group Hug

Call out “Group hug!” and open your arms to any family members who are nearby. The bigger the family, the sillier this hug gets.

14. The Kissy Hug

As you’re hugging your child, pepper them with tiny kisses until they giggle.

15. The Hug and Twirl

End a hug by twirling your child around in a circle for a few extra seconds of connection.

16. The London Bridge Hug

Play “London Bridge is falling down…” but when the bridge catches your child, hold on for a hug.

17. The Dance and Hug

Fire up a song from our love songs for kids playlist, then dance with your child while hugging them.

Research shows that when kids move their bodies to a rhythmic beat, they get a big dose of happy—and the same goes for adults.

18. The Spoon Hug

For a special bedtime hug, lie down next to your child and spoon them with an arm around them.

19. The Massage Hug

As you’re hugging your child, rub their back in soothing circles.

20. The Sweater Hug

I typically wear a cardigan-style sweater at home so that’s how this hug came about, but this would work with any light cardigan or even a jacket. Walk up to your child and tap them on the shoulder, then open up the sides of your sweater to invite them in for a cozy hug.

After they wrap their arms around you underneath your sweater, close the sides of the sweater and hug them back. My kids love it because it’s like a little cocoon!

21. The Hug Monster Hug

Make monster sounds and stomp around, calling out “Here comes The Hug Monster!” When you find your child, unleash your inner love monster and hug them.

As an alternative, you can act like a robot and call yourself “The Hug Machine.” (Side note: If you’ve never read the book Hug Machine^† with your child, it’s a fun read!)

^† This site is reader-supported. When you buy through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

But Will This Break the Quick-Hug Habit?

If you’ve fallen into the habit of rushed squeezes instead of long hugs, you might need more than a list of different kinds of hugs to break that habit.

In that situation, what works well is to issue yourself a Hugging Challenge for one week. A Hugging Challenge will help you strengthen your hugging habit and make sure your child gets all the powerful benefits that great hugs can provide.

This is something I do once in a while to reconnect with the importance of hugging my child, and it works like magic. A Hugging Challenge is easy and quick so I can fit it into my busy day, and it gently breaks a “quick squeeze” hug habit, replacing it with a whole-hearted hug habit.

For instructions on how to get started with your own Hugging Challenge, head to How Hugging Your Child Shapes Their Happiness for Life and jump to the How to Take the Hugging Challenge section.

As a bonus, you can grab the printable Hugging Challenge tracker at the end of this article. Use it to keep track of your hugs and mark off one box for every awesome hug you deliver to your child.

Bonus: Invent Your Own Hug

The week when my kids and I were inventing some of the hugs listed in this article, we had a blast together. We invented a lot of duds, and giggling at our hug failures was almost as fun as discovering a winning hug.

So don’t be afraid to embrace your playful side and invent your own kind of hug with your child. Instead of a secret family handshake, maybe you’ll stumble on a family hug that gives you warm fuzzies. But the best part is you’ll communicate to your child that hugging them brings you delight, and that will pay off in ways you can’t anticipate.

For example, that day I forgot I’d already hugged my 10-year-old when I asked for another hug? When she called me on it, I did my best Dory impression from Finding Nemo and gazed off into the distance: “I remember it like it was yesterday. Of course, I don’t really remember yesterday all that well.”

She giggled and went back to pouring milk over her cereal, then I turned away to fill the cats’ food bowl.

But when I turned back around, my daughter was standing in front of me, holding back a smirk (and failing). “Mommy,” she said. “You haven’t given me a good morning hug yet!”

I laughed and opened up my arms, then that time, we held on tight.

Related: 101 Heartfelt and Simple Ways to Love Your Child Every Day {Printable}

Get Your Free Printable: The Hug Tracker

Use this free Hugging Challenge tracker to strengthen your hugging habit and make sure your child gets all the powerful benefits that great hugs can provide.

1. Get the free printable. Join my weekly-ish newsletter and as a bonus, you’ll get the printable! Just click here to get it and subscribe.
2. Print your Hugging Challenge tracker.
3. Keep it handy and visible, like in your back pocket, next to your phone, or taped to your steering wheel.
4. Hug your child, aiming for eight 6-second hugs a day. On your tracker, mark off one box for every awesome hug you give your child.

Here’s a sneak peek of your printable hug tracker:

Your Turn

What’s your favorite way to hug your child? Share in a comment below!

The post 21 Sweet and Silly Ways to Hug Your Child So They Feel Absolutely Loved appeared first on Happy You, Happy Family.

One night after my kids were in bed, I came across a quote from a doctor and author who specializes in childhood development and trauma, and this one simple sentence hit me right in the gut:

“Love felt by the parent does not automatically translate into love experienced by the child.”

Dr. Gabor Maté

In other words, even though I love my children with every fiber of my being, they won’t feel that love unless I intentionally show them.

At first, I’d scoffed. Of course I’d shown that I love them. Then replaying our day together in my head, I hunted for examples to reassure myself.

But the memories that came back to me told a different story:

• When they were dragging their feet in the morning, I nagged them to finish getting ready.
• When the preschooler dumped his PBJ on the ground and the dog gobbled it up in 2.3 seconds, I huffed and I puffed.
• When I came out of my home office at the end of the afternoon and saw LEGOs and Magna-Tiles and animal figurines covering every square inch of the floor, I demanded they clean it up before dinner.

Sure, I’d delivered a quick good morning and good night hug and said “I love you” to all four kids. But I couldn’t recall a single moment where I stopped and truly showed my children that I love them unconditionally and joyfully.

Bonus: As a bonus for joining my weekly newsletter, get a free cheat sheet of 75 positive phrases to show your child you love them.

Here’s Why This Matters

Research shows that children who grow up feeling loved and accepted by their parents tend to have a healthier self-esteem, fewer behavior problems, and better academic performance. Not only that, children who feel loved grow into adults who report higher life satisfaction and happiness, experience greater success, and have better physical health.

The science is clear: Children need unconditional love from their parents. Every child needs at least one person in their life who makes them feel absolutely loved—and they need to know that nothing they do will make that love go away.

But Here’s the Problem

As parents, instinctually we already know how important it is to show love for our children. We don’t need a scientific study to tell us that.

And yet, it’s easy to get wrapped up in the chaos of daily parenting life and forget to make space for intentional, meaningful moments where you show that you love your children.

Even if you do have a loving ritual like a good morning hug or a good night cuddle, sometimes we can get busy or distracted and go through the motions instead of focusing on connecting with our child in the moment. While some connection is always better than nothing, those rushed moments may not be truly filling your child’s tank of unconditional love.

What’s a Busy Parent to Do?

If you want your child to feel secure in your love for them, the best way to do that is by showing love for your child in small, simple ways.

Kids don’t need grand gestures or physical presents to feel your love for them. All they need are small, everyday moments where through our words and actions, we show them they are loved and lovable.

Below, I compiled a list of all the most heartfelt and simple ways to love your child in everyday life. But we certainly don’t need more heaped onto our already overflowing parenting plates. No more to-do’s, no more chores, and definitely no more guilt.

And so I’m also sharing a practical fix to help you make space for these small everyday moments of love and connection, based on the research of behavior change.

How to Love Your Child, Even When You’re Short on Time

When you want to make a change amidst the hustle and bustle of parenting life, you need a visual cue. Something to serve as a gentle reminder to switch out of survival mode once or twice a day and fill your child’s love tank.

Because when you’re trying to stick to a habit, research shows that a visual cue can remind you of your intention when you’re most likely to forget it.

For example:

• If you were to set a goal to eat healthier, you could leave a neon bright Post-It Note on your fridge to remind yourself that “Snack = veggies only.”
• Or if you wanted to stick to an exercise routine every morning, you could set your workout clothes on your nightstand the night before as a visual reminder to nudge you forward.

For my visual cue, I created these Family Connection Cards, based on the science of what actually works when you need to connect with your child and show that you love them unconditionally. These cards remove the mental burden of figuring out how to connect with your child so you can just focus on nurturing your bond with your child. At any point during your day, you can pick a card to get a quick and simple idea for connecting.

And in just 10 minutes a day, these powerful cards will make your child feel absolutely loved and stop the power struggles caused by disconnection.

101 Simple Ways to Love Your Child Every Day

You don’t always have time to drop everything and spend a whole afternoon connecting with your child, so the list below is organized by the amount of time each idea might take. When you’re busy, pick from the 10 Minutes or Less section. When you can afford to hit the pause button on your never-ending to-do list for a bit longer, pick from the other sections.

But even if all you can manage is one quick item from this list, know that you will be giving your child the gift of feeling loved and lovable.

10 Minutes or Less: Quick But Powerful

When you’re busy and short on time, here are the best ways to show your child you love them.

1. Say “I love you,” but mix it up.

Your child loves hearing these three magic words from you. But if you’ve been saying “I love you” on autopilot, you can mix up the routine with 50 cute ways to say “I love you” to your child so they feel secure in your love.

• Ages: Toddler to teen

2. Give them a hug that lasts.

Even older kids and teenagers need physical affection! Make sure the hug lasts six seconds or more so you nurture your bond with your child, and challenge yourself to be the last one to let go of the hug. Here’s why hugging your child like that is important.

If your child isn’t used to you dishing out impromptu hugs, try a high-five or fist bump instead and work up to hugs. Or If you want to surprise and delight your child at the same time, try a new kind of hug: 21 Sweet and Silly Ways to Hug Your Child So They Feel Absolutely Loved.

• Ages: Toddler to teen

3. When they talk, get low.

If your child starts a conversation with you, stop what you’re doing and get down to eye level with them to show they’ve got your full attention. As parents, we’re often already busy when our kids approach us—loading the dishwasher, paying bills, checking email on your phone—so giving your child your full and undivided attention for a few moments is powerful.

Here’s a mental image that helps me: When my youngest comes up to get my attention, I imagine I’m hitting a pause button in my brain, then crouch down to his level so I’m looking him in the eye while he talks.

• Ages: Toddler to tween

4. Ask a meaningful question.

Forget “How was your day?” because it typically just leads to one-word answers or shrugs. Instead, ask one of these powerful questions for kids, and you’ll make your child feel known, heard, and understood.

• Ages: Preschooler to teen

5. Cuddle up with a book together.

Your child is never too young and never too old—read to them. Not only will they love it, reading to your child is one of the most powerful steps you can take to raise smart, kind kids.

Try reading at bedtime, while they eat breakfast or lunch, or as a way to connect when they get home from school. For older kids, you might take turns reading aloud from the same book, or try another one of these tips for reading aloud to older kids.

If you want to read a sweet book that makes your child feel loved, these children’s books about love would be the perfect fit. And if your child asks for one more story, say “yes” to show them you love spending time with them.

• Ages: Toddler to teen

6. Greet with your whole heart.

The first time you see your child in the morning, stop what you’re doing and give them a heartfelt “good morning” along with a hug, then ask them what their plans are for the day. Also, greet them with your full attention when they get home from school or you pick them up, or when you get home from work or running errands.

For every greeting, try to physically connect with your child as well, whether with a hug, a shoulder rub, or simply moving a strand of hair out of their face. Research shows that physical touch is important to a child’s wellbeing, even well beyond infancy. Warm, affectionate physical contact—like a hug, rubbing your child’s back, or holding hands—increases oxytocin, which is a hormone in the body that promotes bonding in a relationship and facilitates feelings of trust between humans. And when you connect with your child through positive physical touch, they’ll be less likely to experience depression as an adult.

• Ages: Toddler to teen

7. Go beyond “I love you.”

Say one of these 75 positive phrases for kids to make your child feel loved. Bonus points if you get their attention by saying their name first and make eye contact while you say the phrase. (Don’t forget to grab your free printable of these phrases at the end of this article!)

• Ages: Toddler to teen

8. Apologize.

Modeling an appropriate apology teaches your child how to be a kind, thoughtful human. For example, if you lost your temper and raised your voice, tell your child you’re sorry and that you’ll try to do better next time.

Your apology shows your child you care about making things right, plus you’ll teach them one of the most basic lessons of life—how to take responsibility for your own behavior.

• Ages: Toddler to teen

9. Warm their coat.

On cold mornings, put your child’s jacket in the clothes dryer for a few minutes to get it nice and toasty before they have to brave the cold. If your child walks to school in cold weather, you can also get hand warmers for them to keep in their pockets on the coldest days.

As an alternative, you can warm up their towel or pajamas in the dryer while they’re in the shower or bath.

• Ages: Toddler to teen

10. Smother them in kisses.

Tell your child you’re the Kiss Monster (don’t forget to roar!) and deliver as many kisses as you can until you both collapse into giggles. You can kiss the top of their head, their shoulder, their elbows—anything to get them laughing. (Warning: If at any point your child says “stop” or “no,” honor their wishes so that you’re teaching them healthy lessons about body autonomy.)

• Ages: Toddler to elementary

11. Leave a surprise note.

You can put a slip of paper in your child’s school lunchbox, a Post-It note on the bathroom mirror or their nightstand, a card in the toy box, and so on. If you’re not sure what to write: Tell a joke, write down what you admire about them, or just say “I love you.” For kids who aren’t reading yet, you can leave a drawing instead of a written note.

Or if you have a little extra time, try writing a poem about your child. My oldest daughter had a project in fourth grade where parents were encouraged to write a poem about their kids. I was nervous to write a poem since that’s not in my wheelhouse, but when I read the finished poem aloud to my daughter, she beamed.

As an alternative, if you have magnetic poetry^†, you can leave a sweet message on the fridge for your child to discover.

^† This site is reader-supported. When you buy through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

• Ages: Preschooler to teen

12. Just smile.

As parents, we tend to feel overwhelmed and frazzled, and that often shows in our facial expressions. To show your child you love them, make eye contact and smile with your whole heart, letting your love for them shine through. No need to say anything—your warm smile will speak volumes!

A side note on the topic of lighting up when you see your child: When Toni Morrison made an appearance on Oprah to talk about her books, she just so happened to drop one of the most powerful pearls of parenting wisdom I’ve ever heard, which you can see in the clip below.

• Ages: Toddler to teen

13. Ask their opinion.

Say, “I’d love to hear what you think about…” Then ask your child’s opinion on something that matters, like what to have for dinner that night, what to do on the weekend, which movie to watch together on family movie night, which restaurant to go to as a family, where to go on your next family vacation, and so on.

• Ages: Preschooler to teen

14. Join in for snack time.

Instead of catching up on your to-do list while your child eats breakfast, lunch, or a snack, sit down for a few minutes just to be with them. Ask one of these powerful questions for kids, tell each other jokes, or read them a funny picture book.

• Ages: Toddler to teen

15. Give a quiet kiss.

When your child is busy making art, reading a book, or building with LEGOs, stop to kiss them on the top of their head, then keep on going without interrupting them.

• Ages: Toddler to teen

16. Check in.

Stop what you’re doing, get on their level, and ask, “Tell me how you’re feeling.” Not only will you foster emotional intelligence by helping them to be aware of their own emotional state, you’ll show them you care.

• Ages: Preschooler to teen

17. Play with their hair.

Most kids enjoy the feeling of someone playing with their hair, so if your child enjoys that, it can be a sweet way to show you love them. You can brush their hair, braid it, or try out a new hairstyle. Or for short hair, you can ruffle the hair at the back of their neck or twirl bits of their hair.

• Ages: Toddler to teen

18. Share a memory.

Surprise your child by reminiscing about a specific memory from when they were younger, the story of their birth or adoption, or any other special memory. You can start by saying, “You know what just popped in my head? When you were younger…”

As an alternative, you can share a funny, cute, or slightly embarrassing story from when you were a child.

• Ages: Toddler to teen

19. Ask a funny question.

These funny questions for kids are so silly and off-the-wall, they lead to shared giggles and sometimes all-out guffaws. And that’s perfect when you want to make your child feel loved because research shows that when you laugh together, you feel more connected and strengthen your relationship.

• Ages: Preschooler to teen

20. Brush off mistakes.

When your child makes a mistake like spilling something or breaking something, train yourself to react with an upbeat, “That’s okay! Accidents happen,” instead of, “You need to be more careful!” It’s a simple shift, but you’ll show your child that you love them, no matter what.

• Ages: Toddler to teen

21. Give a different kind of kiss.

Ask your child if you can give them a kiss, but make it a special one:

• Butterfly kiss—Flutter your eyelashes against their cheek
• Bunny kiss—Touch your noses together and rub back and forth (some families call this a muzzle nuzzle, a gnome kiss, or an Ugga Mugga from Mister Rogers or Daniel Tiger)
• Kunik kiss—Try an authentic kunik kiss from the Inuit culture
• Cheek kiss—Press your cheeks together
• Quadruple kiss—Kiss your child’s nose, then each cheek, then their forehead
• Puppy kiss—Pretend to slurp their cheek
• Forehead kiss—Touch your foreheads together
• Blow a kiss—If they blow one back to you, pretend to catch it in your hand and deliver it to your heart
• Fish kiss—Suck your cheeks in to pucker up, then move your lips up and down like a fish underwater and kiss their cheek (Bonus points if you flap your hands at your cheeks like gills!)
• Monkey kiss—Puff your cheeks out, pull your ears to the side, and release a puff of air on their cheek

By the way, if you know of any other fun kinds of kisses to give your child, leave a comment at the end of this article, and I’ll add yours to this list!

• Ages: Toddler to elementary

22. Wake them gently.

If you wake up your child when it’s time to get up in the morning, instead of barging into their room and bellowing “Time to wake up!”, try sitting on the edge of their bed and rubbing their back until they wake up. Or if they tend to wake up before you, set your alarm early one morning, then climb into bed with them and cuddle until they wake up.

• Ages: Toddler to teen

23. Show your appreciation.

Think of something helpful your child has done recently and say, “I appreciate when you…” Bonus tip: Research shows that when you praise kids for being a helpful person rather than praising them just for helping, kids are much more likely to act generously in the future. That’s because your words shape your child’s self-image, and by seeing themselves as “helpers” for example, they’ll be more likely to behave in a way that lives up to that self-image.

For more ways to recognize kids for helpful behavior, check out The Most Encouraging Words for Kids: 125 Phrases That Actually Work.

• Ages: Toddler to teen

24. Invite them to sit in your lap.

Yes, even lanky teenagers! Older kids may giggle and act a little awkward about it at first, but they’ll also secretly love it. With younger kids, you can gently rock side to side while you cuddle.

If sitting in your lap doesn’t feel like the right fit, invite them to sit next to you instead by saying, “Hey, will you come sit with me for a bit?” Then you can put your arm around them so they can lean on you. Or alternatively, you can invite them to rest their head in your lap.

• Ages: Toddler to teen

25. Stop and play.

Sit down and just play with your child for a few minutes—no smartphones, no multitasking. Follow your child’s lead, whether that’s building with LEGOs, coloring in a coloring book, or pretending all their stuffed animals are forming a democratic government. Or if they’re between play activities, invite them to join you in a board game or card game.

Here’s a list of our all-time favorite family board games for all ages. The bestselling card game in our family-owned game shop is perfect for a quick dose of connection: Sleeping Queens. For older kids and teens, Love Letter is an all-time favorite for many families—and my personal favorite card game right now!

• Ages: Toddler to teen

4,687 families purchased this game after reading this post…

$18 from Amazon* $18 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Sleeping Queens

    
“My daughter and I love Sleeping Queens! It teaches them math without them even realizing it – or me, for that matter. I remember my daughter laid down a sequence that was like 1 + 3 + 5 = 9, and I thought ‘How did you know that…?’ Then I realized she just figured it out from doing math in the game. So cool to watch her learn right before my eyes.” – Ann

$13 from Amazon* * Price at time of publishing

Love Letter

    
“My teen and tween love this quick little card game. To win, you need to rely on your deductive reasoning skills, plus a bit of luck. You can play a whole game in 20 minutes, but if you’re short on time, you can play one round in 5-7 minutes. But warning: Even when we set out to play ‘just one round,’ we always end up playing several!” – Tyler

26. Make a food smiley face.

For example, if your child has oatmeal for breakfast, add banana slices for eyes, a raisin for the nose, and a semicircle of honey for the smile.

• Ages: Toddler to tween

27. Kick off a dance party.

Queue up your favorite playlist and have a family dance party. Research shows that listening to music together creates healthy family bonds and builds positive memories.

If you need some inspiration for your family dance party playlist, here are our favorite dance songs for kids with kid-friendly lyrics.

• Ages: Toddler to teen

28. Give a surprise massage.

Walk up and rub your child’s shoulders for a minute or two, or give them a few back scratches.

• Ages: Toddler to teen

29. Say “yes” to their next question.

Within reason, of course. Obviously, we can’t deliver on a pet unicorn! But when you make a conscious decision upfront to say “yes” to the next thing your child asks, you open your adult mind to fresh possibilities, and that’s good for you, too.

For example, the other night we were all getting ready to head out to dinner at a new restaurant, and I was running late. So of course, I decided to give myself a quick pedicure. One of my kids walked in just after I started and asked in a small voice, “Can you paint my toes too?” I started to say, “We don’t have…” but I caught myself and said “yes” instead. It took just a couple extra minutes, and I made her whole day.

• Ages: Toddler to teen

30. Play their favorite song.

Whatever your child’s favorite song happens to be at the moment, play it for them while you’re in the car together or just hanging out at home. Especially if their favorite song or artist isn’t your favorite (and even more so if your child knows that it isn’t your fave!), this is a sweet gesture to show you love them and want to put a smile on their face.

If you don’t know their favorite song, you can ask first: “Hey, what’s your favorite song right now?”

• Ages: Toddler to teen

31. Profess your love.

Think of something you love about your child, and tell them about it out of the blue. For example, if you’re in the car on the way to school or in the kitchen eating breakfast, you can say something like, “You know what I love about you?” Then be specific about what you love. The more specific, the better!

• Ages: Toddler to teen

32. Reach a hand out.

No matter if you’re sitting next to each other on the couch, at the dinner table, or just hanging out in the kitchen chatting, reach a hand towards your child to invite them to hold hands. You can give a quick squeeze and let go, or you can hold on as long as your child seems to be enjoying the physical connection.

• Ages: Toddler to teen

33. Put their work on display.

Pick out a recent piece of your child’s artwork or writing and display it somewhere prominent for others to see. You can pop it into a spare picture frame, or hang it on the wall with a pushpin. Alternatively, you can take a picture of it and make it your phone lock screen wallpaper.

• Ages: Toddler to teen

34. Embrace your early bird.

If your child wakes up extra early, make the most of that one-on-one time when the rest of your home is quiet. You can have coffee or tea together (for young kids, make your child’s coffee 95 percent milk with a splash of coffee, then warm it up in the microwave), read a book or two together, or watch the sunrise.

• Ages: Toddler to teen

35. Offer a piggyback.

A simple “Want a piggyback ride?” will put a smile on just about any kid’s face.

• Ages: Toddler to teen

36. Be like the Tooth Fairy.

On a random day without a dental loss incident, sneak into your child’s room while they’re asleep and leave a treat or surprise under their pillow, like a piece of candy, a sheet of stickers, or even just a cool rock you found. For my older kids and teens, I’ve left a Starbucks gift card that I wasn’t planning to use myself, a lottery ticket, or a new lip balm when I know they ran out.

• Ages: Preschooler to teen

37. Let them know you see them.

Everyone wants to feel seen, heard, and understood—even kids. To do that for your child, simply acknowledge their actions, choices, or effort on something, then share a few encouraging words.

For example, you could say, “You didn’t know how to draw a dog, then you came up with a plan to watch a video tutorial. You came up with that solution all on your own.” For more inspiration, here’s a list of the best 125 encouraging words for kids.

• Ages: Toddler to teen

38. Give them an epithet.

That word sounds kinda fancy, but it just means “a term you use to characterize a person or thing.” For example, one of my kids loves to stay in her pajamas all day on the weekends. So one day as I walked by her, I stopped, smiled, and said, “My pajama-loving child.” She beamed.

To show your child you see them and accept them for who they are, take one of their characteristics or something they enjoy and turn it into an epithet like I did with “pajama-loving.” Epithets could also include your child’s name, like “Sierra the Scrabble Whiz” or “Miles, Big Brother Extraordinaire.”

• Ages: Toddler to teen

39. Start a game of chase.

Or if chase isn’t feasible, go for another childhood classic game like hide-and-seek or duck duck goose. Pro tip: When playing hide-and-seek with a younger child, they’ll love it if you pretend their hiding place is so good you can’t find them.

• Ages: Toddler to teen

40. Ask about big dreams.

As parents, we often have our own ideas about what we want our kids to achieve or work towards. To show your child their thoughts and feelings matter, ask them to share their hopes, dreams, and goals—and just listen. Here are a few questions to help get your child talking:

• What will you be doing in 10 years?
• If you could be the best in the world at something, what would it be?
• If you could start a company that made something, what would that be?
• What is one thing you want to learn how to do?
• How would you change the world if you could?
• What’s something you enjoy doing that you want to keep doing when you’re a grown-up?
• What do you think your life will be like in the future?
• Imagine us sitting together 1/3/5 years from now, when you’re xyz years old. What does your/our life look like?

Bonus: If your child expresses a dream that you can help set into motion—for example, if they want to be an artist or work with animals—brainstorm something small you can do to help them along that path. For aspiring artists, you could pick up some blank canvases and a new paint set. Or for kids who love animals, you might find a fun Outschool class about animal care or a colorful book from the library.

• Ages: Preschooler to teen

41. Play a sweet song.

If you know of a song that makes you think of your child, queue it up, then say: “Hey listen to this, it makes me think of you.” If you don’t have a song like this yet, check out The Best 20 Love Songs for Kids: Approved by Parents and Kids.

• Ages: Preschooler to teen

42. Tell a joke.

The cornier, the better! If you can’t think of any, these two joke books are our favorites, and they’re both super inexpensive: Laugh-Out-Loud Jokes for Kids and Knock-Knock Jokes for Kids. (If you like those, this author has a ton of joke books for even more ideas!) My kids also enjoyed this full-color book of kids’ jokes from National Geographic.

• Ages: Elementary to teen

43. Let them hear you brag.

If your child did something helpful or kind recently, tell your partner or another adult about it while your child is in earshot.

Bonus tip in case you missed it earlier in this article: Research shows that when you praise kids for being a helpful person rather than praising them just for helping, kids are much more likely to act generously in the future. That’s because your words shape your child’s self-image, and by seeing themselves as “helpers” for example, they’ll be more likely to behave in a way that lives up to that self-image.

For more ways to recognize kids for helpful behavior, check out The Most Encouraging Words for Kids: 125 Phrases That Actually Work.

• Ages: Toddler to teen

44. Ask them to guess how big your love is.

Say to your child, “Guess how much I love you!” and they might react a couple different ways:

• If they hold out their hands or arms to guess how much: For example, my preschooler throws his arms out wide and says “This much!” Then say, “Nope. I love you more!” and come up with a silly estimate of how much you love them, like “I love you all the way to the moon and back to our house” or “I love you more than peanut butter loves jelly!”
• If they say “I don’t know” or just smile: Jump straight to giving a silly estimate for how much you love them, like “I love you more than more than all the fish in the sea” or “I love you more than cupcakes love sprinkles!”

For extra inspiration, check out the “I love you more than…” item in 50 Meaningful + Cute Ways to Say “I Love You” to Your Child.

• Ages: Toddler to elementary

45. Rough-house.

Yes, even with girls! Research shows this kind of play builds emotional intelligence and brings joy for kids. For example, you can have a “foot war” by sitting on opposite sides of the couch and putting your feet together, then pushing to see who can get the other person to bend their knees first.

• Ages: Toddler to teen

46. Let them prove you wrong.

If your child says something you’re not sure is right, instead of flat-out correcting them or telling them you think they’re wrong, say, “Huh. That’s the first I’ve heard that! I’d love to learn more. Wanna look it up online with me?” If it turns out they’re right after all, thank them for teaching you something new.

This happens all the time with animal facts in my family! One of my kids will pick up some interesting tidbit from a documentary or a book, share it at the dinner table, then we end up following a rabbit trail to learn more. As a side benefit, this has also helped my kids learn that you can’t just blindly trust one source of information.

• Ages: Preschooler to teen

47. Embrace your silly side.

Do something off-the-wall silly to surprise your child. To really ham it up, you can first fix a stern look on your face and tell your child you need to talk to them. They might act a little worried, but that’s okay because it won’t last! Sit down on the couch facing them, then do something silly. A few examples for you:

• Bust out a can of Silly String and start spraying it—then hand them a can so they can join in. Or for a fun alternative, try squirt guns.
• Confess that you don’t have plans for dinner and the fridge is pretty empty, so you’re really, truly sorry, but you’ll have to have pancakes for dinner.
• Explain that you’re very concerned because you just realized your family doesn’t have a secret handshake yet, and that will not stand. Then invent one together.
• Announce that from this moment forward, it will officially be Backwards Day—if you can plan ahead, snag The Backward Day picture book from the library and start by reading it together. Or if Backwards Day is too much to keep up with, announce that tonight, you’ll have Backwards Dinner. Start with dessert, then the main course, then an appetizer like soup or salad. But just for fun, hold back some dessert to have at the end! You can also do Backwards Dinner as an outing, where you pick up something small for dessert at one place (like a candy bar from a gas station or an ice cream cone from an ice cream shop), then drive to another place for the main course (like fast food or pizza), and so on.
• Tell your child you had a bad day at work and you really want to build a fort to hide in and eat ice cream, but you have no idea where to start on building. They’ll jump at the chance to help! Especially if it means everyone gets ice cream at the end. (Side note: My kids love this build-a-fort kit. My 10-year-old told me, “This is the best present you’ve ever gotten us!”)

The sillier you are, the more your child will love it. Even teenagers! They might smirk or roll their eyes in the moment, but you’re demonstrating that it’s okay to be silly and childlike, even when you’re a grown-up.

• Ages: Toddler to teen

48. Draw a bath.

Make your child feel special by starting a bubble bath for them just because. Baths can help kids calm down from a stressful day, just the same as adults.

• Ages: Toddler to teen

49. Sing to them.

You can be silly and make up a nonsensical song about what you love about your child, then ham it up as you belt it out. I’ve found the “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” tune works well, like “Charlie Charlie, I love you. You’re an expert on the zoo.” As another example, I sometimes sing the Scooby Doo song but with my child’s name. So instead of “Scooby Dooby Doo, where are you? We got some work to do now,” I sing “Bailey Bailey Boo, where are you…” and get silly from there.

Or for a sweeter moment like when you’re cuddling before bedtime, you can quietly sing a favorite lullaby from when they were younger.

• Ages: Toddler to teen

50. Be a drill sergeant.

This is silly, but kids eat. it. up.

1. Using your best drill sergeant voice, call out “Private, fall in! Line up for your inspection!”
2. If this is your first time doing this, your kid will be puzzled at first, but if they’re slow to move, stay in character: “You heard me! This is a surprise inspection, so line up!”
3. When your child is finally standing in front of you, they might be giggling, so you can ham it up: “Get it together, private!”
4. Then comes the fun part: “Now, present your dimples for immediate inspection!” If your child doesn’t have dimples, replace that with anything special about them, like your funny bone, kind heart, big sister face, button nose, Bambi eyes, strong arms, and so on.
5. Put one of your eyes up close to whatever you’re “inspecting” and take your time studying it.
6. Eventually, stand up straight and narrow your eyes and proclaim the results: “You passed inspection for now, but let this be a lesson to you. If there are any shenanigans next time, you’ll have to drop and give me 20!”

If the idea of pretending to be a drill sergeant for 10 minutes doesn’t float your boat, that’s okay! Instead, you could pretend to be a head cheerleader judging auditions for their squad, a pirate interviewing new crew mates, or Dr. Bravestone from Jumanji evaluating his team members. (Don’t forget to smolder!)

• Ages: Preschooler to elementary

51. Bring them fuel.

If your child or teen is studying for a test or has a bunch of homework they’re stressed about, make them a special snack and deliver it to them so they feel cared for while they work. This also works well even if they’re wrapped up in something that’s not stressful, like if they’re in the zone creating art or immersed in a good book.

• Ages: Elementary to teen

52. Slow down at bedtime.

Too often as parents, we end up rushing through the bedtime routine because we’re exhausted and ready to collapse on the couch for some adult time. Show your child you love them (even when you’re tired) by turning out the lights and snuggling with them in bed for a few minutes. Here are a few ideas for simple bedtime rituals that will make your child feel loved:

• Chat about their favorite part of their day (and yours)
• Ask them to tell you a bedtime story
• Rub their back, massage their head, or scratch their back
• Draw letters or shapes on their back for them to guess
• Ask them what they think they’ll dream about
• Tell a story from their childhood (or yours)
• Just be quiet and relax together
• Before you turn out the lights: Read a bedtime story that will help them calm down

As a bonus, research shows that parental warmth can also help your child sleep better, from toddlers to teens—and some evidence points to parental affection and warmth at bedtime helping kids sleep longer.

• Ages: Toddler to teen

15 Minutes to an Hour

If you find yourself with a small pocket of time, these simple actions will demonstrate your unconditional love for your child.

1. Go outside.

You can go on a quick walk, play catch, or hop on your bikes for a ride around the block. Without the distractions of daily life at home, your child may open up and share their heart with you while you’re on the move.

• Ages: Toddler to teen

2. Reminisce together.

Invite your child to sit on the couch with you and look through family photo albums, even if it’s just the albums on your phone. Whether you look at their baby pictures or pictures from when you were a child, kids love a trip down memory lane. For bonus points, throw in a few childhood stories.

• Ages: Toddler to teen

3. Leave a smidge early.

On a regular weekday, wake up a little earlier and get ready as fast as you can to give you 15 minutes of bonus quality time with your child. For example, if you drive your child to school, you can leave 15 minutes earlier and stop by a playground to swing together (but first set a timer for when it’s time to go so it doesn’t turn into a power struggle!).

Or if you homeschool, you can head out together for a leisurely 15-minute walk around the neighborhood before you come back to get started on school for the day. Follow your child’s lead and go along for the ride while they stop to inspect bugs, collect rocks, or pick flowers.

• Ages: Toddler to teen

4. Trade a journal.

Get a shared journal designed for kids and parents, then write back and forth to each other. When you’re done with your turn, leave the journal on your child’s pillow. That’s their cue to fill it out and leave it on your pillow next. I’ve done this with my three oldest kids, and I can’t wait until my youngest is old enough for it. Sharing a journal with my children has deepened our relationships, and it made my children feel special and worthy of my time and attention, which is always in limited supply.

From a mother to a child, this mother-daughter journal or this journal for mothers and sons will give you a magical way to get your child to open up about what’s going on so you can stay connected. From dads to kids, check out this father-daughter journal or this journal for dads and sons. For more journal ideas, check out 10 Best Journals for Kids to Boost Their Emotional Intelligence.

• Ages: Elementary to teen

5. Share a late-night snack.

If your child is having trouble sleeping and keeps getting out of bed, sidestep the power struggle and make them a late-night snack instead. The snack doesn’t have to be groundbreaking—just make toast with butter, a bowl of cereal, or a peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwich. No matter what you make, fixing a snack and sitting with your child while they eat will make them feel cared for.

• Ages: Toddler to teen

6. Celebrate their accomplishments.

After they finish a stressful test or project for school (even if they didn’t get an A!), do something small to celebrate it being done and over with. Likewise if they achieve something they’re proud of, help them celebrate it. You can go out for ice cream, stop at a gas station for their favorite candy bar, or let them pick dinner.

And don’t forget to verbally acknowledge their accomplishments, too. For inspiration, head to 110 Powerful Compliments for Kids to Boost Their Self-Worth.

• Ages: Elementary to teen

7. Make art together.

Invite your child to sit down with you and get creative. You can color in a coloring book, make a collage using old magazines, or watch how-to-draw videos and follow along together. Not only is creating art important for your child’s development, but it’s also been shown to impact health by reducing stress and anxiety, increasing positive emotions, and reducing the likelihood of depression.

• Ages: Toddler to teen

8. Get back in bed.

One morning, instead of getting sucked into the hustle and bustle of your morning routine, invite your child to join you in your bed to eat breakfast in bed, drink a cup of hot chocolate, or read a couple picture books. Your routine will still be there after you slow down for a few minutes.

• Ages: Toddler to teen

9. Ask for help.

When you ask your child to help you with something, they feel important and valued. Even so, it helps to be careful with your tone so it feels like you’re asking for special one-on-one time and not nagging them to do a chore! For example, you can ask for help with planning out dinners for the week, fixing something around the house, checking your math while paying bills, getting dinner started, making a bucket list of family vacations you want to take, and so on.

Case in point: A few evenings ago, my 8-year-old walked up while I was sorting mail, then pointed to a bill and asked what it was. I said, “It’s a bill…wanna pay it for me?” She lit up. For the next 20 minutes, she was on my laptop paying three bills, while I talked her through the steps. Not only did she feel valued, but she picked up a new life skill, too!

• Ages: Toddler to teen

10. Co-view something they love.

If your child has a favorite television show or movie, join them on the couch and watch it together. As an added bonus, research shows that when you watch something with your child and chat about what you’re watching together—known as “co-viewing”—you increase your child’s literacy skills, boost empathy, and even mitigate the negative effects of certain kinds of screen time like violent scenes in movies and TV.

• Ages: Toddler to teen

11. Give them a coupon.

Get my printable coupon book for kids and present it to your child. Every coupon is like an I.O.U. for a fun experience that your child can cash in on later. Your child will love calling the shots, and you’ll get to go along for the fun ride too. As an alternative, you can print out one specific coupon and give that to your child.

• Ages: Preschooler to teen

12. Bake something.

Work together to make a special treat like muffins or cookies, and your child will get a double whammy of your love: the time you spend together in the kitchen plus the delicious manifestation of that time well spent. (My trusted source for the yummiest recipes is Smitten Kitchen.)

Even if baking isn’t your bag, you can make a special treat like these next-level Rice Krispie treats or whip up a batch of homemade ice cream.

• Ages: Toddler to teen

13. Send snail mail.

Kids love when they get something in the mail that’s addressed to them! Write a letter or make a card for your child, then add a stamp and drop it in a mailbox.

If you’re not sure what to write, tell them something you love or appreciate about them, or you can say something simple like: “I love you and wanted you to know I was thinking of you.” When your child gets that surprise in the mail, they’ll feel special and loved.

• Ages: Toddler to teen

14. Give them a ride.

If your child takes the bus to school, pick a day to surprise them by driving them to school instead. Or if the school is within walkable distance, walk together and chat along the way.

• Ages: Elementary to teen

15. Game with them.

If your child enjoys playing video games, join them in a game sometime. While I was researching this article, so many adults called this out as a time they felt like their parents cared about them—when they took the time to join in on a favorite video game, just because their child loved it.

Ask your child to teach you how to play their favorite game, then while you play, make conversation about what they love about the game. Bonus: Odds are if you’re not a gamer yourself, you’ll stink at the game at first, and your child will be tickled to be better at something than you are, for once.

• Ages: Elementary to teen

16. Eat on the floor.

Instead of eating dinner at the table like normal, set up an indoor picnic on your living room floor. All you need is a big blanket! To make this even more special, turn on a family-friendly movie to watch while you eat.

• Ages: Toddler to teen

17. Nurture their independence.

When you trust your child with a grown-up task, they feel loved. For example, you can ask your child to walk to the mailbox and grab the mail, use cash to pay for something at a store (my kids love to swipe the credit card too!), or deliver something to your neighbor like a package mistakenly delivered to you or a plate of cookies to share.

Another idea my kids have adored: When you’re running errands, ask them to be the navigator—hand your phone over to them so they can use the maps app and tell you where to go next.

For older kids and teens, you could ask them to walk to the neighborhood store and pick up something you need, or if you don’t have a store within walking distance, they can run inside while you wait in the car. When teens start learning how to drive, you can ask them to start the car on cold mornings, back the car out of the driveway, or pull the car around if it’s parked far away.

• Ages: Preschooler to teen

18. Hand your time over.

Say, “It just so happens I have 30 minutes free right now, and I’d love to spend it with you. And you get to decide: What do you want to do?” Kids rarely get to be in charge of what happens next, so they love this simple role-swap.

• Ages: Toddler to teen

19. Check out a book.

Find a book at the library that your child might enjoy, then check it out and leave it for them to discover in their room along with a simple note like, “I saw this and thought you might like it!”

For example, if you have a young child who loves dinosaurs, check out a book about dinosaurs with colorful pictures. Or if your child has been enjoying graphic novels, find one with great reviews and check it out as a surprise for them.

• Ages: Toddler to teen

20. Pile into bed.

Pick any time of day and climb into your bed and cuddle together for a few minutes. My favorite time to do this is after school as a sort of reset button after the stresses of the day. You may be surprised at what your child opens up about after a few minutes of shared quiet!

• Ages: Toddler to teen

21. Let them choose dessert.

When you’re at the grocery store together, give your child an “allowance” of a certain amount of money to pick out whatever treat they want to bring home for the family to share after dinner. Don’t try to influence what they pick—let them enjoy the experience of having complete autotomy over this low-stakes decision.

• Ages: Toddler to teen

22. Give them flowers.

Pick a few wildflowers or buy a small bouquet, then give them to your child to keep in their room.

• Ages: Toddler to teen

23. Fold their laundry.

If your child usually folds their own laundry, folding it for them can be a sweet gesture once in a while, especially if they’re going through a particularly busy or stressful stretch with school.

• Ages: Elementary to teen

24. Go exploring.

Hop in the car together and let your child tell you which direction to go next. Every time you stop at an intersection, prompt them to pick which way to go: left, right, or straight. If you end up somewhere you’ve never been before that looks fun, get out and explore. You might even discover a favorite new spot, like a scenic hiking trail, a yummy lunch spot, or some cute shops to browse.

• Ages: Toddler to tween

25. Share what you know.

Say to your child, “Have I ever told you about my secret for xyz?” where xyz is some hack or trick you know.

For example, if you have a particular way you like to fold towels or load the dishwasher, pass that along to your child. (Pro tip: Adopt a playful tone so it doesn’t feel like nagging them about chores!) Or if you have a go-to trick for amazing chocolate chip cookies or the best spaghetti sauce, let your child in on the secret. Whatever you’re the best at, teach them that.

• Ages: Preschooler to teen

26. Treat them after school.

If your child has a favorite after-school snack or a favorite treat, surprise them with it when you pick them up from school or when they get home. After a long day at school, a special treat they weren’t expecting will let them know you care.

• Ages: Toddler to teen

27. Bend the rules.

Eat pancakes for dinner (with sprinkles on top!), have a day where everyone stays in their pajamas all day, or let your child stay up a little bit later than normal and play a board game or card game together. If you need ideas for quick games, here’s a list of our all-time favorite family board games for all ages. (The bestselling card game in our family-owned game shop is perfect for a quick round before bedtime: Sleeping Queens. For older kids and teens, Love Letter is an all-time favorite for many families—and my personal favorite card game right now!)

• Ages: Toddler to teen

4,687 families purchased this game after reading this post…

$18 from Amazon* $18 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Sleeping Queens

    
“My daughter and I love Sleeping Queens! It teaches them math without them even realizing it – or me, for that matter. I remember my daughter laid down a sequence that was like 1 + 3 + 5 = 9, and I thought ‘How did you know that…?’ Then I realized she just figured it out from doing math in the game. So cool to watch her learn right before my eyes.” – Ann

$13 from Amazon* * Price at time of publishing

Love Letter

    
“My teen and tween love this quick little card game. To win, you need to rely on your deductive reasoning skills, plus a bit of luck. You can play a whole game in 20 minutes, but if you’re short on time, you can play one round in 5-7 minutes. But warning: Even when we set out to play ‘just one round,’ we always end up playing several!” – Tyler

An Hour or More

If you can afford to carve out an hour or more, these powerful gestures will delight your child and make them feel loved.

1. Surprise them at school.

Pick a random school day and meet your child for lunch. Bring their favorite meal, even if it’s fast food. Or for a smaller treat, bring a cookie, a piece of chocolate, or another surprise dessert.

• Ages: Preschooler to teen

2. Bring them to work.

Pick a day when your child doesn’t have anything important going on at school, or pick a day that’s a school holiday. Then bring them to work and show them what you do every day.

• Ages: Elementary to teen

3. Make their favorite meal.

This works especially well when their favorite meal is something that’s not in your regular rotation. For example, one of my kids loves having crêpes for dinner, but we don’t do that very often. So when I want to make her feel loved and special, it’s an easy win!

• Ages: Toddler to teen

4. Invite them along.

When you run errands, you might be in the habit of leaving your child at home with another caretaker (or alone if they’re old enough) so you can get through your list faster. Instead, pick a day to invite your child to join you on your errands. Sure, your errands might take a bit longer, but the time together will give you lots of opportunities for meaningful conversations with your child. (If you’re not sure what to ask, try one of these tried-and-true conversation starters for kids.)

To make this experience extra-special, add a stop for a treat from your favorite coffee shop (my kids love the cake pops from Starbucks!) or any place where they can pick out a piece of candy to enjoy during your errand time.

• Ages: Toddler to teen

5. Hide your phone.

Pick a morning or afternoon when you’ll be with your child and put your phone in a drawer so you can focus on connecting and being in the moment together. Research shows that parents frequently spending time with a child without being on their mobile device has a positive impact on the child’s emotional intelligence.

• Ages: Toddler to teen

6. Schedule a Do Nothing Day.

Pick a weekend day and forget the errands you’ve been meaning to run, throw your to-do list out the window, and schedule absolutely nothing. Tell your child you have nothing you have to do, so you can do whatever you want all day, then ask them what they want to do.

On your Do Nothing Day, you could bust out a jigsaw puzzle to solve together, bake something yummy for breakfast, or build an epic fort using cardboard boxes, sheets, and Christmas lights. Some parents use our Family Connection Cards on their Do Nothing Days and pick one random card to do together.

Whatever you decide to do, take your time and enjoy being together because this isn’t about marking something off your to-do list.

• Ages: Toddler to teen

7. Grow your brains together.

Think of something your child has expressed interest in, like geocaching, photography, a musical instrument, and so on. Then make a plan to learn about it together. You can take a virtual class on Outschool, find an in-person class, or just binge a bunch of Youtube videos.

You’ll show your child that you pay attention when they tell you about something they’re interested in, plus the shared experience of learning together will make you feel closer.

• Ages: Preschooler to teen

8. Let them pick a spot.

Tell your child you need to run errands and get them in the car ready to go. But when it’s time to hit the road, say, “You know what? I don’t feel like running errands today. Is there anywhere you’d like to go instead?”

Whether they want to go to the park or the ice cream shop, follow their lead, and they’ll be delighted that you’re listening to how they want to spend their time with you. (And if you do need to run errands, you can still do that afterward!)

• Ages: Toddler to teen

9. Forage for dinner.

Tell your child you don’t have anything figured out for dinner, so you’ll need to forage for something. Look through the pantry, fridge, and freezer with your child, and cobble together a meal of whatever looks good.

Oatmeal, yogurt, and raspberries? Sure! Pringles, pepperoni, and peanuts for dinner? Why not? Toast, hummus, and baby carrots? Go for it!

Anything goes, so instead of saying “no” to what your child picks out, try saying “yes, and…” to round out their meal. For example, if they say, “Can I have Pop Tarts?” you can say, “Yes! And since that will cover your carbs, how about something with protein like a handful of almonds?” Also, you don’t both have to eat the same thing, so if what they pick out doesn’t sound great to you, you can pick something else out for yourself.

If you enjoy foraging, you can turn Forage Night into a weekly family tradition, which will save you one night of figuring out what to make for dinner!

• Ages: Toddler to teen

10. Give a clean slate.

Many kids feel overwhelmed by a messy room and aren’t sure where to start tidying up. If that describes your child, consider cleaning their room for them as a special gesture of your love. If you don’t like the idea of doing it for them, block off a couple hours and tackle it together so your child doesn’t have to struggle through it alone.

• Ages: Toddler to teen

11. Ask them out on a date.

Set aside time just for the two of you to do something special. For example, you can head to your neighborhood coffee shop, then treat yourselves to a fancy drink—coffee for you, hot chocolate or juice for your child.

For one-on-one date ideas, check out 60 Meaningful Family Bonding Activities to Nurture a Loving Bond. If you have more than one child and you want to make this a routine, you can alternate weeks or pick one day a month to reserve for each child’s one-on-one date.

• Ages: Toddler to teen

12. Throw a party, just because.

You could throw an “It’s Friday” party, a “Rainy Day” party, or even a “We Had a Fight But We Still Love Each Other” party. But remember: A party without cake is just a meeting. (By the way, this Mom’s Apple Cake recipe might just be my favorite cake of all time.)

• Ages: Toddler to teen

13. Show up.

Make a plan to attend your child’s concerts, ball games, dance recitals, and science fairs. Whatever their hobbies or interests are, be there.

• Ages: Preschooler to teen

14. Give them a day off.

Let your child take a mental health day off school, and you’ll send the message that they’re loved and important. The day off can help protect your child from the harmful effects of stress because studies consistently show that rest is essential for dealing with stress. In fact, rest makes you more persistent and productive by working with your brain instead of against it.

Pro tip: Before doing this, make sure your child doesn’t have any big tests, quizzes, or projects due that day. And if you can’t afford a full day, you can pick your child up an hour or two early from school and go do something fun from this list.

• Ages: Preschooler to teen

15. Sneak out for breakfast.

At night, tell your child you’ll wake them up early and just the two of you will go out to breakfast before anyone else in the family is awake. They might be so excited they decide to sleep in their clothes! You’ll bond over tiptoeing and acting like a secret agent as you sneak out. You can pick up something like breakfast tacos or donuts, or go to a sit-down breakfast joint.

If you have a partner and/or other kids at home, don’t forget to bring something back to share with them!

• Ages: Toddler to teen

16. Follow their interests.

If your child mentions that they’re interested in trying archery, set up a lesson to surprise them. If they love bunnies, take them to a bunny rescue shelter to pet the bunnies. If they seem intrigued by ballet, find an intro to ballet Youtube video to do together.

Whatever their current interest is, encourage them to explore it in a low-stakes way. They’ll feel like you care about their happiness, plus you’ll help them discover their true passions.

• Ages: Preschooler to teen

17. Host a sleepover.

But instead of hosting your child’s friends for a sleepover, invite your child to bring a sleeping bag and sleep in your room for the night, or vice versa. Then do everything you’d do on a typical sleepover—eat yummy snacks, watch a fun movie, and stay up late talking in the dark.

• Ages: Toddler to teen

18. Set up a friend date.

Invite one of your child’s friends over to hang out for an afternoon, or offer to take them somewhere fun like a playground or a movie. Warning: For older kids and teens, make sure to get your child’s buy-in on this first so you don’t unintentionally step into in-progress friend drama!

• Ages: Toddler to teen

19. Let them pick dinner.

Ask, “If you could have anything for dinner tonight, what would it be?” Then make it happen. If you need ingredients, head to the grocery store together and pick them out. If your child isn’t sure what they want for dinner, sit down with a cookbook or two and browse until you find something they’re interested in.

For a fun twist on this, you can ask them what they want for dessert tonight—banana splits, root beer floats, brownies fresh from the oven with ice cream on top, or anything else.

• Ages: Toddler to teen

20. Start something new.

Invite your child to help you start a new family tradition together. You can browse through this list of the best family traditions to nurture your family bond, then let them pick one that sounds fun to try out. When your child is grown, the traditions you create now are likely to become some of their favorite memories.

• Ages: Elementary to teen

21. Cancel something.

You know that feeling when a meeting gets rescheduled or an appointment gets moved, and you get the gift of reclaimed free time? Give that same gift to your child.

If they have an appointment or other scheduled activity that they don’t seem jazzed about, move it as a surprise, then encourage them to use that time however they’d like to.

• Ages: Elementary to teen

22. Declare a yes day.

Announce to your child that today is their yes day, then all day long, say “yes” when you’d usually say “no.” Can I have a piece of chocolate? Yes! Can we play a game? Yes! Can you teach me how to drive? Uhh…yes?

You don’t have to go to the extremes the parents in the movie Yes Day did, but a “yes day” can be a powerful way to show your child you love them. In fact, one of my kids once told me she didn’t care if she got any physical presents on her birthday. All she wanted was a yes day!

• Ages: Preschooler to teen

The Best Times to Show Your Child You Love Them

Let’s say you got your set of Family Connection Cards, and you set them up on your nightstand or bathroom counter as a visual cue. Awesome!

But…now what? You now have a handy collection of meaningful gestures of your unconditional love for your child, but when do you do them?

Here are a few ideas for how to work these loving gestures into your days:

• Surprise your child by saying their name out of the blue, then say a phrase from this list—even better if you bend down and get on their eye level first
• Pick a different activity to do at bedtime every night while tucking your child in
• If you’ve had a moment of disconnection like a disagreement or power struggle, reconnect by showing your child you love them with one of these gestures
• Start the day off well every morning with a different way of showing your love for your child
• When you notice your child seems sad or upset, pick something from this list
• If you notice your child struggling with something like homework or learning something new, try one of these gestures to give them a jolt of love and encouragement

Plus, here’s a bonus idea I love: Pick a week or a month and have your own personal “Love Challenge.” During a Love Challenge, you pick one new-to-you idea from this list every day and do it. You’ll surprise your child with fresh new expressions of your unconditional love, plus you’ll get to try out different ways to show your love and see what feels most meaningful to you and your child.

Get Your Free Cheat Sheet: 75 Positive Words for Kids

Use this cheat sheet of positive phrases to show your child how much you love them.

1. Get the free cheat sheet. Join my weekly-ish newsletter and as a bonus, you’ll get the printable! Just click here to get it and subscribe.
2. Print. Any paper will do the trick, but card stock would be ideal.
3. Hang your cheat sheet somewhere handy like the fridge. See the But First, Beware of This Gotcha section in this post for ideas on how to keep the reminder fresh and effective.
4. Say a phrase to your child. A couple ideas for how to use the cheat sheet: You could set yourself a personal goal of a certain number of positive things to say to your child every day, or you could mark off each phrase as you use it and try to get through the whole list within a certain period of time.

Here’s a sneak peek of your printable cheat sheet:

Your Turn

What’s your best advice for how to show your child you love them? Share in a comment below!

The post 101 Heartfelt and Simple Ways to Love Your Child Every Day appeared first on Happy You, Happy Family.

As a parent, you’re responsible for getting everyone where they need to go, from school to extracurricular activities to doctor’s appointments and more.

You have to figure out healthy-ish food that will nourish your child’s growing body and mind, three times a day. Not to mention you’re also overseeing paying the bills on time, doing endless laundry, and keeping your home from looking like a tornado attacked a LEGO factory.

And in between all that, you want to nurture a loving parent-child relationship that will last into the teenage years and beyond. Building a strong bond takes time, so you know you can’t treat it like cramming for a big test the night before.

The time for nurturing that kind of relationship is now, but how exactly are you supposed to fit that in on top of everything else?

Here’s the Solution

In as little as 10 minutes a day, you can connect with your child in a powerful way and build a stronger relationship that will stand the test of time. Because research shows that the quality of time you spend with your child is way more important than the quantity of time you spend.

The secret? Family bonding activities.

To be clear, I’m not talking about planning pricey day-long excursions or tackling elaborate craft projects that call for 42 random supplies you don’t have.

Because the best family bonding activities can be done in between your normal everyday routine—or even while you’re doing something that needs to be done anyway. That way, you’re nurturing a loving relationship with your child without adding anything to your overflowing to-do list.

Why a Strong Family Bond Is So Important

You might have already noticed that when your child feels connected and loved, they tend to cooperate more and engage in fewer power struggles.

But even beyond greasing the wheels of daily parenting struggles, research shows that investing in a strong family bond now will pay off for years to come. Here’s how:

• Kids thrive – Children in families with a strong family bond are much more likely to flourish, which includes feeling a sense of purpose in life, enjoying positive relationships with others, experiencing self-acceptance, possessing an ability for personal growth, and more.
• Kids grow into happy adults – Research shows that nurturing a loving bond with your child shapes your child’s happiness for life and results in life-long positive outcomes for the child. That includes higher self-esteem, better parent-child communication, and fewer psychological and behavioral problems.
• Kids can handle stress better – Parental warmth and strong family bonds act as a buffer for kids to protect them from the negative effects of stress.
• Kids and adults are healthier – Stronger family relationships predict positive health outcomes for both kids and adults. Not only that, when you have a strong family bond, you tend to live longer.

Sounds great, right?

But when you’re an exhausted parent who’s barely keeping up with doing the laundry, helping out with math homework, and getting dinner on the table, you don’t have a lot of extra time to sit around and brainstorm meaningful activities that will make your family feel even closer.

So I decided to put a master list together for all the tired parents of the world, myself included.

The Best 60 Family Bonding Activities That Will Nurture a Loving Bond

Below, you’ll find a list of the best bonding activities for families to bring you and your child closer together.

To put together this list, I read every list of family bonding activities I could get my hands on in books and online, talked to friends and neighbors to hear about their favorite family activities, and surveyed the more than 100,000 readers in this community—then I compiled all the most-loved ideas into one epic list.

But First, a Warning

This list has a wide variety of ideas so that different families can find ideas that will work for them. But you don’t need to do everything in this list! That would be impossible, not to mention you’d be so overwhelmed you’d likely end up choosing nothing.

Instead, keep an eye out for one or two family bonding activities you’d like to try, and make a plan to do them this week. Add them to your calendar or put a reminder in your phone if you need to.

Pro tip: When you try a new family bonding activity, consider giving it a fun or playful name. Some studies suggest that when you label a concept or object, you change how people perceive it, and that framing can influence their preferences and behavior.

Using a short, playful name also helps you quickly communicate what the family bonding activity involves and can conjure up memories of previous experiences with it, giving you and your family warm fuzzies and getting everyone excited to do it again. For example, compare “Let’s all sit on the couch together while I read aloud from this chapter book” to “Family Read-Aloud Time.” Because giving your family activity an official name can elevate its value in these ways, below you’ll find some suggestions for naming each activity. Feel free to use any of those activity names that speak to you, or brainstorm a new name with your family to make it your own.

Everyday Family Bonding Activities

One of the best ways to nurture a strong family bond is by finding ways to connect during regular everyday routines. Because when you do that, you can elevate an ordinary ho-hum routine into a fun family tradition that will delight your kids every day.

Below, you’ll find the family activities that work best when you integrate them into your daily routines for a quick dose of connection.

Related: Be a Close-Knit Family: The Best 35 Family Tradition Examples

1. Pile into bed (but not at bedtime)

After you factor in time for homework, dinner prep and clean-up, and the kids’ bedtime routine plus everything in between, weekday evenings can feel rushed and chaotic. To strengthen your family’s bond after spending the day apart and keep the evening routine free of disconnection-induced speed bumps, start a tradition of stopping to snuggle and connect.

• Make it official: Popular names for this tradition are “Family Cuddle Time” and “Cozy up in Bed Time.”
• How to do it: When you get home on weekdays, call out “Family Cuddle Time!” and encourage everyone to run into your bedroom and pile into the bed. Something about the tight quarters of adults and kids all squished into one bed makes everyone giggle. And then as the giggles fade, deep breaths and sighs take their place. The closeness and shared quiet is one of the best reset buttons you could hope for. For the full details on how this family bonding activity works, head over to The After School Routine for Busy Families That Will Make You Smile.

2. Talk while you eat

If you’re not already sharing one meal a day as a family, this is one of the best family bonding activities to start. Research shows that children who regularly eat meals together with their family are more likely to experience long-term physical and mental health benefits, including lower levels of aggression, oppositional behavior, and delinquency.

• Make it official: A simple “Family Dinner” or “Family Breakfast” gets the point across!
• How to do it: Make a habit of slowing down and coming together as a family for at least one meal a day, whether that’s a quick breakfast shared while standing at the kitchen counter or a sit-down meal at the dinner table.
• Variations: To boost the feelings of love and connection during your shared meals, ask one fun question at every family meal from our special set of Conversation Starters for Kids. The set includes 150 questions, which gives you enough questions for five months of family dinners. When you ask great questions like that, not only will you be teaching your child the art of a good conversation, but you’ll get to peek straight into your child’s heart. What’s important to them, what has them worried, what they’re excited about.

3. Pick a card, any card

Here’s the problem with reading an article like this: After you close your browser tab, the daily grind of parenting will suck you back in, and you’re likely to forget all these fun family bonding activities. To make family bonding a priority even after this post has faded from your memory, pick up our set of Family Connection Cards here.

I created these Family Connection Cards based on the science of what actually works when you want to bond as a family. These cards remove the mental burden of figuring out how to connect with your child so you can just focus on nurturing your bond. At any point during your day, you can pick a card to get a quick and simple idea for connecting. And in just 10 minutes a day, these powerful cards will make your child feel absolutely loved and stop the power struggles caused by disconnection.

• Make it official: In our family, we call this habit our “Fresh Start,” and we do it before the morning routine starts to get hectic so that we start the day off with our tanks of love full to brimming. One family told me they call this their “Come Together Time,” and they kick it off by playing the Beatles song Come Together. Other options include “Connection Time” or “10-Minute Together Time.”
• How to do it: Set aside 10 minutes in your daily routine. If you don’t have 10 minutes, five minutes can work. And if you can’t find five minutes, you can combine this with something else, like while your child eats breakfast. Have your child pick one of our Family Connection Cards, or you can pick one at random, then do what the card says to do. Because the Family Connection Cards are based on the science of what actually works when you want to connect with your child, afterward you’ll both feel loved and connected.

4. Get lost together

Reading aloud to your child every day is a powerful family bonding activity because research shows daily read-aloud time grows your child’s brain (literally), increases your child’s capacity for empathy, and even improves their behavior. And no one is ever too old to be read to! You can read aloud to tweens, teens, and even to your spouse or partner.

• Make it official: Some families call this “Read-Aloud Time” or “Family Bookish Time.”
• How to do it: Pick a time of day when you can read aloud to your child for 10 minutes, like while they eat breakfast, while they’re in the bath, after everyone is in jammies and ready for bed, or when they’re tucked into bed and ready for lights out. For older kids, you can take turns reading aloud from the same book, or you can read a snippet from an interesting magazine or newspaper article. If you need a great book to read aloud, check out The Ultimate List of the Best Picture Books, Endorsed by Kids And Parents and 48 Awesome Chapter Books for Kids Your Child Will Devour.
• Variations: If you’re having trouble finding time to read aloud, turn on an audiobook when you’re driving back and forth to school or running errands, then listen together. You can get audiobooks through your library, from Audible^†, or from Libro.fm. (By the way, Libro.fm is the same price as Audible, and you’ll support a locally owned bookstore with every audiobook you choose!)

^† This site is reader-supported. When you buy through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Related: This 10-Minute Morning Routine for Kids Will Make Your Life Easier

5. Walk it off

In busy family life, it can be difficult to make time for getting enough physical exercise. And yet, exercise is not only good for your child’s physical health, but research suggests that regular exercise will protect your child’s mental health as they get older. Plus, kids who move their bodies every day experience better moods, an increased ability to focus, more confidence, sounder sleep, and better academic outcomes. To increase your child’s physical activity level (and yours!) so that you get all those benefits, start a family habit of taking a quick walk after dinner.

• Make it official: Most families refer to this bonding activity as simply their “Family Walk” or “After-Dinner Walk.”
• How to do it: After dinner, head out for 10 or 15 minutes and walk around your neighborhood. You can talk about your day, make it an informal scavenger hunt and count how many dogs or birds you see, or mix it up by hopping on your bikes for a ride around the block. If it’s already dark out, bring flashlights for an extra dose of fun.
• Variations: As an alternative, if you live in an area that isn’t walkable, you can queue up a yoga video and wind down together while you move through a few yoga poses. Our favorite family yoga video is this fun 17-minute practice:

6. Pitch in as a team

Most people don’t particularly want to spend their free time on household chores, and kids are no exception. But when you tackle chores together as a family, the work gets done faster so you have more time for other fun activities. Plus, research shows that sharing responsibilities as a family makes your family stronger. Not only that, kids who do chores at home tend to be more helpful to others, do better academically, and experience higher life satisfaction.

• Make it official: Say it’s time for your “10-Minute Tidy” or try a call-and-response approach, which my preschooler loves. When I say, “Teamwork makes the…”, he calls back, “…dream work!”
• How to do it: Take 10 to 15 minutes every afternoon or evening and pitch in to get something done together, such as loading or emptying the dishwasher, folding or putting away laundry, tidying up toys and clutter, dusting and vacuuming, and so on. To keep this activity light and fun, queue up a favorite playlist, like our family dance party playlist, and set a timer for 15 minutes. When the timer goes off, everyone stops and celebrates a job well done, such as by enjoying a piece of chocolate or some fresh fruit, playing a quick family-friendly board game or card game, watching funny animal videos, making hot chocolate, or reading a book together.

Related: 101 Heartfelt and Simple Ways to Love Your Child Every Day {Printable}

Weekly or Monthly Activities

Some of the best activities for family bonding require a little more time and planning than a daily routine. But when you make them into a weekly ritual, you give your kids something to look forward to and make the activity even more special. With that said, if you like an idea in this section but weekly feels too frequent to keep up with, many families use a monthly rhythm for these bonding activities, and that works well too.

1. Go head-to-head

Set aside one weekend afternoon or evening (or both!) every week for a family game night. Playing board games and card games is an excellent way to bond as a family. Plus, many family games are educational so your child will be strengthening skills like reading, math, and spatial intelligence without even realizing it because they’re having so much fun.

• Make it official: “Game Night” or “Family Game Night” were the most popular names families gave this bonding activity.
• How to do it: Let your child pick out a game they want to play, prepare a special snack like popcorn or one of these family game night snacks, and have fun playing together! If you find yourself cringing at the games in your closet (I’m looking at you, Candyland), I’ve gotcha covered. My family runs a small game shop, and we stock only the best family games loved by kids and parents. Here are our picks for the best family game night games. Two of our most popular games include Sleeping Queens – a quick and fun card game you can play with a wide range of ages – and My First Carcassonne – a game of strategy that’s fantastic for growing spatial intelligence and also fun for adults.

Black Friday’s back: Get 30% off all games with the code HAPPY30. Plus, free shipping for orders $49+.

4,687 families purchased this game after reading this post…

$18 from Amazon* $18 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Sleeping Queens

    
“My daughter and I love Sleeping Queens! It teaches them math without them even realizing it – or me, for that matter. I remember my daughter laid down a sequence that was like 1 + 3 + 5 = 9, and I thought ‘How did you know that…?’ Then I realized she just figured it out from doing math in the game. So cool to watch her learn right before my eyes.” – Ann

Related: Forget Candyland! This Is the Best List of Board Games for All Ages

2. Get free books

Set aside one day a week where your family heads to your local library so everyone can pick out a book (or twenty) to check out and take home. When you model regular library use and turn it into a fun family event, you’ll help foster your child’s appreciation for books and set them on the path to becoming a lifelong reader. Research shows that when kids grow up in a home full of books, that gives them a major boost in literacy (and numeracy!) that lasts into the adult years.

• Make it official: If you go the same day every week, you can name your special event by the day, like “Library Thursdays.” Or if the day changes, you can call it “Library Haul Day” or “Free Books Day.”
• How to do it: When you get to the library, let your child pick out whatever they want, even if it’s a Barbie early reader that makes you cringe. If you criticize your child’s choice in books, they could internalize that and become less interested in picking out books, which can dampen their excitement about reading in general. This is a lesson I learned the hard way with my oldest child. After I realized my mistake, I stepped back and encouraged her choices to rebuild her confidence. She’s now a major bookworm, but it took some time to undo the damage of my “helping.”
• Variations: Go through your owned books to decide whether you have any you’re ready to send to a new home. Then find a Little Free Library in your area, add your books, and pick out a few new-to-you books to take home with you.

3. Spin some tunes

Kick off the weekend with a family dance party every Friday afternoon. Research shows that listening to music together strengthens your bond and builds positive memories. Plus, studies show that young children especially get a big dose of happy when moving their bodies to a rhythmic beat, and that goes for adults too.

• Make it official: If you decide on a standard day for your dance party every week, you can name it with the day, like “Friday Dance Party.” Otherwise, “Family Dance Party” will do the trick!
• How to do it: When everyone gets home on Friday, queue up a few of your family’s favorite upbeat songs. If you have a young child, scoop them up and start dancing. For older kids, challenge them to show off their best (or silliest) dance moves. Show your kids the dance moves that were popular when you were a kid, and ask them to teach you the dance moves popular now. (My teenager trying to teach me to floss always results in giggles for the whole family!) If you need some ideas for your family dance party playlist, check out our playlist of the best kids’ dance songs with clean lyrics.

4. Cozy up on the couch

Many families told me their favorite family bonding activity is movie night every Friday or Saturday night. As long as you accommodate younger kids when picking which movies to watch together, movies create a fun shared experience for the whole family. As an added bonus, research shows that when you watch something with your child and chat about what you’re watching together – known as “co-viewing” – you increase your child’s literacy skills, boost empathy, and even mitigate the negative effects of certain kinds of screen time like violent scenes in movies and TV.

• Make it official: You can’t go wrong with just a simple “Movie Night” or “Family Movie Night”!
• How to do it: Take turns every week picking which movie to watch and cozy up on the couch together for a shared experience. To make this bonding experience extra special, add in a fun treat. You can watch new releases, share your childhood favorites, or rewatch one of your family’s all-time faves – the ones you have memorized. To help your child get the most out of the experience of co-viewing a movie, try pointing out interesting details, commenting on similarities between what you’re watching and something in your child’s own life, and pausing the movie after a complicated or potentially confusing scene to talk about what just happened.
• Variations: When the weather warms up, turn your weekly movie night into a backyard movie night. All you need is a projector and a white sheet or a screen to project on, plus blankets to spread in the grass or outdoor chairs. Bonus points if you roast marshmallows over a backyard fire pit. By the way, this is the outdoor projector I got for my husband one year for Father’s Day, and we use it every week during the summer for our Backyard Movie Nights!

5. Celebrate the full moon

Every night of a full moon, get the whole family outside for a nighttime walk to experience the magic of the night. When you cultivate these moments of awe and wonder for your child, it benefits their physical, mental, and emotional well-being, plus it makes them kinder and more generous.

• Make it official: Many families call these walks “Full Moon Walks.”
• How to do it: You can automatically add the phases of the moon to your Google Calendar. Then on those evenings, plan for a quick dinner so you can head out for a Full Moon Walk afterwards. Listen for the sounds of nighttime, and point out any wildlife or plants you happen to notice.

6. Move dinner outside

Sharing a daily meal can be a powerful family bonding activity, but depending on your work schedule and your child’s extracurricular activities, having a meal together every day may not be feasible. In that situation, you can set aside one day every weekend to pack a picnic to enjoy as a family, whether it’s breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Not only will your whole family get a healthy dose of fresh air, you’ll also foster the long-term physical and mental health benefits for children who regularly eat meals together with their family, including lower levels of aggression, oppositional behavior, and delinquency.

• Make it official: The most common name for this bonding activity is just “Family Picnic,” but I also heard from one family that called this their “Eat Outside Day.”
• How to do it: Grab a blanket that can fit everyone – this is my family’s favorite picnic blanket because nothing soaks through, and it’s easy to clean off – and pack a meal to share. For a special treat, pack something fun your child doesn’t usually get, like a piece of candy or a juice box. You can set up your picnic in your backyard or front yard, at a neighborhood park, along the bank of a stream, river, or lake, in a clearing in a nearby wooded area, or even just on your living room floor. A picnic basket is absolutely not necessary, but if you find that your family enjoys this experience, you can add this lovely picnic basket to your wish list for future birthdays and holidays. We gifted that one to one of my kids, so every time we get geared up for a family picnic, she loves taking charge of getting the basket packed up.
• Variations: Bring a frisbee, a soccer ball, or an outdoor game you can play together after you eat. Or for younger kids, bring a kite or a bottle of no-spill bubbles.

7. Set a date

Head to your neighborhood coffee shop, then treat yourselves to a fancy drink – coffee for adults, hot chocolate or juice for kids. When you turn a weekly coffee date into a family bonding activity, you’ll foster relaxed conversations where you take turns talking, which can boost your child’s vocabulary and nurture your child’s storytelling skills, which improves their reading comprehension down the road.

Many families also find that they naturally reminisce during these weekly coffee dates, sharing recent memories or even stories from their family’s history. When you engage in that kind of storytelling with your child on a regular basis, you improve your child’s self-esteem and give them the gift of higher resilience in the face of adversity.

• Make it official: Try “Family Coffee Date.”
• How to do it: Pick a time for your weekly family coffee date and add it to your calendar as a recurring event. To get the conversation going, ask one fun question from our special set of Conversation Starters for Kids. These conversation starters are designed to boost your connection as a family, plus they’ll help you teach your child the art of a good conversation, unlocking all the powerful benefits listed above. Some families also like to bring along a favorite board or card game to play while they enjoy their drinks. Here’s a list of our all-time favorite family board games for all ages, many of which we sell in our family-owned shop here. Among the games we stock, the best portable games for bringing along to a coffee shop are Sleeping Queens, Love Letter, Spot It!, Rat-a-Tat Cat, and Quiddler Junior.

$13 from Amazon* * Price at time of publishing

Love Letter

    
“My teen and tween love this quick little card game. To win, you need to rely on your deductive reasoning skills, plus a bit of luck. You can play a whole game in 20 minutes, but if you’re short on time, you can play one round in 5-7 minutes. But warning: Even when we set out to play ‘just one round,’ we always end up playing several!” – Tyler

8. Make a group effort

No matter if you’re the chef of the family or if you have a partner who usually does the cooking, pick a night every week when you can make dinner together as a family. When you show commitment to sharing responsibilities as a family – like making a meal to share – research shows that makes your family stronger. Plus, you’ll get help in the kitchen instead of everything resting on your shoulders.

Feel free to let the rest of your family take the lead while you take a step back and serve as more of an advisor and pinch hitter when they need help. Bonus tip: If you have trouble with this in general (I know I do!), try brewing yourself a coffee or tea or pouring another favorite beverage to sip on and keep your hands busy.

• Make it official: You might call this bonding time your “Teamwork Dinner,” “All Hands on Deck Dinner,” or “Calling All Chefs Night.”
• How to do it: Let your child decide what to make for dinner, then involve them in the work of making it. As an added benefit, they’ll be much more likely to eat a dinner they helped make! Keep in mind that especially when you have younger kids, you can expect the process to take a little longer than usual. Mistakes mean they’re learning. If your kid makes a mess, take a deep breath and try saying something like, “That’s okay, we can clean up when we’re done.”

Related: Want Your Family to Share the Load? Here’s the Best Way to Set Family Goals {Printable}

9. Batch your kindness

You might have heard before that regularly helping others is an important factor in living a long, happy life. Research shows that even very young children are happier when helping others. But starting a daily “random acts of kindness” routine can make the experience feel meaningless. To keep the experience meaningful and enjoyable for the whole family, pick one day a month where you intentionally perform five small acts of kindness together. One study found that people who performed five giving acts all in a single day increased happiness.

• Make it official: You might call this your “Family Kindness Day,” “Random Acts of Kindness Day,” or “Family Kindness Marathon.”
• How to do it: Set aside one day a month for your Family Kindness Day, brainstorm small things your family can do for others, and execute on five of them. To help you brainstorm, check out our list of The Best Acts of Kindness for Kids That Will Teach Compassion. For example:
  • Bake fresh cookies and hand them out to your neighbors.
  • Write a thank-you note to someone.
  • Go through toys and pick some to donate to charity.
  • Collect non-perishable food in your neighborhood and donate it to a local food pantry.
  • If you have an elderly neighbor, help them out by mowing their lawn or weeding their garden.
  • Run a lemonade stand and donate the proceeds to your favorite charity.
  • Surprise a worker with a big tip, like a restaurant server, delivery driver, or your neighborhood coffee shop’s barista.
  • Go through your books to find those you can part with, then find a nearby Little Free Library and restock it.

10. Play in the dirt

Get everybody outside once a week to tend to a family vegetable garden, such as watering soil, pulling weeds, and picking ripe veggies. If you don’t have a garden yet, consider starting one, even if it’s just one container to begin with. Research shows that when kids get hands-on with a vegetable garden, they develop an increased preference for snacking on fruits and vegetables. Plus, gardening decreases stress hormones and boosts your mood. So if you can’t make a veggie garden work, you could also pick a spot to plant some pretty flowers in your yard or in a container on your porch.

• Make it official: Give this weekly bonding activity a playful name like “Green Thumb Time” or “Digging Hour,” or call it your family’s weekly “Garden Party” and make a batch of lemonade and fun snacks to keep you fueled as you work together.
• How to do it: To get started, here’s a quick guide to starting a container garden with your child. Then set aside a regular time every week for this family activity where everyone tends to be available, such as a weekend morning or afternoon. For younger kids, make sure to have kid-sized gardening gloves and garden tools, plus a small watering can available so they can help out. You can also use your time together to work on garden-adjacent projects, like painting rocks to use as labels in the garden, making or filling bird feeders, or putting up barriers to keep critters from eating your crops.

11. Schedule a break

While everyone experiences anxious feelings from time to time, research shows that anxiety disorders are on the rise with children. To help protect your child from the harmful effects of stress plus give yourself a break from the daily grind, consider setting aside one day a month as a mental health day.

On your family’s mental health day, you can take a regular weekday off from work and school—or if that’s not feasible, pick your child up early from school. Studies consistently show that rest is essential for dealing with stress, and in fact rest makes you more persistent and productive by working with your brain instead of against it.

• Make it official: The most common name for this bonding activity is “Mental Health Day,” but I heard from a couple families who call it “Get out of Jail Free Day” in reference to the Monopoly card!
• How to do it: To get the most out of your family’s mental health day, think of something special you can do together. If you all retreat to your favorite form of screen time, that won’t actually help your brain get the rest it truly needs. Research shows that the single most efficient strategy for dealing with stress is physical activity, so find a fun way to move your bodies together, like going on a hike, walking or biking around your neighborhood, taking a basketball or tennis rackets to a nearby park for a quick game, popping in a yoga DVD to do together, or kicking off your day with a family dance party. After that, do something to connect because connection with loved ones is necessary for overcoming stress as well. For example, you could play a fun new board game, read aloud to your child, or make art or color in a coloring book together. As another option, you can grab our Family Connection Cards, then pick one at random to do on your mental health day. The Family Connection Cards are based on the science of what actually works when you need to connect with your child, so no matter what card you pick, you’ll be helping your child (and you!) recharge their batteries.

12. Drink words

One of my family’s favorite bonding activities is our monthly Family Read-a-Thon. Once a month, we set aside a weekend morning or afternoon, grab a stack of books, and cuddle up on the couch to read. A Family Read-a-Thon gives everyone a fun break from the hustle and bustle of a busy weekend. Plus, studies show that reading aloud grows your child’s brain, builds their empathy for others, and improves their behavior. Remember: No one is ever too old to be read to! You can read aloud to tweens, teens, and even to your spouse or partner.

• Make it official: My personal favorite name for this bonding activity is “Family Read-a-Thon,” but I also heard one family call it their “Family Reading Spree.”
• How to do it: We have a wide range of ages in our family, so we will typically read a handful of picture books and a couple chapters from chapter books. For chapter books, you can start a new book to be your family read-aloud book – and then make it a daily family activity to read a little bit each day – or you can get a stack of chapter books and read the first five pages of each one for what we call a “book flight,” which just means to sample a handful of books to see which one grabs you most. After that, my kids will often get hooked on their favorite story from our book flight and continue to read that independently after our Read-a-Thon. If you need book recommendations, check out The Ultimate List of the Best Picture Books, Endorsed by Kids And Parents and 48 Awesome Chapter Books for Kids Your Child Will Devour.
• Variations: Another option is to start an audiobook you can all listen to together while you do something else, like color in a parent-child coloring book, build with LEGOs or Magna-Tiles, or fold that mountain of laundry that’s been accumulating during the week. You can get audiobooks through your library, from Audible, or from Libro.fm. (By the way, Libro.fm is the same price as Audible, and you’ll support a locally owned bookstore with every audiobook you choose!)

13. Reminisce

On the last day of every month, pick your top 10 favorite photos from all the photos you’ve taken on your phone and/or camera that month. Then pop them into a slideshow to share with your family before, during, or after a meal. Reflecting back on those moments as a family will spark your loved ones to share stories of those memories, plus make everyone feel all the feels.

• Make it official: You might call this your “Family Slideshow” or “Family Photo Round-Up.”
• How to do it: If you have a partner or spouse or an older child who also takes photos, ask them to send their favorites to you to include in the photo slideshow. To create the slideshow, you can use a free tool like Google Slides.
• Variations: To take this a step further, you can devote a wall in your home to displaying prints of your favorite family photos, then get your favorites printed every month, quarter, or year to swap them out. You can DIY this yourself or get a ready-made photo wall display like this. Some families also use these monthly “best of” photos to create a family yearbook. After you pick out your favorites photos, you can make a scrapbook or have them printed into a hardcover book at Shutterfly.

14. Throw your list away

If a monthly mental health day isn’t doable for your family, consider instituting a Do Nothing Day on the weekend where you all spend the day together. Similar to a mental health day, a Do Nothing Day gives you and your child a break from the daily stress of family life, which is important for helping you survive the harmful effects of stress.

• Make it official: Most families call this “Do Nothing Day,” but some alternatives are “Together Day” and “No To-Do-List Day.”
• How to do it: For one weekend day a month, forget the errands you’ve been meaning to run and throw your to-do list out the window. Then as a family, brainstorm one or two fun things you might do together. Keep in mind that TV, video games, or mindless surfing aren’t restorative, but aside from that, go with whatever sounds fun. You can bust out a jigsaw puzzle for the whole family to solve together, bake something yummy for breakfast, or build an epic fort with your kids using cardboard boxes, sheets, and Christmas lights. Some families use our Family Connection Cards on their Do Nothing Days and pick one random card to do as a family. Whatever you decide to do as a family, take your time and enjoy being together because this isn’t about marking something off your to-do list.

15. Stretch your brains together

Challenge your family to learn something new together once in a while, just for fun. Playfully testing out a new hobby or activity will open new neural pathways in your child’s brain, plus regularly learning something new is one of the best steps you can take to keep your own brain healthy as you age. A few months ago, we decided as a family that it would be fun to learn how to talk in a British accent, so we took a weekend morning to watch a few videos about how to do it, then challenged ourselves to talk that way the rest of the day. Our accents were horrible, but we had a blast, and the kids still talk about that day, months later.

• Make it official: A couple names to consider are “Family Curiosity Day” or “Be Curious Day.”
• How to do it: In a central location, you can keep a running list of things that sound fun to learn and encourage everyone in the family to add to it whenever inspiration strikes. Some families have a special notebook they keep on the coffee table or on the kitchen counter, and they call it their “curiosity journal.” Then once a month or whatever frequency works for your family, set aside a morning or afternoon to pick something to learn together. You can watch videos together, check out books from the library ahead of time, look for apps focused on whatever you want to learn, or ask someone you know to give you an in-person lesson. To kick off your curiosity journal, here are a few ideas: learn a new language, go bird-watching, pick up knitting or crocheting, practice yoga, tackle something new in the kitchen like baking bread from scratch, make origami, learn magic tricks, take your photography skills to the next level, try geocaching, make candles or soap, or take up astronomy.

16. Round up change

Challenge your family to collect any spare change they come across, then once a month count it up together and decide on a charity where you can donate it. You’ll be teaching your child the importance of giving back, plus research shows that helping others is an important factor in living a long, happy life.

• Make it official: In my family, we call this “The Great Change Round-Up,” but I heard from one family that called it their “Spare Change Drive.”
• How to do it: Set up a jar for collecting spare change and keep it in an easily accessible location. (Important: If you have young children who still put things in their mouths, be sure to keep this jar out of their reach! One of my kids once swallowed a coin and ended up in the hospital, so I learned the hard way that you can never be too careful.) Tell your child any time they come across a coin on the ground, they can pick it up to add to your spare change jar. You can also plant some seeds about where else they can find spare change, like in the nooks and crannies of your vehicle, in pants pockets in the laundry hamper, under couch cushions (side benefit: my kids will regularly pull them out and clean up everything under the cushions, looking for spare change!), and so on. Kids tend to get excited by the challenge of seeing how much they can find, and you might even catch them asking neighbors and relatives if they have any spare change to donate to charity.
• Variations: In our family, we also set up a “matching” program where however much the kids scrounged up, we match that penny for penny to double the donation and make an even bigger impact.

17. Ride it out

For a weekly activity that’s good for the whole family, make it a habit to go for a family bike ride or on a family hike. Spending more time outdoors has been shown to improve mental health well-being for kids, to decrease stress, and even to boost academic performance. Plus, exercise boosts your child’s physical health (and yours!), and research suggests that regular exercise will protect your child’s mental health as they get older. Kids who move their bodies every day also experience better moods, an increased ability to focus, more confidence, sounder sleep, and better academic outcomes.

• Make it official: If you opt for a weekly bike ride, try “Weekend Cruise” or plan a route to pick up breakfast tacos or donuts and call it “The Breakfast Club.” For a weekly hike, go for “Explorer Hour,” “Trailblazing Time,” or simply “Family Hike.”
• How to do it: If you don’t have an area in your neighborhood that’s appropriate for bike rides or hikes, research areas nearby that could work by searching Google for “best bike rides in xyz” and replace “xyz” with your city’s name. For hikes, search “best hikes in xyz.” Then carve out time on the weekend or another time everyone’s available so you can go exploring together as a family. Bring plenty of water and fun snacks to keep everyone fueled for the group exercise, or pack fixings for a picnic so you can break halfway to share a meal outdoors.

Once-in-a-While Activities

Some bonding activities for families might require more time or planning than a daily routine or a weekly ritual, and yet they can bring about some of the most meaningful moments for your family. The family bonding ideas in this section work best when you make them happen once in a while, whether that means once a quarter, once a year, or on a spontaneous basis.

Often, these activities create lifelong memories for your child and become part of your family’s lore, prompting out-of-the-blue reminiscing that starts off, “Remember that time we…”

1. Build an epic fort. Gather the supplies you’ll need, such as sheets, tablecloths, or curtains; command hooks and string to attach blankets to the wall; and pillows, blankets, or rugs to make it cozy. Then when it’s done, you can all pile in to play a fun family board game or read together. At nighttime, you can string some Christmas lights or fairy lights and keep the fun going with a slumber party in the fort.
2. Light a candle. Make something special for dinner, then turn out all the lights and have dinner by candlelight. To make the experience even more memorable, get everyone to wear their nicest outfit and pretend you’re at a fancy restaurant.
3. Kick off a spontaneous game. Start a classic childhood game with your family, like hide-and-seek, duck duck goose, Simon says, and so on.
4. Have afternoon tea. Make your favorite warm beverage and a cup of caffeine-free herbal tea for your child, and sit down to enjoy it together. To make this activity extra special, turn it into a tea party with snacks like fruit, cookies, or sandwiches cut into fun shapes with a cookie cutter. To get the conversation going, ask one fun question from our special set of Conversation Starters for Kids.

5. Go on a scavenger hunt. My personal favorite style is a photo scavenger hunt because the photos will help you remember the experience. When you find something on your list, snap a photo with the item and whomever found it or with the whole family. You can find free printable scavenger hunts online like this simple printable and this one for tweens and teens.
6. Make an obstacle course. Turn your yard or your living room into an obstacle course for your whole family. If you’re indoors, you can use couch cushions, step stools, chairs to crawl under or climb over, and so on. For outdoors, try scrap wood for balance beams, a hula hoop, a jump rope, and anything else you can get creative with.
7. Puzzle it out. Tackle a big jigsaw puzzle as a family and celebrate when you get it done.
8. Roughhouse. Research shows this kind of play helps kids manage their emotions and feel connected to their parents. Try starting a pillow fight, a game of chase, or a round of “Squish Squash” while lying in bed together. (Check out this Bluey episode for an explanation of Squish Squash.)

9. Sing karaoke. You don’t need a fancy karaoke machine to bust out some tunes together. Look for a karaoke app on your mobile device, or search Youtube for kid-friendly karaoke songs.
10. Be a tourist in your town. Plan a special outing to see one of the sights in your area, such as a trip to the zoo or aquarium, a kid-friendly museum, or the biggest playground within driving distance.
11. Give time together. Make a plan to volunteer at a local food bank, animal shelter, nursing home, community garden, and so on. If you can’t find a kid-friendly volunteer opportunity in your area, grab a trash bag and rubber gloves and visit a local creek or park to pick up litter. Not only will it feel good to help, research shows that kids who volunteer experience a boost in self-esteem, higher levels of positive emotions, improved ability to regulate emotions, and even better physical health.
12. Build together. Break out the LEGO or Magna-Tiles and join your kids in building something epic together.
13. Play putt-putt or go bowling. Find a miniature golf course or bowling alley in your area and set aside an hour or two to play together.
14. Have a contest. Challenge your family to a contest, like hula hooping, jump roping, or limbo. Winner gets to pick their favorite meal for dinner, an extra piece of candy after dinner, or just bragging rights.
15. Go camping—or try stay-camping. Even if you just camp in your backyard or set up a tent in your living room, the fresh air and quality time (and s’mores) will be an experience your family will remember. If you don’t have a tent yet, here’s the 4-person tent we got for our living room camping adventures. It’s affordable, has great reviews, and unlike most tents doesn’t drive my husband bonkers trying to set it up and take it down.
16. Visit an arcade. Take your family to a classic video game arcade where you can play pinball, skee-ball, Pac-Man, and more.
17. Make up stories. Go around the table and take turns adding a sentence to a story. For example, the first person might start with, “Once upon a time, a girl decided to go on an adventure in the forest.” The next person might add, “What the girl didn’t realize is that the magical creatures of the forest were currently engaged in an epic battle.” You’ll love hearing what your kids come up with! If you’d like more structure with this activity, pick up a set of these gorgeous Create a Story cards in our family-owned game shop.

1,208 families purchased this game after reading this post…

$12 from Amazon* $12 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Create a Story Cards

    
“This little game is quick, easy, and fun! You pick a card, say “Once upon a time…”, and let your child fill in the details. Then you can ask follow-up questions like “and then what happened?” until they peter out. I love that this requires minimal brainpower from me when I’m tired (which is always) and my daughter LOVES coming up with the stories. Great for her imagination!” – Fiona

18. Take a day trip. Find a fun destination that’s within driving distance and head there together to explore. Research shows taking a trip with your child becomes a “happiness anchor” for them. In other words, vacations stick in kids’ brains as vivid memories, and later on as adults those memories can even help them get through tough times. (Don’t forget to crank up a family dance party playlist and sing aloud at the top of your lungs!)
19. Strap on skates. Go skating together as a family. You can try a roller skating or ice skating rink, or if you have rollerblades you can gear up for a turn around the neighborhood.
20. Turn on the sprinklers. When the weather’s warm, set out a sprinkler everyone can run through. For an extra dose of family bonding, have a water soaker fight.
21. Make s’mores. Even if you don’t have a fire pit or grill, you can make them in the microwave. The deliciously gooey mess will make smiles and memories.
22. Catch the sunset or sunrise. Find out when the sunrise or sunset will be in your area, then set an alarm on your phone to remind you to catch the event together. Awe is a powerful emotion, and the shared experience of awe will bring you closer as a family.
23. Give a room a makeover. If you’ve been meaning to tackle a home improvement project, make it a group effort. For example, you can paint your child’s room the color of their choice, hang wall art, or just reorganize the furniture for a fresh look.
24. Go birdwatching. Get everyone outside and see how many different birds you can spot. You can even find a birdwatching app and take photos to submit to the app. Many families told me they’ve made this an annual tradition with the Great Backyard Bird Count.
25. Do a science experiment. We have this book of 10-minute science experiments for kids, and my kids love it!
26. Make money. Work together to put on a garage sale, bake sale, or lemonade stand in your neighborhood. Some families boost their bonding even more by deciding to donate the proceeds then voting on which charity to donate to.
27. Play an outside game. Get some fresh air while you play together. Try frisbee, disc golf, badminton, tennis, or just kick a soccer ball around your yard.
28. Get creative. Make art together, like sidewalk chalk art or origami, or grab a coloring book and some crayons or colored pencils to color together.
29. Go swimming. When the weather’s warm, visit a local pool and enjoy cooling off in the water together.
30. Make dough or slime. Look for a play dough or slime recipe online, make it as a team, then play with it together.
31. Listen to a podcast. Find a family-friendly podcast and listen together. This works well in the car, or you can pair it with making art or a chore like folding laundry to keep your hands busy. Some of our favorites are Brains On, But Why, Stories Podcast, Tumble, and Wow in the World. For tweens and teens, we also enjoy Book Club for Kids, Stuff You Should Know, and This American Life.
32. Wash the car. Grab a bucket, a sponge, soap, and the hose, then work together to get your vehicle looking spiffy.
33. Count stars. Stay up late together and lie in your yard after dark, counting stars and picking out constellations.
34. See a show. Visit a movie theater or catch a live concert, play, or other kind of performance.
35. Build a time capsule. Pull together a few mementos and seal it all up for at least a year. Then set a reminder on your calendar so you remember to open it together when the time comes. Some families love this bonding activity as a New Year’s tradition.
36. Create a haven for wildlife. Turn your backyard into a wildlife habitat to help reverse some of the human-caused habitat destruction that hurts wildlife, especially the pollinators we need to grow food. The National Wildlife Federation has a program where you can get your backyard certified as a wildlife habitat.
37. Host a comedy special. Challenge everyone in the family to learn a handful of jokes, then come together for your very own comedy show. Take turns telling jokes, and enjoy the shared giggles!

Your Turn

What are your all-time favorite family bonding activities? Share in a comment below!

The post 60 Meaningful Family Bonding Activities to Nurture a Loving Bond appeared first on Happy You, Happy Family.

When you’re the parent of a teenager, it’s normal to feel a bit wrong-footed from time to time.

Your teen comes to you with a problem, so you try to offer helpful advice, but they get more frustrated. You try to get a laugh out of them, but instead you get an eye roll. You go in for a hug, but they shrug you off.

You know in your bones that if you want to nurture a loving parent-child relationship that will last beyond the teenage years, you need to stay connected right now. But it feels like you can’t seem to do anything right, so you have a knot in your stomach that’s growing by the day. And you wonder: Are they slipping away from me?

The truth is that teenagers gotta teenage. In other words, it’s healthy for your teenager to exercise their independence and to express big emotions.

At the same time, if you want a healthy relationship with your teenager, you need to find a way to stay connected during this pivotal time. But they’re no longer toddlers, so you can’t just tell a goofy knock-knock joke, read a sweet picture book, or play pretend with their 798 stuffies and call it a day.

Here’s the good news: You can still play with your teenager in a way that fills both your warm-fuzzy tanks. All you need are a couple of the absolute best board games for teenagers.

Your Teenager Still Wants to Play With You

This time in your child’s life can be confusing for them.

They want to be independent, but they still crave your unconditional love and warmth. They want to be treated like an adult, but sometimes they still want to be a kid. They want to act mature, but their brain often feels like it’s drowning in a slurry of emotions.

While they’d be hard-pressed to admit it, your teenager needs a safe space to set all those burdens down for a little while. And one of the best ways you can give them that safe space is by letting them be a kid again and playing a board game with them.

Not only is playing with your teenager fun for both of you, but it’s exactly what their brain needs. Research shows that while the first eight years of life are critical for brain development, adolescence marks a second critical phase of brain growth:

“The way to make a better brain is not through hours of homework and training, what the brain wants is play; it grows best when it is allowed to play…Play is quintessentially capable of activating the very best that the (brain) is capable of.”

In fact, experts say play is crucial for your teen’s mental health, especially in a world where teens are under increasing pressure to succeed and meet high expectations.

Related: The Best Family Board Games for All Ages (No Candyland!)

What Makes This List Different

When you search “board games for teenagers,” you can find list after list of games that are supposedly perfect for teenagers. But there’s one big problem with most of those lists: They weren’t compiled by actual real-life families with actual real-life teenagers.

Unfortunately, a lot of the lists of recommended products these days are written by someone whose boss told them to search Amazon for a few products and slap a list together—or worse, written by an AI tool (i.e. a robot) designed to help companies crank out as much content as possible.

But this list is different. My family has been testing board games with our crew of six for more than 10 years, then roping friends and neighbors into testing our favorites too. Over the years, we’ve uncovered the absolute gems—and rooted out the total clunkers.

In fact, we’re such big board game aficionados that a couple years ago, we opened our own family-owned game shop.

Every game we recommend has been kid-tested and parent-tested. Not just tested and approved by our own family but by thousands of other families who’ve added to their own game collections based on our recommendations over the years.

Related: The Best 30 Games for Family Game Night, According to Kids and Parents

The Best 23 Board Games for Teens

Your teenager has outgrown Connect 4 and Candy Land (thank goodness!), but just because they’re more mature doesn’t mean you have to suffer through a mind-numbing 4-hour session of Risk.

Below, you’ll find the best board games for teenagers that you’ll both enjoy. From cooperative games where you’ll work together toward a common goal to silly games that will get you giggling, this list has something for every teen.

Play these fun games with your teen to strengthen your parent-child bond while also giving them a playful break from the growing stress and anxiety they’re experiencing. (Side note: These games also make great gifts for your teen!)

Note: indicates my family’s absolute favorite board games for teens. These are the games we can’t get enough of! In fact, we love them so much that we stock them in our store. Order from us here, and you’ll be supporting a family-owned business while also treating your own family to a fun new game!

Quick Card Games for Teens: Play in 20 Minutes or Less

When you’re short on time and need a quick dose of connection with your teen, these are the best card games for teenagers. These quick games work great before bedtime, while you’re waiting on dinner in the oven, or anytime you happen to find your teen free on the weekend. If you’re sick of Uno, this list is for you.

1. Love Letter

Time to Play: 20 minutes
Number of Players: 2-6
Get It: Love Letter

This quick strategic card game is so fun that as soon as you finish one game, you might find yourself wanting to kick off another one right away!

Here’s the setup: The Princess is seeking a partner and confidant to stand by her side when she assumes the throne. Each player is a suitor who’s competing to have their love letter delivered to the Princess.

The gameplay is simple, so it’s easy to learn:

• Each player gets one card to start.
• On your turn, you draw one card and pick one of your two cards to play. Whichever card is left in your hand is the person who’s carrying your letter to the Princess.
• Then here’s where it gets fun: When you play a card, each card has a different effect, like letting you peek at another player’s card, making someone discard their hand and draw a new one, protecting yourself against other players’ card effects, and more. You’ll have to use deductive reasoning skills to figure out who has which card and make the most of your card effects.
• The last player left standing delivers their letter to the Princess and wins the round.

Because it’s so quick, this game is the perfect fit for a dose of connection with your teen before bedtime or as a filler in between other games during a family game night. And it’s small, so you can easily tuck it into your suitcase before a family vacation.

This is an all-time favorite for many families because it’s so quick yet still challenging. And out of all these board games for teens, this is the one that’s gotten the most play in my own family. It’s easy to set up and a fun puzzle for your brain!

Black Friday’s back: Get 30% off all games with the code HAPPY30. Plus, free shipping for orders $49+.

$13 from Amazon* * Price at time of publishing

Love Letter

    
“My teen and tween love this quick little card game. To win, you need to rely on your deductive reasoning skills, plus a bit of luck. You can play a whole game in 20 minutes, but if you’re short on time, you can play one round in 5-7 minutes. But warning: Even when we set out to play ‘just one round,’ we always end up playing several!” – Tyler

^† This site is reader-supported. When you buy through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

2. Cards Against Humanity: Family Edition

Time to Play: 30 minutes (or less if you want—see below)
Number of Players: 4-20+
Get It: Cards Against Humanity: Family Edition or expansion packs Glow in the Dark Box and Written by Kids Pack

When you play this card game, get ready for your whole family to collapse into giggles—teens included. The ridiculous question-and-answer combos your family members put together will keep you coming back again and again. This is pure silly fun! (Warning: If your family is not into potty humor, best skip this game.)

The game comes with two decks of cards: the black set contains questions, and the white set contains answers.

Here’s how you play: The first person assumes the role of the Card Czar and picks a black card, then asks that question. Then everyone else picks a white card from their hand with what they think is the funniest answer and hands it to the Card Czar to shuffle together (without showing whose card is whose!). The Card Czar then reads all the answers and picks the funniest one, and whoever submitted that answer wins the round. The next round, the next player becomes the Card Czar, and you keep going as long as you want to.

Because this game can accommodate a large number of players, it makes the perfect party game.

Pro tip: The box says each game takes at least 30 minutes, but if you’re short on time, you can play just one circuit so everyone gets to be the Card Czar once.

The Family Edition includes 600 cards, the Glow in the Dark Box adds 300 more cards to the mix, and the Written by Kids Pack tops you off with 30 extra cards written by real-life kids who love this game.

$29 from Amazon* $29 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Cards Against Humanity: Family Edition

    
“I’m 16 years old, and this is one of my family’s favorite games. My youngest brother is 7, and he can even win some rounds. I love coming up with the winning answer, but the best part of the game has got to be when my dad is laughing so hard he cries and can’t even speak.” – Lucy

3. SET

Time to Play: 20-30 minutes
Number of Players: 1 or more
Get It: SET

Teens love outsmarting their parents, and this fast-moving card game will give them ample opportunity to do just that. To play, you compare patterns on the cards and find a SET of three cards before anyone else does.

Confession: At first, I thought this game looked too simple and that it wouldn’t keep my interest as an adult, but it came highly recommended so I gave it a chance. As it turns out, I was dead wrong. Finding a SET is challenging enough to keep adults on their toes too!

$13 from Amazon* $13 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

SET

    
“So good for including all ages together, getting them to think mathematically without telling them so. The spatial awareness this develops is fun, competitive and beautifully repetitive. Finish a game and you want to start another!” – Karen

4. Dragonwood

Time to Play: 20 minutes
Number of Players: 2-4
Get It: Dragonwood

Of all the quick card games for teens in this list, this one and Love Letter are my personal favorites.

In this card and dice game, you recruit adventurers to go off on quests and battle magical creatures including trolls, wolves, and dragons.

This game is a must for teens who love fantasy books or movies. For an extra dose of fun, when one of us captures a creature, we celebrate with a “Huzzah!” or “Take that!” or “A plague upon thee!”

$15 from Amazon* $15 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Dragonwood

    
“I have 3 boys ages 9, 12 & 16. Dragonwood is always a hit with all 3 of them. The 16 yr old helps the youngest figure his mathematical odds of rolling a high enough number with a certain number of cards. They all love the names of the creatures. Great family game that doesn’t take too long (30 min).” – Lisa

5. Sushi Go or Sushi Go Party

Time to Play: 15 minutes for original; 20-30 minutes for party edition
Number of Players: 2–5 for original; 2-8 for party edition
Get It: Sushi Go or Sushi Go Party

This fun card game is one of our go-to picks on family game night.

To play, you pick one card from your hand to keep for yourself, then pass your cards to the next person. Everyone keeps doing this until all cards are picked. Then you score points based on which cards you picked to keep: Did you get the most maki rolls? Did you dip your nigiri in wasabi to triple its value?

The Sushi Go Party edition is perfect when you want a quick game for a large group because you can play with up to 8 people. You also get fun new cards that aren’t in the original edition, plus you can customize each game to change up the strategy and keep it fresh.

1,822 families purchased this game after reading this post…

$12 from Amazon* $12 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Sushi Go or Sushi Go Party

    
“I can confirm the power of board games. It’s our bonding time where we all have fun together. Sushi Go is one of our favorites when we are short on time!” – Olivia

6. Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza

Time to Play: 10-30 minutes
Number of Players: 3-8
Get It: Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza

This twist on Slapjack is more fun the more players you have, so it works best when your whole crew can play together.

Each person takes turns placing a card from their hand face up into a community pile while saying the next word in the sequence of taco/cat/goat/cheese/pizza. For example, suppose it’s your turn to say “goat” and as you lay the card down, you see that the card matches what you just said. Then everyone slaps! The last person to slap picks up the pile and adds it to the bottom of their hand. The first person to get rid of all their cards wins.

The deck also has a few special cards where you have to act something out before you slap the deck, like with the gorilla card where you have to beat your chest like a gorilla before slapping. This game is great silly fun!

But beware: Some teens really get into this game, so everyone might end the game with sore hands from slapping enthusiastically.

$10 from Amazon* $10 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza

    
“We went camping and packed this new game we’d gotten for Christmas, and I’m so glad we did. Everyone had a BLAST, even my teenager and my 65-year-old mom. I love that you can play with a big group, and it’s easy to learn.” – Kristin

7. Go Nuts for Donuts

Time to Play: 20 minutes
Number of Players: 2-6
Get It: Go Nuts for Donuts

This is a quick card game that always makes us laugh. The goal of the game is to get as many points-scoring donuts as you can and end up with the highest score.

But the magic of this game happens when you go after the same donut as someone else. Because if you both go after the same donut, no one gets the donut. That means you need to think ahead and predict what the other players might be going after—so you can avoid going after the same donut. But then…are the other players predicting the same thing about you and therefore picking a different donut than you’d expect, so now you’re actually going after the same donut after all?!

My husband and I always end up picking the same darn donut turn after turn, so our teen, tween, and younger kids tend to beat us handily.

Most families who enjoy Sushi Go end up loving this quick card game too.

116 families purchased this game after reading this post…

$30 from Amazon* * Price at time of publishing

Go Nuts for Donuts

    
“So many great games here! Castle Panic and Go Nuts for Donuts are AWESOME.” – Kayla

8. Quiddler

Time to Play: 20-35 minutes
Number of Players: 1-8
Get It: Quiddler

If your teen enjoys word games, you need this card game. Because when you’re in the mood for Scrabble but don’t have time for a full game, this one will scratch that itch!

Each card in your hand features a different letter, and the goal of the game is to use those letters to create words. Creating words scores points, and the person with the most points at the end wins.

Note: The manufacturer says this game takes 35 minutes to play, but that’s for a full eight rounds. If you’d like a shorter game, you can just play fewer rounds and then add up everyone’s points.

$12 from Amazon* $12 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Quiddler

    
“This has been a go-to game for our family for years, and my teens love it! It’s quick and easy, and you can play it anywhere. We even throw it in a suitcase so we can play when we’re traveling. If you like Scrabble, it’s similar, but this game is easier and allows more people to play.” – Cassie

Exciting Board Games for Teens That Will Make Your Heart Race

These fun board games for teenagers will get you working toward a common goal against a shared enemy—or desperately trying to out-maneuver your opponents so you’re not left in the dust. Tuck your smartphones away for a few minutes, and get ready to have fun together!

9. Forbidden Island or Forbidden Desert

Time to Play: 30 minutes for Island; 45 minutes for Desert
Number of Players: 2-4 for Island; 2-5 for Desert
Get It: Forbidden Island or Forbidden Desert

These are cooperative games, which is a great choice when you and your teen have been butting heads. In Forbidden Island, you work together to collect treasure before the ancient island you’re on sinks into the ocean—plus you have to rescue your whole team off the island with a helicopter before you sink with the island.

Forbidden Desert is the sequel to Forbidden Island, and now your team of adventurers is trying to recover a legendary flying machine buried in the ruins of an ancient desert city. You have to survive the lack of water and sandstorms, retrieve all the pieces of the flying machine, and escape before the desert claims you forever.

Even though I know it’s not real, my heart races every time we get to the end of these games! An instant boredom-banisher.

$20 from Amazon* $20 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Forbidden Island

    
“Forbidden Island is great because unlike most games it teaches cooperation instead of competition – all the players must work together, using their different player skills, in order to get all the treasures before the island sinks. Either everyone wins or everyone loses. It is my new favorite game to play with my 9-year-old daughter!” – Mark

$25 from Amazon* $24 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Forbidden Desert

    
“Family games should be fun for everyone! We have five kids, and that is one of the rules of our Friday Family Fun Night. We play a lot of co-op games with our kids [like] Forbidden Island and Forbidden Desert and Castle Panic. Co-op games are great for teaching kids slowly, as open hands and working together are good.” – Michelle

10. 7 Wonders

Time to Play: 30-40 minutes
Number of Players: 2-7
Get It: 7 Wonders

This is my personal all-time favorite game to play with my teen.

In the game, each player is the leader of one of the seven great cities of the Ancient World, and your goal is to build your city and erect an architectural wonder that will stand the test of time. You collect cards to accumulate resources for your city, develop commercial routes, advance scientific discoveries, and build your military.

I never get tired of playing this game, and my teen and tween love that they can beat me at it.

However, if we’re short on time and it’s just two of us playing, we go for 7 Wonders Duel, a 2-player version of this fantastic strategy board game.

$48 from Amazon* $48 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

7 Wonders

    
“My teenager played this at a friend’s house and came home raving about it, so I surprised him with a copy for his birthday. Now our whole family is HOOKED. The genius of this game is that every time you play it, your strategy has to shift based on the hand you’re dealt. So it never gets boring. It’s a family favorite for us!” – Gabriela

11. Summer Camp

Time to Play: 30-45 minutes
Number of Players: 2-4
Get It: Summer Camp

The nostalgia of this game will give you all the warm fuzzies—even if you haven’t ever gone to summer camp. This deck-building game is easy to learn, takes just 30-45 minutes, and is a delightful throwback to quintessential childhood experiences of summer.

During the game, you race against your competition to earn merit badges and collect the most experience points.

But first, you pick three categories to compete in: adventure, arts and crafts, cooking, friendship, games, outdoors, and water sports. That variety keeps the game feeling fresh and different every time.

My teen and tween never tire of playing this game, and playing it always puts a smile on my face too. Plus, ever since we got it, my kids insist that we pack it for every summer vacation!

$20 from Amazon* $20 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Summer Camp

    
“I’m 15 years old, and I love this game. It’s a deck building game, where you try to collect cards that will earn you experience points in different activities. Each game is never the same because you get to choose what activity card decks to play, like water sports and cooking. When you’re all trying to race to get the merit badges in each category, it gets really exciting!” – Abby

12. Catan

Time to Play: 60+ minutes
Number of Players: 3-4 or 5-6 with this extension set
Get It: Catan and Catan Extension: 5-6 Player

Previously known as Settlers of Catan, this is one of the most popular board games for teens and older kids, and for good reason. The gameplay is challenging so adults don’t get bored but still straightforward enough that teens and older kids can figure it out.

Your teen will get a playful arena for practicing their strategic thinking and negotiation skills, all while having a blast. Forget Monopoly and play Catan instead!

If you’ll be playing with more than 4 family members, you can add on the Catan 5-6 Player Extension here.

$44 from Amazon* $44 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Catan

    
“We LOVE Catan! Best game for the whole family.” – Janet

13. Pandemic

Time to Play: 45 minutes
Number of Players: 2-4
Get It: Pandemic

In this game, you work together and use your problem-solving skills to find the cure for deadly diseases so you can stop them from running rampant across the world. This has always been one of our all-time favorite board games for teens, and playing it right now has also felt a bit cathartic. It even helped my teen and tween process more of what’s going on in the world, and the pretend aspect helped them work through some of their anxieties about a real-life pandemic situation.

If you’re playing with a wide range of ages, the instructions include variations so you can increase or decrease the difficulty level to fit who you’re playing with.

$36 from Amazon* $36 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Pandemic

    
“This is a favorite co-operative game of our teen! It’s his choice every time. It is fast paced, full of suspense and challenge too! We usually win about 75% of the time. It’s for a good amount of people, so families can play. Each game is different depending on what character you get, how the epidemic cards are pulled and you can increase the difficulty by adding more epidemic cards. Always fun and we recommend!” – Stephanie

Smart Board Games for Teens That Will Keep Your Mind Sharp

If you and your teen enjoy a clever game that keeps you on your toes, here are the best board games for teenagers that will engage your critical thinking skills.

14. Splendor

Time to Play: 30 minutes
Number of Players: 2-4
Get It: Splendor

This game is one of my family’s all-time favorites and a particular favorite for my teen and tween. It’s easy to set up and fairly quick to play, and it will make your brain hurt—in a good way! In my family, we’ve been known to finish this game and then immediately kick off another round right after that. In fact, if you forced me to choose the single best game for teenagers, I would be hard-pressed to choose between Splendor and 7 Wonders.

Here’s the setup: Each player is a merchant from the Renaissance, and your life’s goal is to build your prestige. You do that by purchasing gem mines, modes of transportation for your wares, and artisans who can turn your raw gems into jewelry you can sell in a storefront. Collect enough gems and cards to do all that, and you might even receive a visit from a noble, which gives you a mega prestige boost.

When I’m playing this game with my younger kids, I try to keep an eye out for when they might need help thinking ahead, and I intentionally hit the “off” switch on my own cutthroat mode before we start playing—I save that mode for playing against my husband and teenager instead.

$32 from Amazon* $32 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Splendor

    
“This game is deceptively easy, but it requires you to think ahead and build a strategy. With every game we played, I could see my kids learn how to plan ahead better so they could have a chance at winning. These days, they routinely beat me!” – Laura

15. Welcome To…

Time to Play: 25-30 minutes
Number of Players: 1-100
Get It: Welcome To

Imagine you’re an architect in the 1950s, and your job is to build the best neighborhood. This fast-paced card game feels a bit like playing Tetris on paper—if Tetris also had backyard pools, neighborhood parks, and real estate agents to contend with.

Welcome To is easy to set up, quick to play, and a fun puzzle for your brain. Plus, everyone takes their turn simultaneously, so it’s perfect for a larger group during family game night or other get-togethers.

But if you get the itch to play when the rest of your family is busy, you can also play the solitaire version.

Bonus tip: To help scoring go faster at the end of the game, consider using a bright highlighter to draw your neighborhood fences—that will make the fences stand out more than pencil or pen.

$29 from Amazon* * Price at time of publishing

Welcome To…

    
“I’m 10 years old, and I love to play this game with my mom and my older sister who’s 15. It moves fast, so you never know who’s winning until the very end when you add up all the points. It’s pretty quick too, so we can play right before bedtime.” – Bailey

16. Azul

Time to Play: 30 minutes
Number of Players: 2-4
Get It: Azul

This tile-laying game is the perfect choice for a cozy weekend afternoon with your teen. My teen and I like to brew up a batch of tea, then gather around the dining room table for this quick mind-bender of a game. This is especially perfect for teens who love puzzles.

The game has gorgeous art, and the colorful, chunky tiles look like candy. But the gameplay is where Azul shines: You’re a tile-laying artist, and you’re hired to build a mosaic fit to decorate the king’s palace. As you build your mosaic, you get points for linking tiles together, laying a whole row of tiles, and for using a variety of tile colors. A playful way to exercise your teen’s strategic thinking skills while also giving your mind a workout!

When you’re playing with younger kids, you can choose to take a more laidback approach and be considerate when choosing tiles so that you don’t leave your kids high-and-dry—and vice versa. But when you’re playing with tweens, teens, and adults, the gloves can come off. Every artist for themselves.

Playing this game always wakes up my overtired parent brain, and that feels good.

$32 from Amazon* $32 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Azul

    
“We love Ticket to Ride. Brilliant board game. Also, Azul is suprisingly brilliant!” – Ian

17. Wild Space

Time to Play: 30-40 minutes
Number of Players: 1-5
Get It: Wild Space

If your teen loves anything to do with sci-fi or space, you need this card game. Your goal? Recruit a crew of wild animals turned astronauts to help you explore space, kind of like building your own ragtag Guardians of the Galaxy team. The bigger your crew, the more points you can earn. But each player gets only 10 turns, so you’ll need to plan ahead to make the most of every opportunity to grow your team.

You’ll love the bright illustrations of animals—owls, monkeys, rhinos, lizards, octopuses, and bears—and feel a sense of satisfaction as you collect them for your crew. But what really makes this game shine is the possibility for card combos. If you keep your wits about you, you can kick off a chain reaction on your turn and play multiple cards one after the other, opening you up to earn more points at the end.

This game is a delightfully fun mind-bender!

$25 from Amazon* $25 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Wild Space

    
“My teens and I are huge sci-fi fans, so this game is right up our alley. I don’t have the time to join in on their sci-fi video games, but I can take 30 minutes to play this card game with them. All of us are usually so busy with our own stuff, so this is the perfect way to stay connected. This game is quick and fun, plus it makes you think.” – Sarah

18. Kingdomino or Queendomino

Time to Play: 15-20 minutes for Kingdomino; 25-30 minutes for Queendomino
Number of Players: 2-4; combine both games for up to 6 players
Get It: Kingdomino or Queendomino

In this fun twist on the classic game of dominoes, you’re royalty in search of new lands so you can expand your kingdom. But you’ll need to hurry to snag the best spots before other royalty gets there first.

Kingdomino is simple to learn, quick to play, and challenging enough to keep both teens and adults coming back for more. Queendomino adds some fun details on top of the original Kingdomino game, with buildings you can build on your land to earn more points, knights you can send out to collect taxes, and a dragon you can bribe to burn buildings down. Plus, if your lands boast the most towers, you can host the queen, which means you can purchase buildings for one coin less while you’re hosting her.

Queendomino is a standalone game and does not require Kingdomino. However, both games are in our regular rotation with our teen and tween, depending on how much time we have and whether we want something super simple or a little more involved. Whether you decide on Kingdomino or Queendomino—or both so you can play the “Royal Wedding” variation with up to 6 players—you can’t go wrong.

$22 from Amazon* $22 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Kingdomino or Queendomino

    
“Our family loves this game! It incorporates patterns, multiplication, and strategy, and with several variations on the rules, this works well for two players, and adds different objectives to games with more players.” – Christina

19. Ticket to Ride

Time to Play: 30-60 minutes
Number of Players: 2–5
Get It: Ticket to Ride

In this game, your goal is to figure out the best train routes to travel across America.

My teen loves beating me at this strategy game. Who knew geography could be so cutthroat?

Ticket to Ride is so much fun that my husband and I love to play it after all our kids are in bed, just the two of us. This game has been in our family’s regular rotation for years!

$44 from Amazon* $44 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Ticket to Ride

    
“Definitely one of my 13 year old’s favorite games to play! We love the strategy and the concept is easy enough to teach friends and them be able to catch on and enjoy the game as well.” – Ashley

20. Qwirkle

Time to Play: 30-45 minutes
Number of Players: 2–4
Get It: Qwirkle or Travel Qwirkle

As with SET, teens love outsmarting their parents at this deceptively simple pattern matching game.

This game is simple enough for beginners but still challenging for adults, so it’s the perfect fit when you need a game that will give your teen a fighting chance.

This game also comes in a compact travel version, so we keep it in our suitcase and take it with us wherever we go.

365 families purchased this game after reading this post…

$25 from Amazon* $25 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Qwirkle or Travel Qwirkle

    
“This game is so much fun for the family! We have played it several days in a row, and it’s a fun and challenging way to spend time together. The youngest in our home is 15 and we are all competitive. But this game would be great for a wide range of ages. The game is designed to suit any skill level. This may be the best $25 I ever spent…This game is compelling enough to get teenagers off their phones.” – Sheila

21. Rummikub

Time to Play: 45-60 minutes
Number of Players: 2–4
Get It: Rummikub

This classic board game is easy to learn, but don’t let that fool you because it moves fast.

Rummikub is the perfect combination of luck and strategy, so every player has a chance to win. That’s important because if the only games you play with your teen are the ones where you dominate every time, that won’t exactly fill them up in the warm fuzzy department.

When grandparents come to visit, this is a great pick for your teen to connect with their grandparents!

258 families purchased this game after reading this post…

$24 from Amazon* * Price at time of publishing

Rummikub

    
“This is a great QUICK game for all ages! Some family games like Monopoly can take FOREVER, but this one is fast enough that you can even play more than one round if you want. Plus, it’s not way easy like some games for kids, so it’s actually a challenge for me as an adult too! Keeps my brain active. :)” – Rose

22. Sequence

Time to Play: 10-30 minutes
Number of Players: 2-12
Get It: Sequence

This classic strategy game will give you and your teen a workout for your brains.

Plus, you can play a game in 30 minutes or less. And because you can play with up to 12 people, Sequence makes the perfect choice for a family game night.

When you upgrade to the deluxe edition, you get a cushioned playing mat instead of a folding game board.

$15 from Amazon* $15 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

Sequence or Deluxe Sequence

    
“I bought this when my kids were little. It was a hit from day one! Even though they are 13 and 17 now, Sequence remains in our rotation of games which makes me happy. It’s truly a game for all ages.” – Milain

23. Dixit

Time to Play: 30 minutes
Number of Players: 3–6
Get It: Dixit

This storytelling game is especially perfect for creative teens. Not only is the artwork absolutely gorgeous, but you’ll also get to marvel at your teen’s creativity as you play. But to do well at this game, you must be good at keeping secrets, so bring your poker face.

Each round, one player picks a card (without showing anyone else!) and makes up a one-sentence story based on the picture on that card. Then all the other players pick a card that best fits with that story, and everyone puts their cards facedown. The storyteller shuffles the cards and turns them all over, and everyone votes on which was the “correct” card that inspired the original story. The only clues you get are the illustrations on the cards everyone submitted. Then after everyone votes, the mystery is revealed.

I never get tired of seeing what my teen comes up with. It’s like a window into how her brain works!

137 families purchased this game after reading this post…

$34 from Amazon* * Price at time of publishing

Dixit

    
“My family’s favorite game EVER is Dixit. It’s perfect for a wide range of ages!” – Kristen

Want More?

For even more awesome game ideas, check out:

• All ages: The Best Board Games for All Ages
• Family game night: The Best 30 Games for Family Game Night, According to Kids and Parents

Your Turn

What are your favorite board games for teens? Share in a comment below!

The post 23 Best Board Games for Teens: From Cooperative to Cutthroat appeared first on Happy You, Happy Family.

Every parent I know wants to raise their kids to be compassionate and caring towards others.

We want our kids to be the type of people who:

• Listen when a friend is struggling, instead of interrupting to put the focus back on themselves
• Drop off a home-cooked meal when someone in their community is recovering from surgery or illness
• Try to understand others with differing opinions or values—not blurt out, “You’re wrong!” and storm off

But if we want that for our kids when they’re grown, we need to nurture the seeds of empathy in our children now.

Empathy is a prerequisite for kindness and compassion because it requires you to take someone else’s perspective and imagine how they’re feeling. If you struggle to put yourself in someone else’s shoes, you won’t feel compelled to show compassion towards your fellow humans.

And with a low level of empathy, you’ll have poor communication skills, struggle to maintain healthy relationships, and be less likely to help friends and family when they need support.

On the other hand, when your ability to empathize is strong, that correlates with a positive well-being and improved life satisfaction.

If You Want Your Child to Learn Empathy, This Is a Must

Research shows that empathy isn’t just an innate trait you’re born with (or not). Rather, empathy is like a muscle you can develop. But if nothing engages your child’s empathy while they’re growing up, they might struggle to feel empathy as an adult.

Just as you supported and encouraged your child as they developed the muscles they needed to sit up, crawl, and walk, your child needs your help to develop their empathy muscle, too.

Luckily for us as parents, we have one powerful parenting tool that will build our children’s empathy like nothing else: children’s books about empathy.

Why It’s So Important to Read Kids’ Books About Empathy

Studies have found that one of the best steps you can take to develop your child’s empathy is to read books that foster empathy.

Plus, reading books works way better than lecturing kids on the meaning of empathy.

Lectures typically go in one ear and out the other. But when you read fiction, research shows that the brain reacts the same way as if you were living the story in real life. In other words, reading kids’ books about empathy is akin to setting up a virtual reality simulation where your child can fully enter the experience and understand different perspectives.

But Don’t Miss This Essential Step

To make sure your child gets the maximum empathy boost while you’re reading books together, what works best is to talk about the book you’re reading. Experts recommend pausing here and there to ask your child how the character might be feeling.

You can ask, “How do you think they’re feeling?” and then give your child time to think about it. If they seem stuck, you can point out facial expressions or remind them what just happened in the story. You can also reframe it like this: “If that happened to you, how would you feel?”

That one simple step encourages your child to step into that character’s perspective, which is exactly what empathy requires.

Bonus: For kids who can consistently articulate the character’s perspective, you can help boost their empathy skills even more by asking them a follow-up question like, “What would help them feel better?”

Related: The Ultimate List of the Best Children’s Books About Kindness

50+ Best Children’s Books About Empathy

A while ago, my kids and I spent months putting together a list of the best children’s books about kindness, and parents wrote back with sweet notes of gratitude. But they also had another request: What are the best picture books about empathy?

And so my family set out on another months-long research project to find kids’ books about empathy that both kids and parents will enjoy. (Because if kids are going to ask us to read it again and again, it may as well be something we’ll appreciate, too!)

Every week, I put 30+ books on hold at the library, plus at every visit I browsed the shelves for even more books about empathy for kids. All told, my kids and I read hundreds of picture books on the topic of empathy.

The list below is the cream of the crop from those hundreds of books: the books I loved reading, and the books my kids couldn’t get enough of. Read these children’s books about empathy, and you’ll be priming your child’s brain to grow into a kind, compassionate soul. We all know the world could use more of those!

Note: indicates my family’s absolute top favorites on the list. These are the books my kids can’t get enough of!

Classic Children’s Books That Teach Empathy

Some children’s books about empathy have stood the test of time, decade upon decade—not just with book critics but with kids and parents, too. Here are the best classic picture books that teach empathy.

1. A Chair for My Mother†

This is a classic children’s book about empathy, but it’s a little wordy for younger kids. With that said, my kids couldn’t get enough of it starting around 3.5 years old. They’ve loved the display of kindness from the community in this story, and the book has been a jumping-off point for great conversations about what would most help others in need.

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2. Where the Wild Things Are

This is one of the classics for a reason. Kids love this story because they can relate to Max feeling shame for disappointing his grown-up. One study even showed that this book in particular is excellent for helping kids learn to recognize others’ emotions.

To boost your child’s ability to empathize, you can go beyond just asking how Max feels and also ask how the Wild Things are feeling and how the parent might be feeling.

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3. Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge

The way the boy in this story puts himself in the old woman’s shoes will melt your heart! As an added bonus, the special friendship between the boy and the woman shows kids that friends come in all shapes and sizes (and ages).

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Funny Books About Empathy

Kids’ books about empathy don’t all have to be heavy. Humor can be a powerful tool for the learning process because research shows it improves a child’s ability to remember what they learned.

1. Dragon Was Terrible

This is one of the best stories about extending empathy to someone you’re not getting along with by assigning positive intent to that person. Plus, it’s hilarious.

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2. Good News, Bad News

A silly little story about two friends who see the same situations in completely different ways. By the way, this book has only four unique words, which is perfect for beginning readers.

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3. Horrible Bear

This picture book does an excellent job of teaching kids how to see a situation from another person’s perspective while also making them giggle.

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4. Poe Won’t Go

One of the most important lessons about empathy I ever learned was from a (fairly dry) adult book about communication. When someone is behaving in a way that you can’t understand, ask yourself: Why would a reasonable person do that? But I wish I’d come across this funny picture book first because I could have learned that lesson much quicker—while laughing.

When you stop to wonder what reason someone might have for acting a certain way, you’ll tap into new levels of understanding and compassion.

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5. We Don’t Eat Our Classmates

This hilarious picture book shows kids the true meaning of the Golden Rule. When their new classmate turns out to be a dinosaur, the kids at school are cool with that—until the new kid dinosaur starts eating them. Humor + powerful life lesson = SCORE.

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6. Who Done It?

Each spread of this picture book is a puzzle for kids to solve. But in order to solve the mystery, they’ll have to look at the facial expressions and body language of the characters for clues as to what each person might be feeling. An excellent exercise in empathy!

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Books About Being a Good Friend

Part of being a good friend is extending empathy to your friend when they’re struggling. Here are the best kids’ books about empathy and friendship. For more books about what it means to be a good friend, check out The Ultimate List of the Best Picture Books About Friendship.

1. The Girl and the Bicycle

This is a wordless picture book about a girl who saves up for something she wants but then sees the situation from her little brother’s perspective. And in the end, she decides to brighten her brother’s day instead.

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2. A Hat for Mrs. Goldman

Such a sweet book! My kids love this story of doing something kind for someone even when it’s hard. Bonus: This story also shows kids the power of perseverance and a growth mindset.

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3. How to Apologize

Friends make mistakes, and when they do, they need to apologize. But an effective apology requires more than just saying “I’m sorry”—you need to first think about how your actions have impacted the other person. This heartwarming book teaches kids how to do that in a fun, approachable way.

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4. Maybe Tomorrow?

This book is so good. No matter how many times I read it, it still makes me tear up.

This is the best children’s book I’ve ever read about how to empathize with a friend who’s going through a hard time. Because sometimes what you need most of all is a friend to look you in the eye and say, “That must have been really hard for you.” This is a book every child should read!

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5. My Friend Is Sad

You can’t go wrong with the Elephant and Piggie series by Mo Willems. Technically, these books are early readers not picture books, but even babies and toddlers love these stories.

This one in particular is about how to be there for your friend when they’re upset. Funny and heartwarming!

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6. The One Day House

In this heartwarming story of empathy, a young boy promises his elder friend that one day, he’ll fix up her house for her so she can be more comfortable and happy. She assures him that his presence is all she needs, but the story doesn’t end there. This one will give you all the feels!

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7. The Rabbit Listened

I never get tired of reading this picture book to my kids. It’s a simple but perfect example of how to be there for a friend who’s struggling with an everyday bump in the road, without trying to jump right into fixing it.

My kids ask for this little gem at least once a day. This is my favorite picture book in this whole list!

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8. The Remember Balloons

For any child who has a grandparent struggling with dementia or other memory problems, this is a must read. This gentle story will help your child understand what their loved one is going through in a powerful way.

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9. A Sick Day for Amos McGee

Being a good friend means being there for them when they’re having a hard time, even if all you do is offer your calm presence. No other picture book demonstrates that as beautifully as this charming story does. The main character Amos McGee works in a zoo, so when he doesn’t show up to work one day, the animals check in on him. Adorable!

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10. Thank You, Omu

Omu makes herself a delicious stew for her supper, and one by one her neighbors smell the deliciousness and show up at her door. Acting out of empathy, she gladly shares the stew with everyone. But when it comes time to dig in for her own supper, it’s all gone. Then her neighbors practice empathy in return and come back with a surprise. This is a sweet story of the power of sharing and community.

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11. Virginia Wolf

This heartwarming story of empathy between siblings is based on the real-life relationship between author Virginia Woolf and her sister, painter Vanessa Bell. When young Virginia is in a “wolfish” mood, her sister tries to cheer her up to no avail. But she stays with her through the growling and howling, and eventually she helps her sister crawl out of that funk.

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Books About Putting Yourself in Another’s Shoes

Just like adults, children can struggle with extending empathy to someone they don’t know yet, something who different from them, or someone they aren’t getting along with. These empathy children’s books will give your child powerful examples of how to take the perspective of someone else, even when it’s hard.

1. Adrian Simcox Does Not Have a Horse

In this lovely story, a girl named Chloe knows her classmate Adrian Simcox is lying about having a horse. How could a boy with holes in his shoes afford a horse? But Chloe’s frustration leads her on a journey towards finding compassion for Adrian, which she discovers is more important than being correct.

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2. Boy

A young deaf boy lives in a kingdom where a dragon and the kings’ knights are constantly battling. One day, he wanders into the middle of a battle without realizing it, and everyone stops fighting. By asking an innocent but important question, the boy helps both sides see things from the other’s perspective.

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3. The Digger and the Flower

While digging up earth to build a city, an excavator spies a lone flower and sees the situation from the flower’s perspective. This is a heartwarming story of empathy—and taking action from a place of compassion.

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4. Each Kindness

Fair warning: This thoughtful story does have a sad ending. However, my kids enjoy talking about what the main character could have done differently. We ended up having an ongoing discussion about regret and how we all have those moments in life we look back on and wish we’d acted differently. So many great conversations come out of this one every time we read it!

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5. Enemy Pie

This children’s book about empathy encourages kids to see a situation from someone else’s perspective—even when it’s an “enemy.” So clever!

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6. The Fox Wish

This magical tale will spark an important discussion about why you might decide to give away something you love, simply to make someone else happy.

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7. Great Joy

In this story set in the 1940s, a young girl notices an organ grinder and his pet monkey out in the cold on the street. The girl’s journey of awareness to empathy and then to finding her voice for change is powerful. The ending also sparked a lot of discussion with my kids about how we can help those in need during the holiday season. Beautifully illustrated and written.

For more holiday stories, check out The Most Heartfelt and Meaningful Christmas Books for Kids.

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8. I Walk With Vanessa

For a child who witnesses someone being mean to another person, empathy can feel overwhelming because they often don’t know what to do with those feelings. This book shows kids exactly what it looks like to move from feeling empathy to acting with compassion.

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9. If You Plant a Seed

A rabbit and a mouse decide to plant a garden, but when it bears fruit, they don’t want to share their bounty with hungry birds. A food fight ensues, but the mouse has a moment of clarity and acts out of empathy, which leads to a beautiful outcome.

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10. Ivan: The Remarkable True Story of the Shopping Mall Gorilla

If you’re familiar with the bestselling chapter book The One and Only Ivan, this is a picture book version of that same story. This is a powerful book that encourages kids to reflect on what life is like for animals in captivity. A must read!

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11. Last Stop on Market Street

On the surface, this book is about an ordinary slice of life as a little boy and his grandma take the bus together through town. Ultimately, where they’re traveling to delivers a powerful message about acting out of empathy, but to me, how the grandma and the boy approach their journey is the bigger message of choosing kindness in those small, everyday moments. So many great conversations with this one!

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12. Leonardo, the Terrible Monster

Mo Willems strikes again! This picture book shows kids the power of choosing empathy and kindness even when you’re “supposed to” exclude someone.

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13. Little Fox in the Forest

In this beautiful wordless picture book, a young fox cub finds a child’s lovey and falls in love with it. But instead of taking it back from the cub, the child sees the situation through the cub’s eyes and makes a difficult decision.

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14. Mogie: The Heart of the House

This is a sweet (and true!) story about a service dog who supports a sick boy during his time at the Ronald McDonald House. When you share this book with your child, you’ll kick off important conversations that will open your child’s eyes about kids who are sick, service dogs who help them, and the people who train those service dogs.

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15. Nerdy Birdy

This book shows that everyone deserves to be treated with compassion, even if they’re different from you. Kids who feel like they don’t quite fit in tend to especially love this story.

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16. The Other Side

One of the most important reads in this whole list and a beautiful story. A young girl’s mom tells her it isn’t safe to cross the fence that segregates her town. But the girl ends up forming a friendship with a girl who lives on the other side of the fence.

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17. Pandora

In this story, Pandora lives in a world full of broken things, not unlike the world shown in the movie Wall-E. Then one day, she encounters a bird with a broken wing. After nursing the bird back to health, her compassion rebounds tenfold.

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18. The Smallest Girl in the Smallest Grade

Everyone ignores Sally because she’s so short, but she pays attention to everything going on around her. She sees how kids treat each other, and her empathy for them inspires her to speak up. Kids often feel powerless in this big world, so this story delivers an important message: You can always speak up for others, even if you’re small or young (or both).

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19. Stick and Stone

This is an adorable story about empathy and standing up for others, plus the puns are fun for parents. This book is in our regular bedtime story rotation because the kids love it, and so do we!

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20. Strictly No Elephants

This cute book helps kids reflect on the ramifications of excluding others and how that makes others feel. The perfect way to teach your child to be an includer! My whole family adores this book.

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21. They All Saw a Cat

In this book, you see a cat through several different pairs of eyes—starting with a child and progressing through other animals’ perspectives like a dog, a mouse, a bee, a snake, and more. This thought-provoking book cleverly lays the groundwork for the idea that everyone has a unique perspective, which is an essential building block for empathy skills.

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22. This Is How We Do It

To open your child’s eyes to different cultures and ways of living around the world, cuddle up with this book together. The illustrations feature seven real families from different countries, and on each spread you learn details about their daily lives, like what they eat for lunch, how they get to school, and what chores they help with. This is a lovely book for expanding your child’s understanding of other kids and their experiences.

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23. Those Shoes

Your heart will break for Jeremy in this powerful story. He dreams of wearing the latest high-tops that are all the rage at school, but his grandmother can’t afford them. She explains, “There’s no room for ‘want’ around here—just ‘need.'” But then at a thrift shop one day, he finds the shoes! Unfortunately, they’re too small. Ultimately, he makes the difficult decision to prioritize someone else’s needs above his wants.

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24. We’re All Wonders

This is a picture book by the author of Wonder, and the message here is the same but for the younger crowd: Everyone deserves our empathy and understanding, no matter what.

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25. Windows

This gorgeous, simple book invites you to consider what’s happening behind the windows in your neighborhood. Are your neighbors eating dinner? Watching TV? Cuddling up to share a story with a loving parent, just like you? Such a sweet way to broaden a child’s perspective to think about the lives of the people around them.

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Heartwarming Chapter Books That Teach Empathy

These chapter books are excellent picks for your next family read-aloud because they’ll nurture your child’s ability to empathize and act out of compassion. For more excellent chapter books for kids, check out 48 Awesome Chapter Books for Kids Your Child Will Devour.

1. Because of Winn-Dixie

In this sweet chapter book, Opal has just moved to a small town with her dad, and her whole life changes when she crosses paths with a stray dog in the grocery store. The dog shenanigans provide comic relief, but the beauty of this story is how Opal develops empathy for people she initially writes off as mean or odd.

I’ve read this aloud to my kids three times now, and the story captures their hearts every time!

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2. Brown Girl Dreaming

In this memoir in verse, the author shares what it was like to grow up as an African American in the South during the 1960s and 70s. Seeing the world through her eyes creates a deep sense of empathy for what she experienced as she tried to find her place in the world.

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3. El Deafo

This is another memoir but in graphic novel format. Cece becomes deaf at the age of four after an illness, then she has to start first grade at a new school. Her hearing aid makes her feel like a superhero, so she adopts the nickname “El Deafo” for herself. This is a funny and heartwarming story that will help your child see the world from another perspective they’ve likely never considered before.

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4. Fish in a Tree

Ally has trouble reading, but she doesn’t realize it’s because she’s struggling with dyslexia. Because of her frustration, she acts out at school, which in turn frustrates her teachers and opens her up to bullying from other kids. She can’t seem to do anything right, even when she tries to. Read this important story to your child to foster empathy for those with learning differences.

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5. Front Desk

Mia lives in a motel where her parents work. While her parents clean rooms, Mia decides to manage the front desk and do her part to make the guests’ stays enjoyable. This is a powerful story of what it means to treat others with kindness and respect and of doing what’s right even when it’s hard. This one also has a sequel: Three Keys.

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6. The Hundred Dresses

This is a classic chapter book for teaching empathy. First published in 1944, this quiet book tells the story of a girl named Maddie who stands by as her best friend teases another girl. For the best experience, read this aloud to your child so you can talk after each chapter, and you’ll have powerful conversations about empathy, compassion, and standing up for others.

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7. Ms. Bixby’s Last Day

When three sixth-grade boys find out their favorite teacher is battling cancer, they decide to skip school so they can give her the “last day” she deserves. At times, this book is funny, and at others, sad—but it all blends together into a heartwarming experience. I’m so glad I read this with my kids because it gave them a much-needed example of the power of empathy.

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8. The One and Only Ivan

Ivan is a silverback gorilla who lives at Big Top Mall and Video Arcade, a run-down circus-themed roadside attraction. For years, Ivan is bored but content in this bizarre flavor of captivity for a wild animal. But when he meets a baby elephant named Ruby, he makes an important decision that will change everything. This story is sad in parts but very much worth the read. Such a deeply moving story!

If your child loves this book, hand them The One and Only Bob next, which is a follow-up featuring the stray dog named Bob in the first book.

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9. Out of My Mind

Melody has cerebral palsy, and she can’t walk, talk, or write. She feels stuck in her head. Then one day, she discovers a way to speak for the first time. This is an important story about a smart girl with an unflagging spirit who has to find a way to navigate a world that isn’t always accommodating or even understanding.

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10. Wonder

A powerful book about empathy, understanding, and acceptance. If you read this aloud with your child, you’ll end up having so many important conversations.

If your child loves this one, check out the companion books next: Auggie & Me and White Bird.

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Want More?

For more books about empathy, compassion, and kindness, check out these lists:

• The Best Children’s Books About Kindness
• The Best Picture Books About Friendship

Your Turn

What are your favorite empathy books for kids? Share in a comment below!

The post 50+ Children’s Books About Empathy to Help You Raise Kind Kids appeared first on Happy You, Happy Family.

When one of my kids feels grumpy or sad and can’t seem to shake it even after hugs and talking through what happened, I bust out one simple but powerful parenting move that helps them get back to happy: music.

Research shows that music can quickly boost your mood, even more so if you want to improve your mood. Plus, listening to music with your child creates healthy bonds and builds positive memories.

But Here’s the Problem

When you search for “funny songs for kids” or “silly songs for kids,” you’ll find either saccharine-sweet kids’ music or the same ol’ boring nursery songs—or a mix of both. And while I don’t mind hearing “On Top of Spaghetti” or “Ripped Pants” by Spongebob once in a while, those aren’t exactly songs I want in my ears every single day, and certainly not multiple times a day.

The truth is if you want a go-to playlist of funny songs for kids, you don’t need to resort to the kind of children’s music that sets your teeth on edge.

In fact, if you pick music you actually enjoy too, you’ll get a mood boost as well. And goodness knows in between the daily parenting slog of tantrums and sibling scuffles and power struggles, we could all use a pick-me-up of our own.

30 Funny Songs for Kids That Make Parents Giggle, Too

As a mom of four, over the years I’ve curated a handful of go-to playlists to meet the needs of different situations, from love songs for kids to kids’ dance music. But my favorite playlist for cheering up one of my kids is a collection of the best funny songs for kids.

Here’s why: If you can get your child to giggle, that stimulates endorphins, which are feel-good chemicals that reduce stress and put you in a better mood. In other words, funny music can help your child feel better lickety-split.

Below, you’ll find a list of the absolute best songs that will get your child laughing and smiling in no time. Not only that, when you listen to these funny kids’ songs together, you’ll strengthen your bond with your child. And a stronger connection pays off in the form of greater cooperation, fewer power struggles, and the kind of loving parent-child relationship that will last into the teenage years and beyond.

To be clear, I’ve double- and triple-checked the lyrics to make sure they are 100 percent kid-friendly. Feel free to use this list to create your own playlist now so that the next time your child needs a mood boost (or you do!), you’re ready to go with some great funny songs for kids.

Related: 20 Best Kids’ Dance Songs That Parents Actually Love, Too

1. Family by Drew Holcomb and The Neighbors

This upbeat song is a sweet but funny ode to family:

You don’t choose em, you can’t lose em
We all have a song to sing
Some are crazy, some are amazing
All got a little bit of everything

2. All Ways by Elliott Park

This is probably my favorite of all the funny songs for kids in this list! Starting when my youngest was two years old, he loved the “stinky feet” line. Giggles guaranteed, every time!

Quick heads up: If you live in an area where this word might be an issue, beware that this song mentions a “fanny pack” near the end. This is the American name for what’s referred to as a “bum bag” in some other countries.

3. Everybody Gets a Kitten by Jeremy Messersmith

This song comes from an album titled “11 Obscenely Optimistic Songs for Ukelele,” and it’s an absolute delight.

Gotta say the future’s awesome
Everything is a-okay
All the work is done by robots
Everyday is Saturday
Future people all have jet-packs
Fly around in flying cars
There’s so much I could tell you
But the coolest part by far…

4. So Long by Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward

This is one of the few songs in this playlist that comes from a kids’ movie, but you won’t care because it’s so easy to listen to. If you enjoy this song, be sure to check out the rest of the music from the 2011 Winnie the Pooh movie.

You test my nerves it makes me stronger,
So can you bother me a little bit longer?

5. Alphabutt by Kimya Dawson

What playlist of funny kids’ songs would be complete without a little potty humor?

A is for apple
B is for butt
C is for cat butt
D is for doo doo
E is for elephant doo doo

6. The Song of LIFE by Scribblemonster

Kids who’ve played The Game of LIFE will giggle at these lyrics:

Every time that I play LIFE
I choose you to be my wife
Ride around in a plastic car
Tiny pegs are all we are

7. Little Bitta You by Andrew and Polly

This is a children’s song, but it’s adorable and not grating. And when you and your child try singing along to “Lottle lottle little lottle, lottle lottle loo,” you’ll both crack up.

8. The Puppy Song by Harry Nilsson

You might recognize this song from the soundtrack of You’ve Got Mail, and it just so happens to be a crowd-pleaser with kids.

If only I could have a puppy
I’d call myself so very lucky
Just to have some company
To share a cup of tea with me

9. Busy Doing Nothing by Richard M. Sherman

This song from the movie Christopher Robin is adorably silly:

I’m busy, busy, busy doin’ nothin’
Doin’ nothin’, that’s the life for me
For when I’m doin’ nothin’, I’m busy doin’ somethin’
Somethin’ that suits me to a tee

10. Simple Song by Elliott Park

The funny mental pictures in these lyrics are sure to make your child smile:

It begins as just a flutter deep in you
As it grows, you feel some yellow in your blue
You can run but you can’t hide
When a smile begins to rise
Like the Terminator wearing big red shoes

11. Brothers and Sisters by Vered

Kids who have siblings love this song because it makes them feel known, heard, and understood—while also making them laugh.

Brothers and sisters can make you laugh
And sometimes make you cry
Sometimes they tickle you til it hurts
And sometimes they even lie
And sometimes they kick you and hit you and bite you and squeeze you with all of their might

12. Bathtime in Clerkenwell by The Real Tuesday Weld

This one’s perfect for toddlers and preschoolers. Pure nonsensical silliness! Skip this for tweens and teens, but younger kids love it:

Wale-den-de-bobo-den-di-bili-dan-lo-no
Wale-den-de-bobo-den-di-bili-dan-lo-no
Wale-den-de-bobo-den-di-bili-dan-lo-no
Wale-den-de-bobo-den-di-bili-dan-lo-no

13. Birdhouse in Your Soul by They Might Be Giants

You could argue that several TMBG songs belong on a playlist of funny songs for kids, but this one’s our absolute favorite. Kids especially love the riddle of trying to figure out the main character of this song. (A nightlight!)

I have a secret to tell
From my electrical well
It’s a simple message
And I’m leaving out the whistles and bells
So the room must listen to me
Filibuster vigilantly
My name is blue canary, one note spelled l-i-t-e

14. Your Personal Penguin by Davy Jones

These lyrics come from the silly children’s book Your Personal Penguin, and kids love the idea of having their own personal penguin.

I want to be your personal penguin
I want to walk right by your side
I want to be your personal penguin
I want to travel with you far and wide

15. Little Potato by Metamora

Because of this goofy song comparing your child to a potato (yes, you read that right), I can walk up to any one of my kids, say, “You’re my little potato,” and get an immediate giggle.

They must have grown you wild,
You make a grown man a child,
I’ll go and play in the mud
To be with you, my spud.
When you came out looking red as a beet,
You had wrinkles on the bottoms of your feet.

16. Oh My Goodness, Look at This Mess by Sweet Honey in the Rock

This is our family’s official clean-up song:

Oh my goodness, look at this mess!
I’m the one who made it, I do confess.
Oh my goodness, look at this mess!
I think I’ve got to clean it up.
…
Why are these crumbs all over the floor?
My mama asks when she comes in the door.
Is it from the cookies I gave you to eat
When you asked me for a treat?

17. Jungle Gym by Jack Johnson, G. Love, and Special Sauce

The soundtrack of Curious George is chock full of gems, including this one. Kids love this song for the mental image it gives them of being a monkey swinging through the city like it’s a jungle gym.

Trolley cars and buses too
All the big kids going to school
I’m going to get a treat from the ice cream man
Catch me catch me if you can

18. I Want It Now by Julie Dawn Cole

If you’ve seen the original Willy Wonka movie, you’ll recognize this over-the-top tune from Veruca Salt. This song gives kids a playful way to reflect on less charitable impulses, plus it’s great fun to blast at top volume!

I want the world
I want the whole world
I want to lock it
All up in my pocket
It’s my bar of chocolate
Give it to me now

19. Piggy by Jenna Nicholls

This is a simple silly song about a piggy bank:

No one’s gonna take my piggy away
It’s just you and me, honey
Someday I’m gonna spend all that money
On me, just me

20. Anyone Else But You by The Moldy Peaches

The potty humor at the end gets kids every time!

Squinched up your face and did a dance
Shook a little turd out of the bottom of your pants
I don’t see what anyone can see, in anyone else
But you

21. Sleepy Tigers by Her Space Holiday

This isn’t a laugh-out-loud kind of song, but the mental images will put a smile on your face. Because of this sweet little song, whenever one of our kids wakes up before my husband and me and comes to rouse us, they always say: “I just wanted to see you looking at me.”

Oh, I like you so very much
So much in fact, I gotta wake you up
It’s not that I have words to speak
I just wanna see you looking at me

22. Octopus’s Garden by The Beatles

This classic will tap into your child’s imagination, and the idea of an octopus’s garden will delight them:

I’d like to be
Under the sea
In an octopus’s garden
In the shade

23. Crayola Doesn’t Make a Color for Your Eyes by Kristin Andreassen

This is a sweet but silly song that kids can relate to—not being able to find the perfect color crayon for what you want to do.

I went to see the doctor, I’d come down with the blues
She said that “I can’t cure you, but here’s something you could do
Take out a piece of paper and go sit down for a while
And draw a pretty picture of something that makes you smile”
Well, I know what makes me happy, I didn’t have to think for long
But when I tried to draw it, it always came out wrong
I had a box of 12, 48, and 64
But nowhere could I find that one shade I was looking for

24. Love You by The Free Design

Listen to this catchy song for a dose of pure silliness:

Roll like a circus clown, put away your circus frown
Ride on a roller coaster upside down
Waltzing Matilda, Carey loves a kinkatchoo
Joey catch a kangaroo, hug you

25. Gaston by Josh Gad and Luke Evans

I dare you not to giggle at this rendition from the live-action Beauty and the Beast movie.

No one hits like Gaston
Matches wits like Gaston
In a spitting match nobody spits like Gaston
I’m especially good at expectorating
(Ten points for Gaston!)

26. Grilled Cheese by Peach Face

My kids can’t get enough of this song, and they giggle every time.

One heads up: If you live in an area where this word might be an issue, you should know that this song mentions a “fanny pack.” This is the American name for what’s referred to as a “bum bag” in some other countries.

Monday
I fell in love with a grilled cheese
Oh, would you bring it to me pretty please
It’s not the same at home

27. Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious by Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke

This classic song from Mary Poppins delights kids and adults.

Oh, supercalifragilisticexpialidocious
Even though the sound of it
Is something quite atrocious
If you say it loud enough
You’ll always sound precocious

28. Everything is Awesome by Tegan and Sara & the Lonely Island

This song from The Lego Movie is ridiculously over-the-top and a fun way to get your sillies out. If your playlist of funny songs for kids doubles as a dance party playlist, this song is a must!

I feel more awesome than an awesome possum
Dip my body in chocolate frosting
Three years later, wash off the frosting
Smelling like a blossom, everything is awesome

29. The Muffin Song by Sean Bertram and Amanda MacDonald

This song is sweet, simple, and silly:

I’m your muffin man
You’re my muffin girl
Let’s get together we can see the muffin world
In a car, in a plane, we can muffin every day
Always forever in our little muffin tray

30. I Forgot That You Existed by Taylor Swift

When someone has been mean to your child, the idea of the ultimate revenge will get them smiling again:

How many days did I spend
Thinkin’ ’bout how you did me wrong, wrong, wrong?
Lived in the shade you were throwin’
‘Til all of my sunshine was gone, gone, gone…
But then something happened one magical night

I forgot that you existed

Get the Spotify Playlist: Funny Songs for Kids

If you use Spotify, head over to this Spotify playlist and click the heart button to add these silly kids’ songs to your own Spotify library. Bonus: As I discover new funny songs for kids, you’ll get extra songs not yet featured in this post!

Want More?

For more fun songs to share with your child, check out 20 Best Kids’ Dance Songs That Parents Actually Love, Too.

Your Turn

What are your favorite funny songs for kids? Share in a comment below!

The post 30 Funny Songs for Kids That Make Parents Giggle, Too appeared first on Happy You, Happy Family.

As parents, our daily lives are full to the brim, if not overflowing. We pinball from cobbling together dinner with whatever’s left in the fridge, to helping with math homework, to tackling the neverending pile of laundry—and the list goes on.

That doesn’t leave a whole lot of time for connecting one-on-one with our kids and simply enjoying our time together.

And yet, if you want to nurture a loving parent-child relationship that will last into the teenage years and beyond, the time for nurturing that kind of relationship is now.

Which is why as a busy parent, I’m always on the lookout for simple ways to connect with my kids without adding to my to-do list. And one of my favorite tricks for that is to ask my kids funny questions.

Why Funny Questions Can Save the Day

Research shows that when you laugh together, you feel more connected and strengthen your relationship.

And as you spend quality one-on-one time with your child, laughter is sure to bubble up before too long.

But when you’re short on time—and let’s be honest, patience—you can’t exactly flip a switch and manufacture a Fun-Filled Family Moment™ on the spot.

The good news? Even if you don’t have time to stop and play with your child, you can always ask a funny question on the way to or from school, during a meal like dinner, or anytime you find yourself in the same space for more than 60 seconds.

The shared laughter will make you feel closer, plus the conversation will support your child’s language development. Researchers have discovered that regularly having back-and-forth conversations with your child builds their vocabulary, improves their reasoning skills, and literally grows their brain.

How This List Is Different

You can search “funny questions to ask kids” and find a gabazillion lists already out there. But as you start reading through the questions, you’ll discover pretty soon that those questions clearly haven’t been tested with real, actual kids.

I know this because I did test those other lists with my four kids, whose ages range from preschooler to teenager. And a good number of the questions resulted in blank stares, shrugs, and eye rolls. Questions like, “What color would you paint your room?” and “What’s your favorite food to put ketchup on?” will at best give you bland one-word answers and certainly won’t elicit giggles.

So I put together a new tried-and-true list of funny questions to ask kids that will actually get them (and you!) laughing. I’ve been keeping this running list for several years, and today I’m sharing it with you so that you can experience the pure comedic gold that will come out of your child’s mouth.

Related: 100 Non-Boring Questions for Kids to Get Them Talking {Printable}

120 Funny Questions to Ask Kids for Guaranteed Giggles

These funny questions for kids are one of my favorite shortcuts to help me quickly connect with my kids. Because these questions are so silly and off-the-wall, they lead to shared giggles and sometimes all-out guffaws.

But my favorite part of these fun questions isn’t even the moment of connection, although those warm fuzzies are undeniable.

What I love best about asking my kids these funny questions is that for a couple minutes, I get to see the world through their eyes. And that fresh perspective fills me with a sense of awe and reminds me how lucky I am to spend my days with these special little humans.

When you want to connect (quickly!) with your child, even when you’re busy, ask one of these funny questions for kids. Not only will their answers put a smile on your face, but you’ll delight in hearing how their mind works.

But First, a Quick Heads Up

Most kids don’t appreciate feeling like they’re put on the spot to perform like circus animals for the benefit of the surrounding adults. Plus, a conversation where everyone’s contributing is more fun anyway.

And so after your child answers one of these funny questions, consider answering the question yourself as well so that it feels like a conversation and not an interrogation.

Also, keep in mind that every child is different. Your child might not laugh out loud at every question, and that’s okay. What matters is that you’re taking the time to connect with them and listen to their thoughts and opinions. If any of these questions turns out to be a dud for your family, just move onto the next question.

Pro tip: Any time one of your child’s answers tickles your funny bone, you can jot down the question and answer in a journal or a notes app for safekeeping. Then later on down the road, you can reread them to reminisce—either alone or together as a family. As an alternative, if your child is okay with it, you can take a quick video of them answering a question or two so that you’ll always have that snapshot of your shared moment of fun.

All-Around Funny Questions

Here are the best overall funny questions to ask kids because they work in just about any situation and with a wide variety of ages. When you need a good laugh, these open-ended questions are a sure bet.

1. What’s the funniest thing somebody did or said today?
2. If you could eat only one food for an entire year, what would you choose?
   • Alternative: If you could eat only one food for the rest of your life, what would you choose?
3. What’s the funniest joke you know?
   • Side note: If you discover that your child doesn’t know many jokes, these two joke books are our favorites, and they’re both super inexpensive: Laugh-Out-Loud Jokes for Kids^† and Knock-Knock Jokes for Kids. And if you like those, this author has a ton of joke books for even more ideas!
4. If you could change your name to anything, what would your new name be? (Or would you leave it?)
5. If you could stay up all night, what would you do?
6. If somebody from another planet came to Earth, what would they think of our world?
7. If you had three wishes, what would they be?
8. If you buried a treasure chest, what would you put in it?
9. What is the most annoying noise in the world?
10. If people could see inside you, what would they see?
11. If you could be anything for Halloween, what would you be?
12. If you had an extra room in your home, what would you use it for?
13. If you could create one law that everybody on Earth had to follow, what would it be?
14. What’s the grossest thing you’ve ever seen?
15. If you were a superhero with one superpower, what would it be? Fun follow-ups:
    • What would your superhero name be?
    • What would your weakness be? (Maybe cake?)

31. What would be the most annoying part of being a grown-up?
32. If you met your favorite famous person, what would you do or say?
    • If you already know their favorite famous person, ask the question with their name inserted.
33. If you were invisible, where would you go and what would you do?
34. If you wrote a book, what would it be about?
35. What’s the funniest sound you can make?
36. If you were trying to make me smile/laugh, what would you do?
37. If you could change one thing about your school, what would you change?
38. What’s the worst smell in the world?
39. What’s one thing that used to be cool but isn’t cool anymore?
40. Do you remember what you dreamed about last night?
41. What’s something I do that makes you laugh?
42. What’s one thing you wish you could tell your younger self?
    • This works best if you make it more specific. For example, for a 10-year-old, you might ask: What’s one thing you wish you could tell your 5-year-old self?

Funny Questions About Animals

For kids who love animals, here are a few funny questions that will be right up their alley.

1. If you could be any animal, what animal would you be? Why?
2. If you had a pet parrot, what’s the first phrase you’d teach it to say?
3. If you could have any animal as a pet, what would you choose?
4. If you woke up one morning and you’d turned into a bear/dolphin/elephant/insert favorite animal, what would you do?
5. If your pet could talk, what would they say?
6. If you could combine two animals to make a new one, what would you combine? What would you call it?
7. If you could be any mythical creature, what would you be? Why?

Silly Questions for Kids

Asking these silly questions for kids might get your child giggling even before they answer. These questions tap into your child’s imagination, and their creative answers might surprise you!

1. What would be the absolute worst name in the world to have?
2. If you could be any cartoon character for one day, who would you be? Why?
   • If your child doesn’t watch cartoons, you can change this to any fictional character—video game, movie, television, or Disney character.
3. What’s a weird combination of foods you’d be willing to try? Ketchup and banana? Syrup on mac and cheese?
4. Would you rather live in a castle, on a boat, or on a cloud?
5. If you could swap places with mom or dad for a day, what would you do?
6. If you had to take a bath in something besides water, what would you choose?
   • If your child takes showers instead, change the question to “If you had to take a shower…”
7. If you had a time machine that could travel to the future, what would you do there?
8. If you could add any word to the dictionary, what would it be, and what would it mean?
9. If there are aliens on other planets, what do you think they look like?
10. If you could build the perfect ice cream sundae and add any toppings in the world—candy, sprinkles, hot fudge, anything—what would you add?
11. If we left on vacation but you stayed home alone, what’s the first thing you’d do?
12. If you were in space and there was no gravity, what would be the hardest part?
13. If you could choose any one of your toys to come to life, which one would you choose? Why?
14. If you got to design a new Disney/amusement park ride, what would it be like?
15. If you found out your parents were secretly spies, what would you do?
16. If you found out your home was built on quicksand and you had to move immediately but you only had time to grab three things, what would you take with you?
17. If you woke up one morning and you’d magically turned into a grown-up, what’s the first thing you’d do?
18. If you were hired to invent the next dance craze, what would your dance look like?
    • Feel free to demonstrate famous dances as part of the question, like the Macarena!
19. If you had a pet monster, what would you teach it to do?
20. If you discovered your home was haunted by a ghost, what would you do?
21. If you could have a secret passage from your room to anywhere, where would it go? And what would the secret door look like?
22. If you were President for a day, what’s the first thing you’d do?
23. If you could create a new holiday, what would it be? How would you celebrate?
24. If you could build a robot to do anything, what would you make it do?
25. If you could live inside any movie but you had to be the villain, which movie would you choose?
    • Alternative: If you could live inside any book or fairy tale but you had to be the villain, which would you choose?
26. If you had to enter an eating competition, which food could you eat the most of?
    • Follow-up: How many could you eat without getting sick?
27. If you could give Mommy/Daddy/sister/brother a nickname and everyone had to call them that name for the rest of their life, what would you call them?
28. If you found a magic beanstalk and knew you could climb it to get a huge bag of gold, but you had to get past a grumpy giant, what would you do?
29. If you were a ghost, who would you haunt? Why?
30. If you woke up tomorrow and discovered you had a clone, what would you have it do?
31. When you’re a grandma or a grandpa one day, what will you do with your grandkid to have fun with them?
32. What does the Tooth Fairy do with all those teeth?
33. If you could stay one age for the rest of your life, what age would you be? Why?

Questions to Get the Wiggles Out

Many of the funny questions for kids in this section will get your child moving their body in response. Perfect for active kids!

1. Can you touch your nose with your tongue?
2. Can you wink? (If they can wink with one eye, ask them to do the other!)
3. Can you pat your head while you rub your belly?
4. Can you flare your nostrils?
5. How fast can you run?
6. Can you do an evil laugh?
7. Can you whistle?
8. Can you go a full minute without blinking?
9. Can you talk in a British/French/etc accent?
10. Can you hula hoop?
11. Can you talk with your tongue sticking out?
12. Can you wiggle your ears?
13. Can you talk like a pirate?
14. Can you juggle? (If you have bean bags or clementines on hand, those are perfect!)
15. Can you roll your tongue?
16. How high can you jump?
17. Can you yodel?
18. Can you kiss your knees?
19. Can you do a cartwheel?
    • Warning: If you decide to join your child on this one, be careful. I threw my back out trying to get in touch with my inner child!
20. Can you do a headstand? What about a handstand?
21. Can you raise one eyebrow?
22. Can you touch your toes without bending your knees?
23. Can you talk without moving your lips?
24. Can you do a pull-up?
25. Can you put your leg behind your head?
26. Can you jump rope?
27. Can you lick your elbow?
28. Can you do the splits?
29. Can you touch your toes to your nose?
30. Can you say a tongue twister 10 times in a row? A few examples:
    • She sells seashells by the seashore.
    • A proper copper coffee pot.
    • The sheep on the ship slipped on the sheet of sleet.

Potty Humor Questions

Different families feel differently about potty humor. But if that area of comedy is fair game in your family, here are a few funny questions for kids about just that.

1. If a unicorn farts, what does it smell like?
2. What would be the worst place to get the urge to poop?
3. What food would make the worst smelling farts?
4. Can you make yourself burp?
5. What’s the best way to get rid of the smell in the bathroom after you poop?
6. What’s your worst memory of throwing up?
7. What’s your favorite way to pass the time while you’re pooping?
8. You’re on the toilet, and you reach for the toilet paper but it’s all gone. What do you do?

Bonus: When to Ask These Funny Questions for Kids

Ask your child one (or more!) of these silly questions for kids any time you want to connect and laugh together. Here are a few specific situations that work well:

• Ask one of these questions when you’re in the car together, like as you’re driving your child to or from school, when you’re running errands, or on a road trip.
• When you find yourself in a situation where you’re stuck waiting like at the doctor’s office or at a restaurant, ask a couple of these questions to help pass the time and keep your child entertained.
• Pick a question or two to ask your child at dinner every night, then take turns answering the question.
• If you have a weekly tradition like family game nights or family movie nights, kick off the event with a question or two from this list. For game night, these questions work great as fillers when you’re in between games or when someone’s in the kitchen popping more popcorn!

Want More Awesome Questions?

For an everyday peek inside our children’s hearts, we keep our favorite set of family conversation starters in a mason jar on the kitchen counter. That way, it’s ready to go for the times we need an extra dose of connection.

We use these questions every night with our kids, and they’ve been a game-changer, helping us end every day feeling connected, loved, and happy. Click here to get your own set.

Before you go, get my FREE cheat sheet: 75 Positive Phrases Every Child Needs to Hear

Your Turn

What are your favorite funny questions to ask kids? Share in a comment below!

The post 120 Funny Questions to Ask Kids for Guaranteed Giggles appeared first on Happy You, Happy Family.

As parents, the phrase “I love you” probably comes out of our mouths more than any other—although “be careful” and “stop bugging your sister” have got to be up there, too.

You say “I love you” to your child before they head off to school for the day, when you tuck them in at night, and in countless other small moments, day in and day out.

But after a while, saying “I love you” becomes something you do on autopilot. The phrase can feel like a routine rather than heartfelt words filled with warmth. So instead of your child hearing those words and feeling secure in your love for them, the words barely connect.

In the hustle and bustle of family life, saying “I love you” to your child can become as notable as saying “don’t forget your backpack” or “time for dinner.” In other words: Not at all notable.

Here’s the Solution

Your child needs to feel secure in your love for them. Because when a child feels warmth and affection from a parent, that shapes the child’s happiness for life—research shows that expressing love to your child results in life-long positive outcomes for the child. That includes higher self-esteem, better parent-child communication, and fewer psychological and behavior problems.

But any phrase you use a lot can lose its meaning, including “I love you.” This phenomenon is called semantic satiation, and it means that repeating a word or phrase can make it less meaningful for the listener—or even meaningless.

The solution? Mix up your regular routine with a handful of new and cute ways to say “I love you” to your child.

But First, You Need to Know

Sharing sweet words with your child is just one way to show how much you love them. I would never want to suggest that simply talking about how much you love your child could replace giving them hugs and kisses, actively listening when they talk, and spending quality time together.

So if you’re looking for some fresh ways to show love to your child every day—even when you’re busy—here are a few more resources for you:

• Surprise your child with a new kind of hug from this list of 21 Sweet and Silly Ways to Hug Your Child So They Feel Absolutely Loved.
• To encourage your child to open up about what’s important to them, what has them worried, and what they’re excited about, check out 100 Non-Boring Questions for Kids to Get Them Talking.
• If you struggle to fit in quality one-on-one time with your child, you’ll love The Best 10-Minute Fix to Spending Quality Time With Kids.
• Take five minutes to read aloud to your child from a special book: 10 Picture Books About Love That Will Make Your Kids Feel Absolutely Loved.

50 Cute Ways to Say “I Love You” to Your Child

When you want to make sure your child truly feels the meaning of your loving words, pick one of these heartfelt but cute ways to say “I love you” to your child.

Because you don’t use these phrases every day, they’ll disrupt the automatic “I love you” reflex and get your child’s attention so that the words don’t go in one ear and out the other without connecting. (Side note: Many of these phrases work well for spouses, too!)

When you sprinkle a few of these sweet phrases and actions into your days, the meaning of your message will get through, and your child will feel secure in your unconditional love.

1. You make me smile.
2. I love you from your toes to your nose to where your hair grows!
   • For extra giggles, touch your child’s toes when you say “toes,” their nose when you say “nose,” and the top of their head when you say the last line.
   • As an alternative, some families use “I love you from your head to your toes—and from your knees to your nose.”
3. You make my heart feel full.
4. I love you so much I want to eat you all up! (If your child is familiar with the classic picture book Where the Wild Things Are^†, they’ll love hearing this one.)

^† This site is reader-supported. When you buy through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

5. You’re one of a kind.
6. I love your insides and your outsides!
7. You make life fun. (This phrase is featured on our sweet I Love You Bookmarks. Get the whole set here so that every time your child reaches for one, they’ll feel absolutely loved.)

8. Seeing you happy makes me happy.
9. You are a precious treasure to me.
10. I love your laugh/smile.
11. It’s you I like. Every part of you. (Perfect for fans of Mister Rogers!)

12. I love you more than… Then follow up with a specific example, like:
    • More than all the stars in the sky
    • More than all the fish in the sea,
    • More than all the crayons in the biggest crayon box,
    • More than monkeys love bananas,
    • More than milk loves cookies,
    • More than cupcakes love sprinkles, and so on—feel free to come up with your own silly comparisons too!
13. I heart you.
14. Say “I love you” in sign language. (Teach your child what that sign means so that any time you flash them the sign, they’ll know what’s in your heart.)

15. You are my favorite 5-year-old. (Just replace with their current age!)
16. I love you to the moon and back. (Or you can take this one step further by adding on, like “I love you to the moon, past the end of our solar system, to the next galaxy over and to every other galaxy in the universe, to the alien planet no one knows about yet, and all the way back home.”)
17. I’m a fan of you. (This one is inspired by our favorite pick for family movie night, We Bought a Zoo. An alternative is: “I’m your biggest fan.”)
18. I love you so much that my heart might just explode. (To ham it up, you can cover your face or avert your eyes and say, “No, really. I can’t look at you anymore, or I’ll go kablooey!” Out of this whole list of cute ways to say “I love you” to your child, this is the one that gets the most giggles from my kids!)
19. You light up my day.
20. I love you THIS much.
    • Then hold your arms out as wide as you can.
    • Alternatively, you can ask “Do you know how much I love you?” and then answer “THIS much” with your arms held out wide.
21. Come up with a code word that means “I love you” so you can say it any time, even if you’re around others or in a crowded place. For example, you could teach your child that any time you say “whirligig” or “flibbertigibbet,” that means “I love you.”
22. I love you so big.
23. You are my sunshine. (You can also keep it going with “You make me happy when skies are gray.”)
24. I have fun when I’m with you.
25. I love you more than French fries. (Or insert your favorite food like pizza or cupcakes.)
26. Seeing you smile makes me smile.
27. You are made of awesome sauce.
28. I love you so stinking much.
29. Teach your child that when you mouth the words “olive juice” and “I love you,” it looks the same. Then a day or two later, get their attention and say “olive juice” aloud. It’ll take them a second, but they’ll remember!
30. I wouldn’t trade you for a million gabazillion dollars.
31. I love you when… or… Then finish with two very different examples, like:
    • I love you when you feel brave or scared, or
    • I love you when you’re serious or silly. (Side note: The inspiration for this one came from the sweet children’s book called The I Love You Book.)
32. I miss you when I blink. (This is also the name of a funny memoir from a mom about trying to do it all.)
33. Channel your inner Buddy the Elf and sing, “I love you! I love you! I love you!”

34. I love you times infinity.
35. You are pure magic.
36. I dig you.
37. I love you even when… Then finish the sentence with something silly or cute, like:
    • I love you even when you have stinky feet,
    • I love you even when your hair is a mess, or
    • I love you even when you have chocolate ice cream on your face. (By the way, the inspiration for this comes from the song “All Ways” that’s on this playlist of The Best 20 Love Songs for Kids. If you’re looking for more cute ways to say “I love you” to your child, check the lyrics of those songs!)
38. I wish I didn’t have to go to work so we could stay home together and play all day!
39. Say “I love you” in a different language, like “Je t’aime” in French or “Ich liebe dich” in German. (Here’s a list of some common “I love you” translations from the Duolingo app.)
40. I love you the mostest.
41. I love your face.
42. You’re a gem.
43. Come up with a secret handshake that means “I love you.” For example, you can teach your child that when you squeeze their hand three times in a row, that means “I love you.”
44. No matter how many times I say “I love you,” I will always love you more than that!
45. You’ve got a friend in me. (Toy Story fans love this one!)
46. If I had a time machine, I would go back in time and spend today with you all over again.
47. I love you three thousand. (This one’s perfect for Iron Man fans, but you can use any random big number.)

48. Ask, “You know what my favorite thing about you is?” They might say, “No, what?” Then reply: “Everything.”
49. Of all the days I’ve lived, the best ones have been with you.
50. I love you because… Then finish the sentence with something silly or cute, like:
    • I love you because you giggle at my stupid jokes,
    • I love you because you like curry, or
    • I love you because you hate getting pruney fingers in the bath.

Related: 101 Heartfelt and Simple Ways to Love Your Child Every Day {Printable}

Bonus: When to Use These “I Love You” Alternatives

You don’t have to wait for Valentine’s Day to share loving words like this. Here are a few situations where you can try out these cute ways to say “I love you” to your child:

• Say one of these phrases during a transition time, like before your child leaves for school, when they get home from school (or you get home from work), or when you tuck them in at bedtime.
• Write one of these phrases on a small slip of paper and leave that little “love note” somewhere for your child to find, such as under their pillow, in their backpack, or in the fridge next to whatever they usually have for breakfast.
• Use window markers to write one of these phrases on your child’s bathroom mirror.
• Surprise your child with their favorite snack, just because, then sit down to enjoy it with them. When you hit a lull in the conversation, say one of these phrases.
• Pair one of these phrases with physical touch like a hug, a snuggle on the couch, or a quick shoulder massage. For hug ideas, check out 21 Sweet and Silly Ways to Hug Your Child So They Feel Absolutely Loved.
• As you’re doing chores together, slip in one of these funny ways to say “I love you.” For example, if you’re at the sink washing dishes while your child is loading, surprise them with one of these phrases.

Your Turn

What are your favorite cute ways to say “I love you” to your child? Share in a comment below!

The post 50 Cute Ways to Say “I Love You” to Your Child appeared first on Happy You, Happy Family.

You racked your brain thinking of the perfect gift for your child and wrapped it up, knowing they’d love it. Then finally on the big day, they open your present and their face lights up.

Mission accomplished.

But then a couple weeks later—or even days later—you happen to notice your thoughtful gift on a shelf, in a corner, or under a bed, collecting dust. And that’s when you realize that lately, you haven’t seen your child playing with it.

Unfortunately, many gifts of “stuff” end up forgotten or abandoned, and the reason has nothing to do with a lack of gratitude from your child.

Here’s Why

The reason this happens is due to a quirk of how the human brain works called adaptation. It means that when we’re exposed to something on a regular basis, we adapt to it.

When your child gets used to something new, adaptation kicks in and that object is no longer notable or interesting. It blends in like wallpaper.

This isn’t anything “wrong” with your child because it happens to everyone.

The Best Gift for Your Child? An Experience Gift

All those toys and gadgets on your kid’s wish list are kind of like junk food. They’re fun for a bit, but the novelty will wear off and then your child will be left feeling empty.

If you want a gift that will stick with your child, get them an experience gift.

In the same way that a diet of healthy food will stick to your kid’s ribs and give them the nourishment they need, an experience gift will build memories and stick with your child for the rest of their life.

What Is an Experience Gift, Exactly?

When you give a child an experience gift, the goal is to create an enjoyable or memorable experience for them. Depending on the gift, you might also include a physical item the child can use during that experience.

You may have also heard these kinds of gifts referred to as activity gifts for kids, unstuff gifts, or non-toy gifts.

Experience gifts have gained popularity in recent years because they offer several benefits:

• Experience gifts make you happier than material gifts.
• Your brain quickly gets used to new material gifts, so the pleasure you derive from them fades quickly. On the other hand, experience gifts create happy memories that endure over the long term.
• Experience gifts strengthen the relationship between the gift-giver and the recipient.
• Physical clutter can add to your stress and increases your levels of cortisol, a stress hormone. When you gift an experience, you help reduce clutter-induced stress.

To be clear, I’m definitely not suggesting you skip all “stuff” gifts for your child forever and ever from here forward. Go ahead and get your kid that awesome toy they’ve been pining after! But keep in mind that the more toys you get them, the less they’ll appreciate any of them.

The Most Epic List of Experience Gifts for Kids

For the past few years, I’ve been gathering this list of the best kids’ experience gifts, scouring every list I came across and collecting ideas from friends and family like a squirrel stockpiling nuts.

Today, I’m sharing this massive list of experience gift ideas for kids with you. But in the list below, you won’t find cheesy or lackluster gifts to make your child roll their eyes. You’ll find the experience gifts your child will adore.

If you know of another experience gift idea that belongs on this list, let me know in the comments and I’ll keep this guide updated to be a resource for all of us.

When you need an idea for a gift that will delight your child and stick with them for years, browse this list of experience gifts for children.

Want to save this for later? Pin this on Pinterest, bookmark this page in your browser, or email it to a friend (then you’ll be able to search your email for it later).

But First: How Do You Wrap an Experience?

Sometimes it can be tricky to wrap an experience gift, so each gift in this list also includes a simple idea for a physical way to present that gift to a child.

In many situations, you can create an invitation or gift certificate for an experience gift, then print that and wrap it. Here are a few ideas:

• Find a gift certificate template in a free design tool like Canva, then tweak it to your needs.
• Use a word processing app like Microsoft Word or Google Docs to design your own invitation.
• Purchase a digital gift certificate on Etsy that you can customize and print as many times as you need to. For kids’ experience gifts at Christmas, this Special Delivery From the North Pole† certificate is adorable. For older kids, this cheerful Christmas gift certificate is a great fit. Or for a non-Christmas option, this gift certificate template is specifically designed for experience gifts.

^† This site is reader-supported. When you buy through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Experience Gifts for All Kids

In this section, you’ll find the best experience gift ideas for kids that work for a wide range of ages and interests.

1. Make a coupon book.

Kids and teens love coupons they can use to cash in on fun experiences throughout the year. Because this is my absolute favorite experience gift for kids, I designed a free printable coupon book for kids. You’ll find coupons for staying up 30 minutes late at bedtime, camping out in the living room (with s’mores of course!), and more kid-friendly experiences that make amazing gifts for kids.

By the way, you should know that as I was designing this set of coupons, my oldest daughter peeked over my shoulder and asked, “What are you doing?” I explained the idea of the coupon book, then added some examples to get the point across: “Like you could use this coupon to pick anything you want for dinner one night, or this one to take a mother-daughter mental health day off school and work, or this one to bake any dessert together…” She said: “Wow. That’s all I want for Christmas! Just that.”

• Ages: Toddler to teen
• Cost: Free
• How to Wrap It: As a bonus for joining my weekly newsletter, get the free printable coupon book. Then use a hole-punch on the coupons and bind them with a festive ribbon or a colorful book ring like this. Wrap the coupon book in a small box, and you’re good to go!

2. Share your favorite story.

What was your favorite book when you were a child? Get a copy to share with the child so they can experience the joy of that story too.

If the child isn’t reading independently yet, an alternative is to give an Audible or Libro.fm gift card so they can listen to the audiobook. (By the way, Libro.fm is the same price as Audible, and you’ll support a locally owned bookstore with every audiobook you choose!) Or if they prefer to read e-books, you can give an Amazon gift card so they can load up their Kindle.

Also, don’t be afraid to pass along your own personal copy from your shelves. One year, I gave my oldest daughter a few of my favorite books of all time, including one well-loved copy of Pride and Prejudice from college where I’d added notes in the margin as I was reading. She loved getting a peek into my teenage brain!

• Ages: Toddler to teen
• Cost: Free if you share your personal copy; typically under $20 if you get a new copy
• How to Wrap It: On the inside cover of the book, write a special note to the child about why it’s your favorite. For an extra dose of delight, include a set of these I Love You Bookmarks so that every time they reach for one, they’ll feel absolutely loved.

3. Give the gift of conversation.

How many of us rush through meals with our families, not stopping to enjoy the time with our loved ones? Turn a spare mason jar into a conversation jar by filling it with these family conversation starters. The child can put the jar on the dinner table and pull out a new question every night to have memorable conversations with their family.

And the best part of these conversation starters is that they’ll get you more than the dreaded one-word answer from kids. We use these every night with our kids, and they’ve been a game-changer, helping us end every day feeling connected, loved, and happy.

• Ages: Preschooler to teen
• Cost: $7
• How to Wrap It: Download this set of family conversation starter cards, and drop them all in a spare mason jar.

Available for a limited time: If you prefer a printed set of these family conversation starters, you can get your printed set here.

4. Send a monthly box of fun.

You can find a monthly subscription box for just about anything nowadays, from art projects to science experiments. This makes it one of the most flexible experience gifts for kids. And even though you’re technically gifting a subscription box to the kids, parents benefit too because you’re helping keep the kids busy with a new project once a month!

• Ages: Toddler to teen
• Cost: Varies
• How to Wrap It: Print a flyer about the subscription and add a note about when they can expect their first box.

Here are a few of the most popular subscription boxes for kids that we’ve tried and enjoyed:

• Kiwi Crates – These monthly hands-on projects are perfect for curious kids, kids who love science, creative kids, kids who love to tinker, and more…in other words, every kid. We received this as a gift for the first time years ago, and my kids still run to the mailbox on the day it’s due to arrive every month. From toddlers to preschoolers and grade schoolers to tweens (and beyond!), these boxes come custom tailored for every age group. To get your first Kiwi Crate subscription box for $4.95, click here and use the coupon code GIFT. (Ages 0-18)
• Little Passports – Every month, kids get a letter from fictional pen pals who travel the world, learning about other cultures along the way. Kids receive a passport and wall map to help them follow along, as well as fun activities, souvenirs from each month’s destination, and more. (Ages 3-13)

5. Set a date once a month.

Kids love one-on-one time with the important people in their lives, so gift them a year of monthly “dates” of one-on-one time with you.

• Ages: Toddler to teen
• Cost: Can be free but depends on what activities you choose for your dates; the Family Connection Cards mentioned below are $7
• How to Wrap It: Grab 12 colorful envelopes like these, label them with the months, and insert a card or brochure about each special day. Activities could include going out for ice cream, bowling, seeing a movie together, or anything else the child would enjoy doing with you. To save time, you can slip one of our popular Family Connection Cards into the envelope. For more ideas, check out this mom’s story of how she put this gift together.

6. Mail a surprise.

Find a fun kids’ magazine and gift a subscription. The child will love getting mail addressed just to them, and they’ll build their reading skills without even realizing it. The experience of getting a surprise in the mail once a month keeps this non-toy gift from becoming wallpaper. Plus, most kids’ magazines include activity and craft ideas for kids. And after the child is done reading, they can pass the magazine along to a friend.

A few ideas for you: Highlights, Ranger Rick Jr, or anything in the Cricket magazine family like Ladybug for 3- to 6-year-olds, Cricket for 9- to 14-year-olds, and more.

• Ages: Preschooler to teen
• Cost: Varies but typically ranges from $12-24
• How to Wrap It: Pick up the current issue in a local bookstore and wrap that, then when they open the gift let them know they’ll get a new one in the mail every month.

7. Write a letter.

This gift doubles as a keepsake that the child will treasure for the rest of their life. For a unique gift, write a special handwritten letter to the child to share your favorite memories, childhood stories they’ll love, or any words of wisdom you want to pass along. Or if you want writing prompts, you can get these Letters to My Daughter or Letters to My Son prompted letters and give your child 12 special letters. (You can also get a version for your grandchild, for your friend, and a version kids can fill out to their future selves for when they grow up.)

• Ages: Elementary to teen
• Cost: Free or under $15 for prompted letters to your daughter, your son, or your grandchild
• How to Wrap It: Write the letter on festive stationery like this beautiful winter scene or this simple birch tree letterhead with a matching envelope, then wrap in a box. Or if you get the prompted letters to your daughter, your son, or your grandchild, you can wrap that.

8. Make a playlist.

Pick a few fun songs the child will enjoy and save them to a kid-friendly USB flash drive like this unicorn or penguin for young kids—or this heart key for tweens and teens. This gift is super easy – follow these step-by-step instructions for how to share a playlist. Then every time the kid fires up the playlist you gifted, they’ll think of you!

Or if you prefer, you can make a playlist on a music streaming service and pair the playlist with a gift card to that service, like Spotify, Apple Music, or Amazon.

• Ages: Elementary to teen
• Cost: Can be free, depending on how you deliver the gift
• How to Wrap It: For ready-made playlists, check out 20 Best Kids’ Dance Songs Loved by Parents, Too or The Best 20 Love Songs for Kids. Type up a list of the songs, then wrap that with the USB drive.

9. Puzzle it out.

Pick out an awesome puzzle the child can do alone or with their family, like one from our favorite puzzle company Ravensburger or this epic 18,000-piece puzzle. Bet you they won’t forget the experience of solving that puzzle together! Or if you have puzzles sitting in your game closet, you can always re-gift them.

For puzzle lovers, sweeten the pot with this snazzy puzzle work surface plus storage system or a set of handy puzzle sorting trays.

• Ages: Elementary to teen
• Cost: Free if you’re re-gifting a puzzle you’ve already solved; varies otherwise
• How to Wrap It: Wrap the puzzle, and that’s it!

10. Open the door to meaningful conversations.

From a mother to a child, this mother-daughter journal or this journal for mothers and sons will give you a magical way to get your child to open up about what’s going on so you can stay connected. You take turns writing in this journal, and in the process, you find out what’s weighing on your little one’s heart. This non-toy gift will definitely end up being a gift for both of you!

From dads to kids, check out this father-daughter journal or this journal for dads and sons. For more journal ideas, check out 10 Best Journals for Kids to Boost Their Emotional Intelligence.

• Ages: Elementary to teen
• Cost: Ranges from $7 to $25
• How to Wrap It: Wrap the journal. Easy peasy!

11. Box it up.

Save all your cardboard boxes for a while until you have a massive collection, then give the child the whole batch plus non-toxic acrylic paint and colorful masking tape for designing their own cardboard city—or anything else they feel inspired to create.

• Ages: Toddler to elementary
• Cost: Boxes are free if you save them up over time; crafting supplies will vary depending on what you choose
• How to Wrap It: Collect the boxes in an area of the home the child doesn’t typically go, then reveal them on the big day.

12. Make summer magical.

If the child is excited for a special summer camp but it isn’t in the budget, you can cover the registration fee for the camp as a holiday or birthday gift.

• Ages: Elementary to teen
• Cost: Varies
• How to Wrap It: Print a flyer about the camp, then wrap that.

13. Connect with a hero.

This one takes some upfront planning, but kids love it! Think about who the child looks up to, then plan an experience around that.

For example, if they have a favorite author, you can track down a signed copy of one of their books and check the author’s event schedule to see if they’ll be nearby anytime soon. Or if they have a favorite musical artist or actor, you can look into whether they have any special events just for fans, such as a Patreon subscription. You can also check for that person on Cameo, where you can get a personal message from a celebrity.

• Ages: Elementary to teen
• Cost: Varies
• How to Wrap It: Make a flyer with a photo of their hero along with a short description of the experience you arranged, then print that. Or to keep it even simpler, use a gift certificate template as explained in the But First: How Do You Wrap an Experience? section above.

14. Be mysterious.

When you get Mail Order Mystery for a child, they’ll receive personalized letters from the characters in a mystery, along with puzzles and clues to help them solve the mystery. They get a package in the mail once a week for six weeks, with each package uncovering more clues. The whole experience is delightful!

• Ages: Elementary to teen
• Cost: Under $100 for a 6-week subscription
• How to Wrap It: Print a flyer about the subscription and add a note about when they can expect their first box.

15. Inspire their next project.

Give the child a book that’s chock full of projects and activities they can make or do. Even better, you can join in on the project for a one-of-a-kind bonding experience.

• Ages: Preschooler to teen
• Cost: Under $15 for a book of projects; more if you’ll be providing any start-up supplies
• How to Wrap It: Wrap the book along with any supplies they’ll need for their first project. Here are a few of our favorite books in this category:
  • Kitchen Science Lab for Kids: 52 Family Friendly Experiments from the Pantry – This isn’t exactly a cookbook but rather a collection of fun science experiments you can do in the kitchen.
  • Out of the Box – Projects kids can make using old cardboard boxes. Think of all the empty cardboard boxes on Christmas morning that they can reimagine into fun building projects! We got this for our preschooler one year, and she ATE IT UP. This gift pairs well with #11 above so they’ll have everything they need to dive into their first project.
  • Rosie Revere’s Big Project Book for Bold Engineers and Iggy Peck’s Big Project Book for Amazing Architects and Ada Twist’s Big Project Book for Stellar Scientists – We’d been drooling over these books since they were first released, and we just picked up the first one and plan to get the next two as well. If the child loved the companion picture books Rosie Revere, Engineer and Iggy Peck, Architect and Ada Twist, Scientist, these activity books are the perfect fit.

16. Pick your favorites.

Pick your all-time favorite photos of the child, then have them printed into a photo book at Shutterfly with their name on the cover. Reflecting on those moments will strengthen the child’s positive memories. And knowing that you cared enough to put together a collection of their best moments will put a smile on the child’s face.

Alternatively, you can pick your favorite photos of the child’s family and upload those into a photo book template. Kids love flipping through photo books of their favorite people!

• Ages: Toddler to teen
• Cost: Typically under $25, depending on which options you choose
• How to Wrap It: Wrap the photo book, and you’re done!

17. Help them help others.

Give the child a charitable gift card so they can pick a cause that’s important to them to support. The choice component is key for this gift because if you tell a child, “I made a donation to the food bank in your name,” they likely won’t feel the importance of the gift.

Instead, give them a Kiva card so they can help fund a microloan that will change someone’s life. Or as another option, you can give the child a GlobalGiving gift card so they can make a donation to the cause of their choice.

• Ages: Elementary to teen
• Cost: The minimum for GlobalGiving is $10; the minimum for Kiva is $25
• How to Wrap It: Print the digital gift card and wrap it. This one works great as a stocking stuffer!

18. Reflect and reminisce.

Grab a nice sheet of paper and list 100 of your favorite memories of the child—or as many as you can. If that feels like too much, grab my free printable here for sharing your favorite memories.

• Ages: Elementary to teen
• Cost: Free
• How to Wrap It: Write the list on festive stationery like this winter scene or this simple birch tree letterhead with a matching envelope, then wrap it in a box. Or if you’re using my free Favorite Memories printable, print that and wrap it.

19. Record interviews.

Sit down with family members and ask them to share what they love about the child while you record the interview as a voice memo on your phone. You can ask parents, grandparents, cousins, or aunts and uncles to share memories of the child.

Alternatively, you can ask everyone to share a favorite story from when they were the same age as the child. (My kids are constantly asking us to tell stories from when we were younger!)

Then compile the audio files and save them to a kid-friendly USB flash drive like this unicorn or penguin for young kids—or this heart key for tweens and teens.

• Ages: Elementary to teen
• Cost: Free
• How to Wrap It: Type up a list of the interviews, then wrap that with the USB drive.

Gifts You Can Experience Together

When you experience something new and special with a child, you’ll strengthen your bond and create a lasting memory for both of you. Here are the best experience gifts for kids that you can enjoy together.

1. Plan a game night.

Pick a date on your calendar for a family game night, print out an invitation, and put all the electronic devices away for a night and have fun. As a companion gift for this experience gift, pick out a new board game or card game your family will love and make a game night basket with potato chips, soda or juice, and the new game. Hours of fun, guaranteed!

We have a wide range of ages in our family, so our favorite board games for all ages are Sleeping Queens, Outfoxed!, Sushi Go, and Castle Panic. If you’re looking for the best games for a big group, here are our top picks for family game night.

• Ages: Toddler to teen
• Cost: Can be free; typically under $30 if you’re picking up a new game
• How to Wrap It: Put together an invitation for game night, then print that and add in all the supplies like a new game, snacks, and drinks. To save time on the invitation, use a gift certificate template as explained in the But First: How Do You Wrap an Experience? section above.

Black Friday’s back: Get 30% off all games with the code HAPPY30. Plus, free shipping for orders $49+.

$10 from Amazon* $10 from our family shop * Price at time of publishing

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“We went camping and packed this new game we’d gotten for Christmas, and I’m so glad we did. Everyone had a BLAST, even my teenager and my 65-year-old mom. I love that you can play with a big group, and it’s easy to learn.” – Kristin

Related: The 30 Best Games for Family Game Night, According to Kids and Parents

2. Pick a day.

Let the child pick a regular weekday to take off from school, then arrange to take that day off from work or your own regular responsibilities so you can spend the day together. Then ask the child what they’d most like to do during your day. For example, you could play a fun new board game, start a new read-aloud, or bake something yummy together.

As another option, you can grab our Family Connection Cards, then pick one card at random to do on your mental health day. The Family Connection Cards are based on the science of what actually works when you want to connect with a child, so no matter what card you pick, you’ll be helping recharge their batteries (and yours!). If you need more ideas, see the Gifts That Will Take Them Places section below for special places you can go during your day together.

By the way, mental health days like this can be so restorative for kids that some states in the U.S. are even passing legislation to allow kids to take regular mental health days off from school!

• Ages: Elementary to teen
• Cost: Can be free
• How to Wrap It: Wrap our Family Connection Cards with a handwritten note like this: “Let’s take a day off from school and work, just the two of us. Pick one of these cards, and we’ll do that!” Alternatively, you can design a coupon for a day off and wrap that. To save time, use a gift certificate template as explained in the But First: How Do You Wrap an Experience? section above.

3. Meet for lunch.

Pick a random school day and meet the child for lunch. Bring their favorite meal, even if it’s fast food. Or for a smaller treat, bring a cookie or another surprise dessert. For tweens and teens, they might feel more comfortable with going off campus for lunch rather than sitting with a random adult in the lunchroom!