Mum's calling : What we are doing this Holiday

The school holiday began! For that well-deserved break from scheduled lessons and hard work, our kids do deserve more time to themselves. In that window time of theirs, how about planning a daily bonding activity that will be easy and least time consuming so everyone in the family can be involved? Whether we are the working or non working parents, let's not forget our parental roles in that extra time of theirs this holiday.

I've to confess that on regular days, we are often too focused on routines and bedtime madness, we hardly find quality time to bond daily, except on weekends. Honesty at its best.

Above and beyond any outings or classes fixed during this upcoming holidays, I'm looking to weave in these daily activities. An attempt to play and bond meaningfully WITH the kids:

30 May (Mon): Play a home made sport (30 mins)
We could try toilet rolls as pins for bowling or paper plates stuck on a stick for ping pong balloon. Let the sporty imagination run!

31 May (Tues): Complete a jigsaw puzzle (10 to 30 mins)

10, 100 or 1000 pieces!

01 Jun (Wed): Go on a treasure hunt in the house (20 mins)

Hide a couple of items in safe places and get the kids to find. If they are near it, hint hot, if far, hint cold or very cold. Or perhaps, come up with a list of things to hunt for.

02 Jun (Thu): Build something with blocks and bricks (20 mins)

A house, a castle, an animal or a car.

03 Jun (Fri): Read the kids 6 books or more (30 mins)

We pick 2 and they pick 4.

04 Jun (Sat): Watch a movie home or out (2 hours)

Pretty sure there will be good shows in June.

05 Jun (Sun): Make something out of toilet rolls (20 mins)

Maybe an owl, robot, car or castle. Complete with paint or coloured papers.

06 Jun (Mon): Play a board or card game (30mins to 1 hr)

They choose, we play!

07 Jun (Tue): Take an evening stroll or jog around the estate (30 mins)

While their companionship lasts.

08 Jun (Wed): Feet spa (30 mins)

Massage and wash each others feet. Teach humility here.

09 Jun (Thu): Pretend play (20 mins)

As a customer and server in a restaurant or shopping in a department store. You may use sticky notes for the price tags and get the cashier to do the math mentally.

10 Jun (Fri): Make a pretend home out of a shoe box (30 mins)

How about gathering little figurines, cut out windows and doors from coloured papers?

11 Jun (Sat): Make play dough at home! Try this uncooked modelling dough recipe. (30 mins)

1 cup cold water
1 cup salt
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
food coloring
3 cups flour
2 tablespoons cornflour

Put everything except the flour and cornflour into a bowl. Gradually add these until you have the consistency of bread dough. Store in an air tight container or bag in the fridge.

12 Jun (Sun): Act out the story of a book (20 mins)

Find a favourite book, assign the roles and act out story from the book. Make it hilarious!

13 Jun (Mon): Fold origami (30 mins)

There's endless fun in folding papers. Check here for origami start out.

14 Jun (Tue): We are gonna bake some cookies! (1 hr)

15 Jun (Wed): Make card for a friend or 2, or more! (30 mins)

Birthday, encouragement or get well cards are great ideas.

16 Jun (Thu): Decorate a cake

Celebrate the holiday with a plain cake from the bakery. I'm eyeing that plain chocolate cake from awfully. Get sprinkles or fruits to decorate away!

17 Jun (Fri): Midnight feast! At erm... 10pm. (45 mins)

Since bedtime can be delayed. We will do a midnight feast with junk or no junk food? Up to parents' discretion.

18 Jun (Sat): Plan a picnic lunch indoor or outdoor (3 hrs)

One dish meal will be perfect and almost hassle free. But of course, a spread if you've got little hands to help.

19 Jun (Sun): Let's play hangman!

Paper and pen. That's all we need.

20 Jun (Mon): Face and Arm painting (30 mins)

Which means the kids are allowed to get creative on Mum and Dad''s faces and arms!

21 Jun (Tue): Cut out pictures, words and letters from old magazines and scrap away! (45 mins)

Print a couple of the family's favourite photos and scrapbook with the cut outs.

22 Jun (Wed): Puppets on ice cream sticks (30 mins)

Draw and cut characters from papers and stick them on!

23 Jun (Thu): Confident and self esteem building (1 hr)
Draw a portrait of ourselves and put in the nice words that describes us. Something like this.

24 Jun (Fri): Nature hunt (45 mins)
List items to hunt for in the outdoor. Example: brown leaves, chewed leaves, stones, insects!

25 Jun (Sat): Kindness notes (30 mins)
Draw and cut out hearts, write kind note on it for everyone in the family. Decorate it colourfully!

26 Jun (Sun): It's a close to the holiday. Make a thankful jar or box.

Write in things we are thankful for during this wonderful holiday.

28 days conquered!

Yeap, that's our home play planner this coming holiday. It sounds reasonable to give up a tiny fraction of our daily time to our kids, doesn't it? Get the Daddy in too! ONLY.28.DAYS.

The heavier activities can fall over the weekend, while the lighter activities take up less than an hour on weekdays. Get your play planner up too! And of course, to save planning time, you can use our planner too. Most Welcome!

Though I'm not sure if we can follow through, but a plan is a good start. Shall update our progress through Instagram. Hopefully we can get all planned activities covered, above and beyond the daily schedule. At least, we've got today covered!