January is a funny month, isn’t it? The excitement of a new year doesn’t seem to last as long as the ebb of Christmas cheer, so sometimes we can get a little bit lost in ourselves. One of the best ways to combat any January Blues you may feel as a family is to plan some exciting activities ahead of time.
January often feels like a neverending month, so having some activities and adventures to look forward to keeps the whole family in good spirits. Here are just a few things to do in January with your children that’ll keep you all feeling motivated and inspired for the year ahead.
1 Plan a parent/child date
As parents, we obviously spend a lot of time with our children…but how much of that time is actually spent with our children? I know I am guilty of not giving my kids the all-important 1 on 1 time that they crave as much as I could. It’s difficult to find the time between school, clubs, chores, and life, in general, to sit down and fully indulge your children, especially if you have more than one (or there is a significant age gap between kids). Setting up a little parent/child date in the diary with each of your children helps to ensure that both you and your kids get the quality family time that you all need.
2 Make an activity jar
On a similar theme as the parent/child date idea, why not set up an activity jar with your children this January? A mason jar is perfect, but any old jar or tub will do. Grab the colouring pens and pencils and sit down with the kids to plan out all the adventures and activities you’d like to do over the year. Use a different colour for each different type of activity, for example you may choose red to indicate activities that can be done spontaneously, whereas you may choose blue for an activity that involves a bit of planning, such as taking a camping trip.
3 Take an extra early walk
The thing about winter mornings is that they’re pretty magical. The sunrise is always a gorgeous colour as it peaks up over the horizon, the birds are singing merrily, and the crisp frosty grass underfoot is extremely satisfying to stomp on. Getting up extra early to go on a walk may sound like a horrendous idea, especially in the middle of our January winters, but trust me when I say that the peace and beauty is well worth it. Grab your wellies, hats, and gloves and go on a nature hunt and jump in some big muddle puddles – maybe you will even be lucky enough to get some snow!
4 Promote random acts of kindness
What better way to start a new year off than with a random act of kindness? I feel that teaching our children about kindness is our parental duty, and what better way to do this than to lead by example? Together with your children, plan out a few things that you could do so easily that’ll make someone’s day. It could be as simple as writing an encouraging post-it note and leaving it in a public bathroom, or you could take things a step further and make a meal or cake for your neighbour. Whatever you choose to do, remember that kindness is easy to spread and it doesn’t take much to make someone’s day.
5 Go on a painted rock hunt
There are still painted rocks hidden all over the country! I’m continually finding painted rocks when I’m on the school run or walking the dog, and the community pages on Facebook are still humming with activity. Searching for painted rocks is a brilliant way to get everyone out in the fresh air and engage in some family bonding..
January is full of possibilities.
These are just a few of the many, many exciting and fun things you can do in January with your children. I hope this blog post has given you some inspiration and that you enjoy the first month of the new year as much as possible. What is your favourite thing to do in January with the kids? Let me know in the comment section!