How to make Children’s Day Special for your Kids

Contributor: Bhumika Vikam

With Children’s Day just around the corner, as parents and teachers, you may be wanting to do something special with the kids. Should we plan an outing to an amusement park, or should we take them shopping for new toys and games? Or is taking them to a play zone or visiting a mall a good idea? How about celebrating Children’s Day with a difference?

Here are some simple ideas which can help you make Children’s Day memorable for your kids:

1.Uninterrupted time for the child:

We always think that children love spending time on games, movies, the television etc. But this is not entirely true. Children indulge in other things and try seeking happiness in them because many times they don’t get the uninterrupted ‘You and Me’ time from parents. You don’t have to spend extended hours with them, however, spending quality time with them, without disturbances can do wonders. This Children’s Day make it a point to spend some quality uninterrupted time with your child. Also promise yourself, that from this Children’s Day, whenever you spend time with your child, it will be the quality of time over quantity.

2. Gameday at home:

How about a Gameday at home this Children’s Day? We all enjoy taking children to a mall and having them play at the play zone. However, for a child, the idea of having a game day at home, getting to play with parents and that too in the home environment, brings lots of excitement. Planning a game day at home is not very difficult. It just includes planning simple games and implementing them. You can make small medals out of ribbons and cardboard or maybe the prize could be a something useful for your child. Here are a couple of games which you can play with your kid at home:

• Interactive games: Simply place a coin under one of three cups and shuffle the cups around. Then ask your children to guess which cup holds the coin. You can repeat this 2-3 times. For smaller children, you can do this near the edge of the table, drop the coin and hide it secretly. Your tiny tot will not just use his cognitive abilities to search and think about where the coin is, but will also enjoy this.
• Board games – Bring out those good old board games which include Ludo, Snakes and Ladder, Chinese Checkers, Chess etc.
• Create a treasure hunt: With every hint, you can give a promise to the child – ‘Mumma promises to take you to the garden one of the days next week’, ‘Mumma and Daddy shall play one more game day with you in this month’ etc.
• Simon says– remember how much we have enjoyed this in our school days.
• The Touch and Feel game: Create a touch and feel box with different things from home such as wood pieces, feathers, coins etc. For every correct answer, the child gets a 5 or 10 rupee coin which he/she can save in his/her piggy bank. You can do the same for a tasting game as well, where you can use turmeric, salt, fruit pieces etc.

You can think of more creative and innovative games. Ensure that all the family members take part in the Game Day and make it more cheerful.

3. Plan a day at an Orphanage

Bringing happiness and smiles to the faces of little children at an orphanage can make this children’s day just so special for parents as well as the child. Children learn to share, caring, spreading love and idea of charity above all. Pack up some homemade food, small gifts, goodies and spend the day at an orphanage. For our children, we are there to think and plan a happy children’s day, but for children at the orphanage, this is something very rare. Celebrate this day with them and share the happiness. If time and finance permits, you can also organise a small Children’s Day party at the orphanage along with all the children there. Don’t make it an annual affair, make sure it becomes a practice for you and your child, it will help instil a sense of empathy and caring too.

4. Cook a meal together

You and your kid can decide on to one favourite meal which you all love to eat. Execute the meal together by allotting one another simple tasks for the meal. For example, if its baking pizzas or a cake, the child can apply the pizza sauce on the base and set the dinner table. For the cake, your little one could sprinkle some icing sugar and decorate the cake with cherries! Other tasks can be done by parents with the child helping in simple things like handing over a spoon, putting the pizza in the oven etc. This can help boost the child’s self-esteem for having contributed something for dinner. It will also help strengthen the bond between you and your child; more so, it is a great learning ground for little boys to understand that kitchen is not only for the mum, it’s for men too!

5. Planting

Seeing a plant grow creates a lot of happiness and positivity. Think of a plant, maybe a rose plant or tulsi and along with the child, plant it in a cute little planter. Let the child lead the task. Explain to the child that from this Children’s Day to the next one, every day the child will water the plant and shower love to the plant. In one year, the plant will grow quite well and then the next year. Seeing the plant grow, the child will feel very happy and proud. The plant will also ensure positivity in the house and bring positive vibes around. Apart from that, your child will learn responsibility and take care of the plant like its own little sibling or child.

The Lifestyle Portal wishes all the wonderful children a very Happy Children’s Day.