Budget-friendly ideas for Family Fun
A picturesque Winter Wonderland is usually magnificent icescapes and overindulgent hot chocolate. But Winter fun, and spending time with family doesn’t need to be expensive. If activities with your family drain your wallet, then it’s likely that you won’t be doing it often. The greatest memories of your childhood, that are closest to your heart, can be in the comfort of your own home.
Today, we will cover ways you can spend time with your family during the Winter season without breaking the bank.
1. Unleash your inner artist
Arts and crafts aren’t only for children. It’s a way to express yourself and splash some personality onto a canvas. You don’t have to get fancy with your materials and can use what you have in your home. If anything, it can make it even more interesting. Make it into a treasure hunt and gather empty bottles, newspapers, left over paints and magazines.
You can either make a family collage or set a challenge to see who is the most creative with their items. You can set a theme or be daring and leave it open-ended. See where it takes you and the options to get creative is endless!
2. Get competitive in the kitchen
Where there’s competition, there’s heat, and there’s no better place to turn up the heat than in the kitchen. Turn your kitchen into a cooking battleground and set you and your loved ones a cooking challenge.
Set a time limit, a budget and select a dish. You can split into teams to encourage team work and bonding. Finish it off with a judging segment where you’re able to taste your master pieces and crown a Winner. A cooking challenge is a great way to get your children into the kitchen to develop cooking skills and spend time as a family indoors.
3. Get into character
Reading is great way to escape into any time zone or a different universe. You may physically be in your living room in London, but there’s no reason you can’t transport your mind and senses to an alternative reality.
A cosy story time in Winter, dressed in your warmest clothes and wrapped in your blanket like a burrito is a great way to pass the time during the Winter chill. Take it up a notch by choosing a family favourite, grabbing snacks, building a fort with pillows and blankets and taking turns to read segments.
Don’t be shy to get into character and show off your acting voices. If you’re able to highlight a specific theme for the book, then you make your snacks and area match the theme for a more immersive event
4. Get fit as a family
Indoor fun during Winter doesn’t mean you must stay still. If you’ve got the room, then get together to do a fun workout. Get everyone involved and get moving to get yourselves warm and keep fit.
Switch it up by following a video or even getting the children to lead the workout. This will keep it interesting as they may have you stretching in new ways. You can also keep fit by playing games to help you move. It dosen’t need to be all jumping jacks and skipping.
5. Movie marathon
Like immersing yourself into an alternative universe with reading, make movie night more interesting by getting into character, dressing up and getting themed snacks. Stick on a family favourite so there’s no conflict over the remote control and sit back and enjoy a few hours of entertainment.
If a movie dosen’t keep everyone entertained for long, instead of watching a full movie, watch the best bits and then have a go at acting them out, or get creative and write alternative endings. There’s no right way to melt into a movie marathon, just go along with what works best for your cast.
6. Get spa-ready
There’s plenty of ways you can get them involved in a spa day. Make natural face masks using home ingredients safe for everyone, and encourage them to make decorations that makes your home feel more like a spa. Get everyone to lie back, with some cucumbers as eyes and fill their face with cooling face-masks.
With Winter often drying out skin, there’s plenty of face-masks out there that encourage moisture and leave you feeling dewy and fresh. The colder season can make it harder to practice self-care, so why not involve the whole family.
You don’t need to get out of your own home to feel zen. You can do it from the comfort of your own home without draining your wallet. Everyone deserves a little relaxation, even the little ones.
It’s bonding time
These are just a few ways you can get your family ready for some bonding time, whilst on a budget. It’s difficult to get everyone together and grab their attention from their phones and gaming consoles, but once you’re able to, it will be worth it.