Springtime for Families

Well, it's that beautiful time of year again, Springtime.  New buds popping up all over the place, new life in the fields, baby lambs skipping and hopping everywhere. 

Today, I want to encourage families everywhere to breathe in the Spring air and have a new lease of life in the family. 

Mum if you haven't relaxed with your children lately, take time off even if it's sitting in your own back garden and play with them talk with them, laugh with them.  Play a silly game that will encourage you all to laugh. Dad's have a game of football with them, challenge them at playstation, read a story together or better still invent one.  Build them a playhouse in the garden out of scrap material and a giant packing box, so what if it rains, who cares? You won't shrink!  Children, plague your parents to play WITH you, they need it too!  Life is too serious today, no wonder we have high levels of stress.  Just taking time to play with your children, really play with them can be as de-stressing for you as it is fun and exciting for them.

 I challenge you all to go out and do something together that you haven't done before.  Only one rule! It musn't be organised entertainment like the cinema or a fairgound or Circus or Alton Towers!  You have to be creative in keeping your money in your pocket and entertaining the children yourself.

In this age of technology and entertainment, it is all too easy to lose touch with your children as we 'pay' for them to be entertained by someone else.  Some of the funniest and most memorable times I have had with my son have been making cardboard swords that eventually get smashed to pieces and we laugh as we battle with two stumps of cardboard giggling hysterically as another piece drops off.

Children still like simplicity and can get overawed with all the 'stuff' available to them today.  So, my challenge for all you Mums and Dads our their today is simply....Go Out To Play!

Here are some idea starters if you are stuck.

Puppet Picnic in the Park.

Get all your soft toys, take them to the park and do a puppet show and picnic, you'd be surprised how many adults stop to watch!

Garden Olympics (its' topical)

Do a mini olympics in the garden, make your own gold and silver medals with cardboard and foil paper and podiums made from boxes and stools.  Olmpic egg and spoon or sack race using bin liners etc.

Start a radio station

Make one person the presenter and have them interview tha whole family 'onair' about different subjects.  you'll get to know more about one another, and it can be hysterical.

Home soap

Give every one a part and do impromptu mini dramas,  Someon esets the scene and give people a part and then every one ad libs. e.g. Scene at the supermarket. one person is the check out operater, and others have to ad lib different types of customers.

Have fun!  Let me know how you get on!

Jeremiah 2:13