51 Ways to Connect with Your Kids

Over the last two weeks, I’ve shared my ideas about ways to connect with your kids and why that is so important. I am by no means an expert in this area! I wrote this 10-day series because it’s something that’s been on my heart lately—something I need to work on. Researching and writing about this topic has been a great way to remind myself to put these ideas into practice.

I hope I’ve inspired you to connect with your kids, whether that’s in little ways or big. The years may seem long when our kids are little, but as they get older, time seems to pass faster. Let’s make beautiful childhood memories for our kids to look back on.

To wrap up this series, here’s a list of 51 ways to connect with your kids. This isn’t meant to add pressure to you as a mom—take the ideas that work for your family and use them, and ignore the rest! Some ideas are little, everyday ideas and some are big, once-a-year ideas. Have fun!

51 ways to connect with your kids

1. Ask questions—about their day, classes, opinions, ideas, books and movies, etc.
2. Learn something new together.
3. Show and tell—something from work, something you saw, memories from your childhood.
4. Celebrate special occasions—birthdays, baptismal anniversaries, patron saint days, etc.
5. Write thank you notes to each other.
6. Do a jigsaw puzzle together.
7. Go on a picnic.
8. Give hugs.
9. Read a book or listen to an audio book.
10. Go for an evening walk.
11. Create a photobook and look at it together.
12. Cook meals as a family.
13. Say “I love you” frequently.
14. Colour, doodle or draw together.
15. Have a karaoke night or sing along with your favourite CD.
16. Go on one-on-one dates with each of your kids regularly.
17. Play a board game together.
18. Eat one meal a day together. (If supper doesn’t work, eat breakfast together!)
19. Say please, thank you, and you’re welcome.
20. Celebrate accomplishments (no matter how small!).
21. Laugh together.
22. Create a family bucket list.
23. Write a family motto and hang it on the wall.
24. Go to church together.
25. Have a movie-of-the-week or weekly movie night. (Check out my father-daughter movies, mother-daughter movies or back-to-school movies lists for ideas!)
26. Fix things together.
27. Leave notes for each other or text each other.
28. Volunteer together.
29. Say “I’m sorry” and “I forgive you.”
30. Take silly selfies and stick them on the fridge.
31. Invite other families over for dinner, board games, etc.
32. Exercise together.
33. Practice random acts of kindness.
34. Make family time a priority.
35. Ask each other what you are grateful for.
36. Pray together.
37. Make a family tree.
38. Be positive.
39. Tell jokes. (Our kids love knock-knock jokes. Even two-year-olds get into these.)
40. Take an annual family photo and hang it on the wall.
41. Start a new family tradition.
42. Show up to each other’s events.
43. Do chores together.
44. Visit museums.
45. Plan a seasonal event every year.
46. Grow something together.
47. Make a movie together—either with stopmotion animation or with your smartphone or video camera. Share it with friends or family!
48. Buy experiences instead of “things” for each other.
49. Work on a family project together.
50. Conduct family interviews (include grandparents and aunts and uncles!).
51. Pick flowers or berries at a local u-pick farm.

I hope these ways to connect with your kids inspire you to have fun together! If you have more ideas, share them in the comments.