50 Simple Ways to Connect With Your Kids

Your family is busy.

Sometimes, you get to the end of the day and you realize you really haven’t even LOOKED at your kids. You’ve just shuffled them from breakfast, to the bus, to homework, to bed.

And then, the guilt sets in. You know connection is important, but it’s hard to fit it all in!

Making meaningful connections with your kids throughout the day doesn’t have to be time-consuming.

Look for ways to make mini-connections with your kids throughout the day. While driving home from school, standing in line at the grocery store, or when they are just hanging around the kitchen waiting for dinner to be ready.

Mini-connections are simple. They don’t require a lot of extra materials. And usually take zero prep.

Here are some ideas to get you started…

50 Simple Ways to Connect With Your Kids

1. Smile
2. Laugh
3. Hug
4. High Five
5. Snuggle
6. Wrestle
7. Ask about their favorite (music, food, time of day…anything!)
8. Play a board game
9. Play a card game
10. Make up your own game
11. Sing a song
12. Make up a song
13. Have a dance party
14. Be quiet together
15. Color
16. Read a book
17. Tell a true story
18. Make up a story
19. Talk about when they were little
20. Look at family pictures or baby pictures
21. Write in a journal together
22. Do a craft project
23. Bake
24. Cook
25. Tell a joke
26. Be silly
27. Get down to their eye level
28. Look them in the eye
29. Share a snack
30. Ask more questions
31. Write a note
32. Talk less
33. Make paper airplanes
34. Play Simon Says
35. Play Tag
36. Play Hide and Seek
37. Give backrubs
38. Paint nails
39. Brush hair
40. Take a walk
41. Do yoga
42. Watch a sunrise or sunset
43. Make a fort
44. Give them your full attention
45. Be curious
46. Join in their play
47. Ask them to play with you
48. Offer help with a complicated/unpleasant task
49. Listen
50. Say, “I am so thankful that you are in our family!”

It’s good to have a variety of ideas to try, but don’t be put-off by this list. Make it work for you (or make a list with your kids!)

If your kids are older, you probably won’t be playing Simon Says, but you could definitely listen or write a note. Maybe there’s no way you would do a craft project, but you wouldn’t mind looking through old picture albums together.

Let’s face it. Life is busy. And your kids need to feel connected to you.

When you start to focus on “mini-connections” throughout the day, you may find that you can do both!

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