As is the case with most working parents, finding family time as well as time for home DIY projects is incredibly tricky and often difficult to find, if at all. Here are some ways to spend some quality time with the kids, while being productive too.
Luckily, there’s a host of simple, fun and kid-friendly DIY projects that combine spending time with your kids with the odd jobs that improve the overall aesthetic of your home as well as maintain its value. Below are five home projects that are safe for the whole family to get stuck into:
1. Gardening
Gardening is a great way to get your kids onboard with improving your great outdoors while learning about the wonders of the natural world around them. Get your little one’s hands dirty by letting them help build and plant a herb or vegetable garden. Not only will they enjoy watching things grow, it will also be a rewarding (and money-saving!) endeavour for you all in the long run. You can also get them involved in repotting houseplants to bring a bit of the beauty of the outdoors inside with them. Creating a rockery is also a great way for your kids to express their creativity in a practical and appealing way. Succulents are pretty hardy and can withstand the force of eager fingers so start off with these!
2. Spring cleaning
Spring cleaning can be a task worthy of incorporating the whole family into, especially if presented in a new and interesting way. By introducing your kids to and teaching them about home organisational practices such the KonMari Method, you can help them get through a normally tedious spring clean by getting them get excited and reimagining their space - a lesson they can carry with them into their future homes. A simple rearranging or refurbishment of old furniture can also make any room look and feel like new, so get your kids in on sanding and repainting those outdated pieces as opposed to throwing them out and replacing them with new ones.
3. Painting
Everyone knows that a fresh coat of paint does wonders in bringing a breath of fresh air to any space without too much effort. Another huge plus is that painting is 100% kid-friendly and mostly easy to fix if there are any unfortunate mishaps! While the adults deal with preparing the room and then the fine detail of cutting once painting gets going, your kids can creatively go to town and join in on the large wall spaces in between! Go one step further and make things a lot more engaging for your kids by getting them to vote on which colour or colours to go with in each room!
While most renovations are a little too much to ask of any kid, the simpler and easier tasks such as sanding furniture or even pulling up an old carpet can be made into a fun weekend project for the whole household to tackle! Kit your kids out with some gloves, safety goggles and sandpaper and challenge them to a race of who can sand down a surface or pull up a section of carpeting the fastest! Not only can this help make quick of these projects and give you a much needed set of extra hands, it can give you some solid connecting time while encouraging your kids to be active.
5. Making paving stones
Making your own paving stones at home is another entertaining and creative home project you can get your kids involved with. Not only is mixing and pouring concrete into molds a fun activity for any kid, you can allow them to make things personal by adding their own decorative flair to the mix. Get your kids to collect marbles, shells or pretty gemstones and decorate the top of the pavers however they wish. This will bring a personal touch as well as an attractive walking feature to your outdoor area.
At the end of the day, incorporating your kids into household projects is an easy way to get in some bonding time while taking care of household business! Though things will probably be a lot slower (and even messier!) with your kids involved, this seems a small price to pay for the precious memories you’ll be making for the future.
