We all get a free afternoon from time to time. Maybe an appointment was canceled, or your meeting was rescheduled for another day, or you simply decided to take a little bit of time to yourself? No matter the reason, you’ve got a good few hours ahead of you with absolutely nothing planned! Both you and the kids are indoors while the sun’s out and you’ve got some time to make the most of it — what should you do? Check out these four ideas that you can get together in a matter of minutes that’ll ensure fun for everyone.
Pack a Quick Picnic
Picnics are a super fun way to spend the afternoon. If there’s a green space nearby, get out a big box, hamper, or cool bag and pop some yummy treats inside. Don’t take too long making the picnic – you just want ready to eat and/or finger foods here – and then head outside and get stuck in. Don’t forget a blanket to sit on or wet wipes to clean sticky hands with either!
Have a Movie Marathon
Movie marathons are super easy to arrange. All you need is a TV, a sofa, and some snacks to dig into! If you want your free afternoon to be lowkey and relaxing, this is the pick for you. Get the kids sat down, get your bowls of popcorn ready, and then vote on the movies you want to watch, or pick a theme like the best holiday movies and stick to that for the course of the marathon.
Plan a ‘Crafternoon’
A crafternoon is a lot of fun for people of all ages, simply because you can dig out any crafting materials you like and put together a special creation of your own. If you’ve got a big box of stickers, paper, glue, glitter, googly eyes, and felt scraps, set the kids off on building projects of their own. Whether you’re trying to make sock puppets, clothespin crafts, greetings cards, or collages and tactile pictures, you can spend the next two to three hours making fun things before dinner is ready.
Make a Garden Obstacle Course
If it’s a lovely day and you’ve spent a lot of time indoors recently, why not set up a garden obstacle course for the whole family to have a go at? Whether you’ve got inflatable soft play equipment or giant garden versions of games like chess, you can use the pieces to create a course and have everyone run through as quickly as possible. Time each other, change the course as you all master it, and make sure you’re encouraging each other to give it your best shot. Most importantly, keep laughing!
If you’ve got a free afternoon and you’ve not got any plans for it, try out one of the ideas above and have some fun. A free afternoon should be restful and relaxing, and if the kids are at home with you, get them all involved for a great time!