Escaping Groundhog Day with the kids is easy and achievable with these practical solutions to change up your daily routine (and your head space too!).
One of the biggest struggles I had when the twins were young was that every day felt the same. I would wake up, shower, feed kids, wash clothes, play, put kids down for nap, clean house, play, fold washing, feed kids, bath, and then bedtime. I didn’t go out often and eventually, it started to feel like Groundhog Day with kids – and it drove me nuts! Something had to change, so I made a change in my routine which created a bit of balance for both the kids and I.
When the twins were born I had a strict feeding and sleep routine. I did this for my sanity because it was too hard to feed two babies whilst out at the shops, and they didn’t sleep very well in their prams compared to a good 2 hour solid sleep in their cots. So like most new mums, I would organise any outings around their times.
The Solution: Create A Plan!
As I mentioned, I had the terrible case of feeling like every day was Groundhog Day. Between feeding the babies and cleaning the house I was going stir crazy, and I had to change things up! I managed to overcome Groundhog Day by planning activities the kids and I would enjoy, with a specific activity for each weekday. This was easier when the twins could walk and enjoy various activities, although when they were younger I loved the days we would go to mum and baby groups. It was a great chance for me to catch up and chat with other mums.
Having an activity plan was great for me to follow and I could easily plan a few days prior to make sure we had what we needed for baking or arts and craft activities.
How To Create A Plan
I created this Fun Weekday Activities For Kids plan below, which is available as an instant download from my shop. You can laminate this plan and pop it on the fridge, or frame and sit on the kitchen bench. Then you simply use a black marker to scribble down a different plan for you and the kids each week. At the end of the week you can wipe it clear and start again.
Now, this is my plan below, and last time I shared this many people had a good laugh at Friday’s activity. Do you see it…?
It took me a while to see it, but now I can’t not see it! Fart and craft on Friday wasn’t exactly what I had in mind – LOL!
Keep It Simple
Having something fun planned for you and your kids is often all you need to mix your days up, but don’t overdo it! Avoid feeling stressed and rushed by starting with small achievable activities, and try to balance bigger days out and about with quieter days at home.
This is the activity plan that I used to follow when creating fun weekday activities for my kids when they were younger.
MONDAY: LIBRARY
I used to do my weekly grocery shop on a Monday and as the library wasn’t far from the grocery store, we would visit the library before grocery shopping. We would find books and read them while at the library and find some fun new books to bring home to read during the week. Sometimes the library had activities on for the kids, so it’s good to check your local library website and plan your day around the times for scheduled activities.
On a separate note, I have since discovered the benefits of online grocery shopping, and highly recommend this to anyone with little kids at home!
TUESDAY: BAKING
We had so much fun getting messy in the kitchen (and still do!) when the kids were young. I would intentionally plan this to happen the day after grocery day. Toddlers love to help pour ingredients into the bowl and mix, then afterwards give the spoon and bowl a good lick (sorry mum, you have to share now!). I have always cooked with my kids and I can see why they have a love for cooking now. It provides a beautiful time to bond and now as teens I love that they know how to cook.
SHOP: My Lunch Box Recipes Cookbook is packed with heaps of recipes for kids (and adults!) to enjoy
WEDNESDAY: GAMES
We often played games on other days, but on a Wednesday we played fun games for most of the morning. Board games, card games, hide and seek, imaginative play etc. Now my kids are older we still always make time to play board games because it brings so much laughter into the house. As the kids get older I can see that they really love this family time too.
THURSDAY: OUTDOORS
A great way to beat the boredom is to get out of the house and breath in some fresh air. Either play in the park, go for a swim, or a walk with kids on their scooter. Then you can come home and have wind down time snuggling on the couch reading a book.
FRIDAY: ARTS & CRAFTS
Get creative at home by bringing out the paints, craft materials, and the glue, and get those imaginations flowing. Art and craft is great for sensory play to help promote their learning and development. You could even have a crack at making some non-toxic homemade paints.
READ MORE: Non-Toxic DIY Paint Recipe For Kids
WEEKEND: FAMILY TIME
The weekend was usually unstructured, and was an opportunity to spend family time with Dad. We would have one home day and another we would try to venture out of the house – our favourite outing was a picnic in the park.
OTHER ACTIVITY IDEAS
- Playgroup
- Walk
- Picnic
- Visit Grandma
- Visit friends
- Visit Daddy for lunch
Get Your Printable
Kids love to be in the know and keep up with what’s happening. My Fun Weekday Activities For Kids printable can be put on the fridge, blu-tac’d to a wall, or framed and placed on the kitchen bench so they can read what is planned for the day.
My Fun Weekday Activities For Kids printable can be purchased as an editable version in a 5 or 7 day plan, so that you can personalise it with your own activities.
Share Your Tips
I would really love you to share your ideas and tips with us below, as we all run our families and households differently and your tip may make a difference to another mum. Be sure to read the comments yourself, as there can be some great advice in there from other mums going through the same struggles.
READ MORE: 9 Cleaning Shortcuts To Save You Time And Energy
3 comments
I can’t help myself… You do realise that now it’s seems to be saying ‘wart’ and crafts??
THink it will be hard no matter the day, MART, TART, WART, FART…… hehhee oh the giggles my 7yr old will have with it though esp when she shares that reading knowledge with her 5yr old sister!
When my kids were primary school age (with one in high school) we had one day outside the home activity and one day at home where we did the housework and prep for our day out.
I think we only had one lot of school holidays where we only went out one day in the fortnight due to misbehaviour and non-compliance with helping do the chores.
The amazing part was that was the third set of school holidays that we followed that routine, must have been some adolescent crankiness and teasing from the oldest child. 🙂 I do remember she was the ring leader.
Every other school holiday was wonderful. We lived near water at the time, so we would go swimming on hot days or for walks along the lake edge. One winter time we wanted to go to a shop to buy some craft items but there was no where to leave our bicycles safely tethered. I came up with the idea of putting one bike chain through three bikes and a second bike chain from the other end of our four bikes through three bikes. Nobody was going to easily walk off with four bikes at a time.
There was a lovely bike path near our house and we used it a lot to reach people we visited or the shops or parks for fun and exploring. We would take a picnic lunch or some munchies & water if we went home for lunch.
We rode at the safest pace for the slowest rider. Which was the youngest child when we started, but later it was me who was slowest and the kids would ride around me in circles.