Parents tend to put a lot of pressure on themselves to make their child's early years as fun as possible and playdates are no exception to this rule. If you are a parent, you may have found yourself freaking out over planning the perfect playdate that your child will remember for the rest of their life.
Playdates don't have to be stressful. With some effective planning and a little inspiration, your child will be able to enjoy a playdate full of fun and connection.
Playdates are an excellent opportunity for your child to learn essential social skills, like communication and sharing. They also allow your child to develop friendships outside of school. It is important to note that children do not need an extravagant playdate to reap these benefits.
For those parents who are feeling nervous about their child's upcoming playdate, struggling to come up with fun ideas for the children to enjoy, we are here to help you.
Plan Some Arts and Crafts
Nurture the children's inner artist with some fun arts and crafts! This is a great playdate idea that doesn't have to be expensive at all. There are tons of different projects you can set up that will cultivate your child's creative spirit. A few examples include:
Make tie-dye shirts: There are tons of excellent tie-dye kits that include everything you need to complete this project. Just follow the instructions, and the kids will come out of this playdate with a unique piece of clothing they got to create themselves.
Paint a portrait: For this activity, just gather some paper and non-toxic paint. This activity has so much potential. You can take the kids outside and ask them to paint what they see. You can have the kids paint portraits of themselves, each other, or their families. You can even just let the kids paint whatever comes to their creative little minds!
Cookie or cake decorating: You can find a plain cake or cookies at the store, purchase some pre-made icing and food coloring along with it, and just let
the children create their own little culinary masterpieces.
The thing about arts and crafts is that you don't have to spend a lot of money to do them. You can use household items, find something at the dollar store, or search for supplies in nature. There are essentially no limits to what you can do when planning your child's playdate with arts and crafts!
Do Some Science Experiments
Science experiments can be fun for kids of all different ages. Not only will doing some science experiments bring the children an excellent source of entertainment during their playdate, but it will also allow them an excellent opportunity to learn. A few ideas for science experiments include:
Color-changing flowers: gather some white flowers, food coloring, and vases or glasses to hold the flowers. Fill each glass with some water. Put some food coloring in the glass. Trim the stem and put the flower into the container. Overnight, the flower will begin to change colors.
Volcanoes: this is a great science experiment that many of us have probably done at one point in our childhoods or another. I would highly recommend taking this experiment outside as it can get quite messy. Find an outdoor area full of gravel or sand that you can use to create your volcano. Build a mound out of the gravel or sand. Grab a cup and mix some water, baking soda, dish soap, and red food coloring (for the lava, of course). Build a hole in your mound to place the cup. Once your materials are ready, pour some vinegar in and watch your volcano explode!
DIY slime: this is another experiment that can get quite messy, so find a space that you won't mind a mess. There are tons of recipes online for different slime recipes that can bring your children loads of fun!
Science experiments are fun and educational, making them the perfect activity for a playdate for your child.
Have a Talent Show
Every kid wants to show off their many talents. Hosting a mini talent show on your child's playdate will be a fun activity that will keep everyone happy. You can set up a stage, grab your old karaoke machine, set up a dress-up closet, and let your kids run the show. Sit back and be entertained as the children show off their many talents like singing, dancing, or who knows what else!
Have a Picnic or Tea Party
Picnics and tea parties make great playdate activities. You can have your children to dress up in their fanciest costumes, lay out a delicious spread, and enjoy your meal in the great outdoors. Once the children are done eating, they can run around the park and get their exercise for the day.
Board Games
Board games are excellent indoor activities that can keep children entertained for a good chunk of time. Gather some classics, like Monopoly or Candyland, and embrace your child's inner competitor.
Set-up a Ball Game
Speaking of your children's inner competitor, setting up a ball game will be an excellent opportunity for your little one to get their daily exercise in. You can set your yard up for a game of soccer, kickball, football, or basketball and watch as the children compete to win some bragging rights.
Playdates don't always have to include a trip to the playground, although that is a pretty fun time for the kids. They can consist of science experiments, arts and crafts, games, and so much more. No matter what you decide to do for your child's playdate, know that they will have fun either way. It can be so easy to get caught up in thinking that every playdate has to be filled to the brim with the perfect, fun activities.
While planning activities for the kid's playdate is an excellent idea for having fun and staying organized, know that playdates are fun in and of themselves. Your child will be happy to be hanging out with a friend their own age one way or the other, so don't stress too much about planning the perfect day for them.