A family that plays together, stays together.
Our ideas of fun are as varied as our individuality. What’s most important is that you make time for yourself to have fun.
As the saying goes, ‘all work and no play makes Jill a dull girl.’ So, as a single mom, make sure you set aside time for playing, especially with your children. It is very easy for us as single moms to be so absorbed in work to a point where we think playtime is a waste of time.
Yes, the budget is tight. Yes, you need to work extra hard to be a good sole breadwinner. But guess what, working all the time will tense you up and you could end up being snappy and impatient with your children. The very same children that you are working so hard for.
Precious Family Memories
When my youngest son was ten he and I went on a month lon trip to the USA. We went on a cruise to the Bahamas, visited Disney Orlando and road tripped from Orlando to Philadelphia to spend time with my brother and his family. Up to today (he turns 16 this year), his eyes light up when we reminisce about that trip. We can talk for ages about it and each time we do, opens the way for us to talk about so much more.
Not all fun activities need be this costly and elaborate. You can plan for these fun activities to do together with your children:
1. Play Board Games
There are a variety of boardgames that are not expensive to buy. Good examples are checkers, snakes and ladders, Monopoly®, etc. Invest in several good quality board games as they will come in handy over and over again.
2. Go Hiking
Put on those walking shoes and hit the nearest hiking track together. It may be necessary to drive to where hiking is possible. You can choose a simple track or a more challenging one. Invite another family to join you whenever you can. Be friends with a couple family, from your church for example, whose dad can be a male influence to your kids.
3. Roll Out a Picnic
Prepare some yummy picnic food and whip out that picnic blanket. You can picnic at home in your backyard or lounge, or you can go to the nearest recreation park. Invest in a proper picnic basket and quality containers to keep food and drink safe and fresh.
4. Prepare a Treasurer Hunt
This is loads of fun for younger kids. Prepare a treasure map with clues leading to where treasures like sweets, toys, books etc are hidden. A trick to make the map look ancient is to crumple it and quickly dunk it in coffee then drying. Ripping it at the edges would add more pazzaz to the ancient look.
5. Plan a Movie Night
We enjoy doing this with my kids even now when they are older. Again you can watch the movie at home or at the cinema house. If at home make some popcorn and snacks too. Documentaries can double up as great discussion and learning opportunities, so be flexible with movie genres.
Precious memories are created with simple fun activities done together as a family. Take a break, leave some chores undone for a little while. The world will not stop spinning because of that. Attacking the chores together to free up time to play can also be part of the fun.
Leave a comment letting us know what your family’s favourite fun activities are.
Nomusa At Home 
I heard of a family that would let each child be provider of snacks at a fee on movie night. Mom would pay, teaching the children entrepreneurship and money making skills while playing together.
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