Weekends are precious for most people, but almost more so when you are a nurse.  They can be few and far between, so we want to make them last and be as memorable as possible for our families.  But, we don’t want them to be complicated to arrange either – weekends should not be yet another source of stress.

Nurses, here are 6 weekend activities to enjoy with the entire family:

1. Play tourist in your own city or town

If you’re like many people, you may not know what your area has to offer.  If your children are older, they can help track down visitor attractions and make lists of what they would like to see and do.

2. Treasure hunts

Want a unique way to see your own neighborhood?  Have a treasure hunt.  If you’re staying local, walking distance or bicycle, you may want to pair up older children, or you can pair up an adult and a child or two.  Have a list of things that you need to collect or get photos of (this is where camera phones come in very handy!) and a time and place where you are all to meet.

3. Movies or plays in the park

Some communities offer entertainment in the park during warmer weather.  Check your local community services to see if they offer such a thing.

4. Seasonal sports

Do you live in a winter city?  Don’t skate?  Maybe it’s time to learn!  Skating with your family is not only a fun thing to do, it’s great exercise.  Summertime?  Go on a family bike ride with picnic supplies or ice cream money for a rest half-way through.

5. Have an at-home restaurant

This is an activity that young children can enjoy too.  Plan to have a “fancy” restaurant dinner at home.  Sit down with the family and plan the menu, then divvy up the chores.  Younger children can be assigned to draw placemats, children who can write can write up menus, and so on.

Make meal prep a family thing and then set the table as you would in a restaurant.  You could even dress up and make the whole evening truly special.

6. Does your family like music?

If you live near a college or university that offers music programs, sometimes there are free music concerts put on by the students.  This may be worth checking out.

Because weekends can fly by, it’s easy to just use the days to catch up on chores and things we feel we need to do.  But, precisely because they do fly by, we should take advantage of this time.  Doing things with your family doesn’t have to be expensive.  It’s the time and the fun that they – and you – will remember.

By Marijke Vroomen-Durning

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