Slowing Down for a Family Play Date

Thank you to Spin Master for sponsoring this post. 

Hectic is an understatement when it comes to the holiday season.

We still have a long way to go and I’m already feeling stressed. I can tell my family is feeling the same way — we’ve had kids sniping at each other for no reason, toddler meltdowns, and more. When we get busy like this, I know we need a break. It is so easy to get caught up in our to-do lists this time of year, and forget to slow down and enjoy the people we love. Slow down and enjoy a family play date with a favorite game to help everyone enjoy the holiday season.

With 6 kids, it can be hard to find something that everyone enjoys. Most games are geared towards either my older or younger kids and aren’t fun to watch for anyone not playing. Hedbanz has released the 2nd edition of their popular guessing game so we pulled this out to play as a family. We were in desperate need of a family play date with how crazy our schedule has been lately and it was the perfect option.

This was a HUGE hit. Everyone from my teenager to my 5 year old had fun playing (or watching) and it was a great opportunity to spend some time together as a family.

We have been so busy lately that we haven’t had any time to just have fun together. We desperately needed a family playdate, not just for my younger kids but my older kids too.

I think my teenager has been gone this month more than he’s been home and I miss him. His friends and other activities are way more exciting than hanging out with us at home. With twin toddlers and a kindergartner, our life at home moves at a slower pace than he likes. Of course, it feels crazy to me but, then again, my idea of a fun Friday night is chilling out in my PJ’s.

So how do you take a time out and have a family play date?

Just do it. If you wait for the perfect time, it will never happen. Our schedule is crazy and we have kids going every direction. If we waited for a lull to play together we’d never have a family play date. Sometimes you just have to stop what you are doing and play . . . even if it is only for 15 minutes.

Focus on the memories. Our family play dates never go the way I want them to. Someone is usually grumpy. We are probably putting off something else that we need to get done. It’s never Pinterest-worth. But none of that matters. We end up having fun together and I know those are the parts my kids are going to remember as they grow up.

Changes things up. Having a family play date is all about finding things you like to do together. Don’t be afraid to try something new. We’ll often take turns letting different kids choose an activity. That helps them feel like their opinions are valuable and we make sure that we are rotating through activities that each kid enjoys.

My teenager took a little convincing to sit down and play with us but by the end, he was laughing right along with us.

I love those moments when you can transform someone’s attitude with a bit of fun.

Check out our fun afternoon in action here:

The Hedbanz game from Spin Master is geared towards ages 7+. I had just as much fun as my kids. My younger girls had so much fun watching us play and my 5 1/2 year old loved jumping in and being on my “team” or trying to guess a few cards on her own.

We had lots of fun, but I also loved that the game really got my kids thinking too. In the beginning we struggled to guess our cards ( me included), and as we played we began to think more analytically.

You can find the 2nd Edition of Hedbanz on Amazon.