Money Time: Fun Activity Ideas

Create a visual 'bank' where family members earn 'time coins' for helpful actions. Once the bank is full, the family 'cashes it in' for a special activity together, teaching the value of contributing and spending quality time.

Instructions:

1. Find a large, clear jar and decorate it together. Label it 'Our Family Time Bank.'

2. Decide as a family what actions will earn a 'time coin' (a pom-pom). Examples: helping a sibling, setting the table without being asked, 15 minutes of reading.

3. When a family member completes an earning action, they proudly add a pom-pom to the jar.

4. Set a goal line on the jar. When the pom-poms reach the line, celebrate and choose a special family activity to do together, like a picnic, movie night, or trip to the ice cream shop.

You will need:

• Large clear jar

• Colorful craft pom-poms

Turn cleanup into a fast-paced game. By setting a timer, children learn that chores can be completed quickly with focus, transforming a mundane task into an exciting challenge against time.

Instructions:

1. Identify one specific area to clean, like putting all the blocks back in their bin.

2. Ask your child, 'How fast do you think we can do this? Let's try to do it in 5 minutes!'

3. Set a timer and shout 'Ready, set, go!'

4. Put on some high-energy music and tidy up alongside your child, cheering them on.

5. Celebrate with a high-five or a victory dance when you beat the clock!

You will need:

• Kitchen timer or smartphone timer

Empower your child by letting them help plan their special 'want-to-do' activities for the week. This visual menu teaches planning, choice-making, and the joy of anticipating scheduled fun.

Instructions:

1. On Sunday, sit down together and brainstorm fun activities you could do in the coming week (e.g., bake, playground trip, board game, craft).

2. Write or draw simple pictures for 3-4 chosen activities on a whiteboard.

3. Look at the week's calendar together and let your child help decide which day to do each fun activity.

4. Place the whiteboard on the fridge. Throughout the week, you can both look at it and get excited for the 'fun menu' item of the day.

You will need:

• Small magnetic whiteboard for the fridge

• Dry-erase markers

A hands-on storytelling activity that helps children think about choices. By arranging stones painted with daily activities, kids can create a story of how they would 'spend' or 'save' their time throughout a day.

Instructions:

1. First, have fun collecting smooth, flat stones from outside. Wash and dry them.

2. Using paint pens, draw simple icons of daily activities on the stones. For example: a bed (save/rest), a book (read), an apple (eat), a soccer ball (play), a TV (screen time).

3. Once the stones are dry, place them in a small bag.

4. Let your child pull out the stones and arrange them in an order to tell a story of their ideal day.

5. Ask questions like, 'You chose to spend your time reading first! What will you do after that?'

You will need:

• Smooth, flat stones

• Non-toxic acrylic paint pens

A simple but powerful visual tool to help children understand sequence and delayed gratification. By showing a 'must-do' task first and a 'want-to-do' reward second, it makes transitions smoother and teaches basic time management.

Instructions:

1. Create a simple board on a piece of cardstock, divided in two sections labeled 'FIRST' and 'THEN'. You can laminate it for durability.

2. Create small picture cards of common tasks (e.g., 'put on shoes,' 'brush teeth,' 'clean up toys') and rewards (e.g., 'play outside,' 'tablet time,' 'snack'). Put Velcro dots on the back of the cards and on the board.

3. When it's time to do a task, present the board. Place the 'must-do' task card under 'FIRST' and the desired activity under 'THEN'.

4. Say, 'FIRST, we clean up the blocks, THEN we can have a snack.' This visually shows them the plan and what they are working towards.

You will need:

• Laminator and laminating pouches (optional but helpful)

• Cardstock paper

• Velcro dots