Do you often find yourself unable to find quality time with your child as a busy parent? This is a problem that many parents can relate to in this busy world we live in.
According to Sarah Rushford, Assistant Coordinator at Ebenezer Child Care Centers’ Oak Creek location, “The whole family can benefit from family date nights and they can be super easy and inexpensive.”
“Milwaukee, West Allis, Wauwatosa and Oak Creek have tons of events and destinations where families can spend some quality time together for very little or no cost.
Here are some fun seasonal ideas to get you started in planning your special family date nights:
Winter
Go sledding and enjoy some hot chocolate afterwards; explore an outdoors store (like Cabela’s); try ice skating together; go on a winter hike in the woods; bake cookies and give them to your neighbors; build a snowman; or attend a dog-sledding race.
Spring
Go to a garden center and buy materials to plant a vegetable garden together; paint kindness rocks and hide them around town; explore some county parks; fly a kite; head to Boerner Botanical Gardens to see the flowers in bloom; or attend a baseball game.
Summer
Go out for ice cream; visit the Milwaukee County Zoo; have a picnic in the park; visit a beach; go kayaking or canoeing on nearby river; try camping; take a long bike ride; go fishing; play with sidewalk chalk; or blow bubbles.
Fall
Go browsing at a pet store; visit a farmers market; head to your favorite pumpkin farm/apple orchard; go on a photo scavenger hunt; star gaze; take fresh-baked cookies to a police or fire station; or perform random acts of kindness in your community.
Any time of the year
Scrapbook together and talk about favorite memories; buy a craft or LEGO kit and work together on it; head to the library and read the books you check out together; head to a movie (don’t forget that Marcus Theatres has $5 movies on Tuesday nights); create a recipe together; head to your favorite museum together; go bowling; go out for dinner (take advantage of Kids Eat Free nights); or run to the Dollar Store to buy something silly.
“This is just the beginning of many ideas that you and your child could plan together,” Rushford adds, “Date nights can be as simple as turning off the TV and playing a board game. Be creative and have fun. Don’t forget to check out your local community paper or website for additional ideas.”
“Remember, your child is looking to spend quality time with you and it doesn’t matter how or where. Make 2019 a time you intentionally build-in family date nights to ensure quality time is made for you and your child,” she says.
Ebenezer Child Care Centers is a not-for-profit, locally based agency committed to providing early childhood programs from the heart. The agency prides itself on being different from other child care providers in that it offers a home-like atmosphere; individualized, nurturing care; and a structured curriculum that is virtues-based for every child’s developmental stage. Every Ebenezer Child Care Center focuses on all aspects of a child’s development: cognitive, physical, emotional, and social. In addition to providing quality care, the agency also offers other educational programming all aimed at helping parents.
The agency has locations in on Milwaukee’s southside and in downtown Milwaukee, Oak Creek, and West Allis/Wauwatosa. The agency’s main office is located at 1496 South 29th Street, Milwaukee. For more information, please call 414-643-5070.
