Island Parent Resource Guide Vol 35

PARENTING
Inexpensive Ways to
Create Family Memories
I
know
how it is, you scroll through
social media and see happy families on
epic vacations in sunny locations and
feel that familiar pang of jealousy. But
with the price of groceries and everything
else these days, for a lot of families it’s
hard to even be able to take the whole
family to the local movie theatre, let
alone on a trip! Your FOMO is taking
over, and you worry about being able to
provide exciting, memorable experiences
for your family.
Sure, vacations are fun, but you can
make happy family memories in your
own way, without having to spend a
fortune. Here are some budget-friendly
things you can do with your family to
create incredible memories, and hopefully
some new traditions.
Plant a Vegetable Garden. Have each
family member pick out a small vegetable
starter or pack of seeds and plant and
nurture a family garden. If you have
little to no yard space, or if it’s too cold
outside, this is easily something you can
do on a patio, or even indoors. Your kids
will love to eat the vegetables they grew
themselves!
Get out into Nature. We’re so lucky
to live on Vancouver Island where you
can explore a different park or beach
almost every day—pretty much yearround!
Make a point to explore every
green area or beach access in a local
neighbourhood or plan a day trip once
a month to explore one that’s in an area
you don’t visit often. Visit certain areas at
different times of the year to see how the
foliage changes.
Weekly Movie Nights. Choose a
family-friendly movie and make a night
of it. Make, or order, pizza and have
popcorn and other snacks. Unroll your
sleeping bags or make forts out of pillows
and blankets to create a fun, cozy
atmosphere.
Bake or Cook Together. Getting the
whole family into the kitchen to bake or
cook together is not only fun but helps
your kids gain important skills they’ll
need in the future. Even toddlers can
pour ingredients into bowls, so make sure
everyone has a job to help put your meal
together. If your kids are older, you could
even have a cookie bake-off or find out
who can make the wackiest cupcakes!
Family Games Night. A little friendly
competition between family members
teaches kids about sportsmanship and
helps kids learn important skills such as
counting money. Buy or borrow a variety
of games that the whole family will enjoy.
Have a Tea Party. Make or buy some
fancy treats, dress up in your fancy
clothes and use the fancy teapot! If your
kids are young, you could assign everyone
a fun character, or if your kids are
older you can come up with an inspiring
theme. This is a fantastic way for your
family to bond and create memories on a
rainy Saturday afternoon.
Volunteer Together. Volunteering
together is a fantastic way to give back
to the community and teach kids about
the importance of helping others. Most
cities on Vancouver Island have volunteer
databases you can look up online,
or call around to your local pet shelters,
homeless shelters, literacy foundations,
hospitals or any other organization your
family would like to help.
Be a Tourist in Your Own Town.
Once a month find a day for your family
to go exploring in your town. Watch
out for specials on local tourist attractions
during the off-season. If you’re not
finding any deals, or it’s the high season,
simply head to areas you rarely visit and
check out the local shops and have lunch
in a new-to-you restaurant.
Start a Family Book Club. If your
family can all read the same book, say
a Young Adult Adventure novel, then
read it together and discuss your book
together at certain intervals. If you have
younger kids or simply enjoy different
genres, have everyone pick out a book
and take a turn discussing what your
book was about, your favourite parts and
important lessons. On rainy days when
everyone is home, curl up with blankets
and pillows and have a family read-athon.
Erika Palmer is a writer living
in Victoria with her husband
and daughter. She believes
most problems can be solved
with a good cup of tea and a
huge piece of chocolate.
IslandParent.ca
Family Resource Guide Vol 35 5