20 LDR Parent & Child Activities – Part 2

Last week we talked about some ways that you can stay connected to your children despite the distance. This week, we’re going to look at 10 more activities that you can do with your kids. So let’s jump back into the list!

eatboy11. Eat Dinner Together

Research shows that eating dinner together as a family actually has health benefits for every member of the family. And of course, we know how close it makes us feel to each other.

Even when the family is not physically together, you can still enjoy eating a meal together in real time on Skype. Because of work schedules and other issues, it may not be possible to have dinner together every night, but even having dinner together once a week will give your child a sense of stability.


12. Comedy Night

Children love to laugh and we love to hear their adorable little giggles. It’s cute to hear their little jokes as they learn to develop a sense of humor. So having a comedy night is a great way to connect with your little ones. Pick a date for your comedy night. Give yourself and your little one time to practice beforehand and rehearse your acts. Then take turns doing stand-up comedy. You can each tell your best jokes during your comedy hour. Your child will absolutely love this.


erxcersiceboy

13. Exercise Together

One of my favorite things to do with my mother as a child was her old Denise Austin exercise tapes. (Yep, I said tapes. Remember those?) You could use an online service like Rabb.it to watch an exercise tape together or put together your own exercise program and teach your kid the routine on Skype.

Either way, exercising together is a great activity to do with your children. Not only will it make you closer, it will also show them how important being health conscious is when they see how serious you are about it.


14. Digital Scrapbook

This one is for all of you die-hard scrapbookers. Have you been wanting to share your passion with your little one? Well, this is one is for you. You can use sites like cliptomize.com to create an online scrapbook together. Simply create an account that you can share and give your child the login information. Then you can both go in and add the scrapbook anytime you want.


dancegirl15. Dance Party

Children are little bundles of endless energy. And they love to use this energy by dancing around. You can have a dance party in real-time via Skype. This is a great activity to do if you have more than one child.

Come up with fun DJ names together and then take turns being the DJ in a freestyle dance party. Or you could pretend you’re in a dance competition. Pick a couple of judges and have them score each dance with score cards or X’s.


17. Family Field Trip Via Google Maps

Just because you’re miles away it doesn’t mean you can’t experience new things together. Plan a family field trip using Google Maps. You know the Street View feature that you use to get a peek at the restaurant so that you’ll recognize it later when it’s time to pick up your food? Yeah you can use it to look at other more interesting places with your little one. Like the Grand Canyon for example. Woah! That panoramic view is amazing. It’s like you’re there!


gardenbaby18. Urban Farming

Growing something together is a great way to connect with your kids. Children love messy projects and will love digging in the dirt. But you may wonder…What is Urban Farming?

Simply put, it’s growing a garden indoors. It doesn’t have to take up a lot of space. It can be as simple as a potted tomato plant. But it’s a great way to teach your children about where food comes from.


19. Have A Tea Party

“Would you like some tea Mrs. Nesbitt?” Children love tea parties. And they aren’t just for little girls. My little brother loved being “the refined gentleman” at my childhood tea parties. This is a great one to do on Skype. So pull out the teacups, extend your pinky and have a scone with your little one. They’ll love you for it.


theater20. Act Out Your Favorite Story

Another fun Skype activity to do with your kid is play acting. Children love to play pretend. So pick one of their favorite stories and put on a mini play.

Practice the character lines together then act out the scenes for your partner or another member of the family. Your little one will enjoy performing their favorite play.


Don’t Let Distance Stop You From Being Close to Your Children

Distance can make it difficult to stay close to our children, but not impossible. With so many resources available and this list of great ideas, we can remind our children how much we love them no matter where we are. These are just 20 ideas for staying connected to our children from a distance.

What do you do to stay close to your children? Let us know in the comments.