20+ Things To Do For One-on-One Time With Your Kids

Ways to spend Individual time with your Children

For anyone with more than one child, finding ways to spend one-on-one time with your kids is easier said than done. Without intentionally setting out to spend individual time with each child… that’s exactly what has happened in the last six months or so. I suspect a lot of it has to do with the sadness and stress of the whole year and my desire to boost the kids’ spirits. But I’m also finding as they get older, they appreciate the one on one time more than ever so… win-win.

Back in December, I took Louisa to see the Rockettes in New York City as a belated birthday celebration for her. We’re a short train ride from the city and I was able to get Black Friday tickets to the show! We went to Dylan’s Candy Shop and had frozen hot chocolate at Serendipity and had the best day together playing hookie.

And just last week, Martha and I did something similar but went to Ellen’s Stardust Diner to have lunch while the servers sang Broadway songs around us, we grabbed a bag of M&Ms at the M&M Store and then… Frozen on Broadway. Having a whole day to enjoy each other and watch them giggle is more meaningful to me than it is to them I suspect!

But spending one on one time doesn’t have to such fanfare. These were exceptions and something that I only do for special occasions like birthdays. There are loads of other ways to spend some solo time with your kids.  We live a few train stops away from an aquarium so that’s something Arthur and I did this past fall and it was a big hit! Honestly, just riding the train is an adventure for him so adding the aquarium was just icing on the cake.

I’ll often bring one of the kids along with me to run errands (a common answer from lots of you too!). When in the store, I might let them pick out something small (under $5). We might swing through Panera for me to get a coffee and for the child to get a muffin or hot chocolate. I even bring them to the news with me so they can see behind the scenes!

Getting our nails done is another outing that’s just as much fun for me as it is for them. Same goes for shopping or ice cream dates!

You guys had some AMAZING ideas so the rest all came from you. If you think of others, leave me a comment and I’ll update the list below!

Ideas for One on One time with your kids:

1. Target/ Starbuck Dates
2. Sending young children to school on alternate days to allow for solo days at home
3. Shopping trips/ Back to school shopping every year
4. Book Store trips
5. Craft fairs
6. Disney on Ice
7. Reading before bed one on one
8. Go see local school plays (LOVE this idea!)
9. Special arts and crafts sessions with one child at a time
10. Take a child out of school early for a special afternoon outing
11. Trip to a museum
12. Go to the movies/ individual movie night at home with a child
13. Lunch date during the school day so that a child is taken out of school for the special meal and then returned without missing a full day
14. Dad date day where a working dad would take a day off work and plan a favorite day for each child
15. Go on a date and let the kids pick where to eat
16. Plan something fun once a month on the day of their birth (if you were born on the 16th… every month, that’s your special day!).
17. Board game night
18. Create a journal to pass back and forth between parent and child
19. Bowling
20. Date days… lunch and simple activities like visiting pet store
21. Make one on one time special by setting a fancy table, lighting candles, etc.
22. Take children on a long weekend trip on their 18th birthdays
23. Go thrifting together
24. Baking and coloring together
25. Visit a library (for younger children)
26. Have a picnic outside
27. Go on a nature walk

Bottom line for all of you, was that taking the time just to have a one on one conversation or some special time together was the MOST important part… finding any way to achieve this is all that matters!