Family Fun on National Goof Off Day
It’s a child’s job to have fun. That’s what they’re good at. Why does that have to change when we grow up? Well, on Sunday, March 22nd, everyone’s job is to goof off, play, and enjoy the silliness life has to offer. Sunday is National Goof Off Day. It might not be a formal holiday in our nation’s history, but someone somewhere coined the term and it stuck. Now we all get to take advantage!The number one most important thing to remember when planning your goofy celebration is to let the kids take the lead. They’re the experts at fun. Ask your child, “What’s the silliest thing you can think of to do today?” Trust me; they’ll come up with something.
Second, you have to follow your child’s lead. Making messes? No problem. Cake for breakfast? Just for today. As parents, we spend most of the time correcting our children and helping them fit into a socially acceptable mold. We get so caught up in the stresses of life and the day to day tasks that we forget to enjoy our children’s energy and youthful spirit. That’s why this holiday is so important. It’s a chance to let their imagination and creativity run free.
To get the ideas churning, here are a few activities that kids and parents can enjoy together. Remember, moms and dads, you can’t just supervise this time, you have to participate:
- Draw a super long hopscotch on your front sidewalk and play until you can’t hop anymore
- Make sandcastles in the dirt
- Go to the park and swing
- Throw a Frisbee
- Build a fort
- Finger paint
- Blow bubbles (Easy recipe for bubbles- 1Tb dish soap to 1 cup of water)
- Eat with your fingers. No utensils allowed.
- Vinegar and baking soda volcanoes
- Water balloon fight (weather permitting)
- Paper airplane competition
- Spontaneous dance party in the living room
- Play salon by letting your kids do your hair
- Scavenger hunt. Here’s a simple one I found on Pinterest. --------------------->
Now, what should you NOT do on National Goof off Day?:
- Work
- Work
- Work
- Chores
- Chores
- Chores
Our children long to spend more time with us just having fun. Every day they compete for attention. We’re distracted by work, bills, and keeping up with the house. They deal with our stresses just as much as we do, because we get inpatient and irritated. I’m going to use National Goof off Day as a chance to reconnect both with my daughter and my inner-child. It’s their day. I hope you’ll do the same and post a comment with your goofy ideas.
About the author...Arianne Rapkoch-Snyder has been a journalist and communications professional for nearly a decade. She grew up in Montana and enjoys writing about families and the community that she loves. She is a wife and mother to a beautiful, rambunctious little girl.