Pitch A Tent, Watch A Movie

I used to run creative brainstorming sessions and workshops with marketing, innovation and r&d teams in large consumer goods companies (think soda, cereal and hot dogs). I was brought in to help facilitate discussions, push boundaries and help the teams think creatively about a problem that seemed unsolvable in the past. I learned very quickly that sometimes a shift in perspective and experience is all it took to get to the answer. When we do the same thing over and over again it gets boring and tedious. Tackling the same challenge in the same way closes off the creative juices and shuts down the brain.



The same is true for family activities that once seemed fun. On the weekends my son gets to watch one movie after a morning of outdoor activities and a good nap. It's become part of the routine and something that my son ends up doing alone so that I can clean or take a sneak nap.



No fun for anyone! So today we shook it up a bit. We took a different perspective on the same activity. Instead of sitting on the couch, we pitched a tent in the living room, dirt from past camping trip included, put down the sleeping bags, made popcorn and hot cocoa and watched his favorite movie - Star Wars.

We had a blast (no pun intended). Even the dog came in for some popcorn.

I encourage parents everywhere to think about your family routine and find new ways to infuse fun. Don't settle, play! Here are some ideas to get you started:

* Have a dinner picnic: eat dinner on a blanket in the family room
* Sleep over: on a weekend night, sleep in the living room next to the fireplace (make some smores)
* Driving to school: turn drive time into I-spy games
* At the park: instead of sitting in the corner with a latte and blackberry, play catch or collect leaves
* Teeth brushing: see who can sing the alaphabet while brushing teeth. A song is even better.

Let me know what you've done to add a twist of fun to the every day