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Bored kids? Have kids to keep busy at home? Looking for some activities when stuck inside on a rainy day? Here’s what I know as a mom of 9. Things don’t get done on their own. Here’s what I also know. Things can’t (& shouldn’t) only be done by mom. Working on a family project together, doing something that needs to be done is not only a great way to pass the time & keep kids busy it’s also an opportunity to build up your family in some pretty awesome ways. Choosing a family project that is practical benefits everyone in the family. Taking on a task together makes things a whole lot better. And, just lime Mary Poppins says, a spoonful of sure truly does help the medicine go away. So, I’ll even share some ways to make the family project a bit more fun. This is an simple way to keep kids busy + get them to help at home.

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Before I unfold the how-to, I want to share the primary benefits I’ve found in keeping your kids busy with a family project.

Builds teamwork

Your kids will need to know how to work as a team in the outside world. What better place to learn it than at home? Kids love being a valued member of a team, and this would be a great way to start using the “teamwork” messaging in the overall culture of your home.

We are always calling our family a team, and I think you will really like it, too.

Builds self esteem

Kids have every opportunity to have their self esteem knocked down in the outside world. Working on a family project and being part of a team is an amazing self esteem booster.

Provides an opportunity to talk & laugh with your kids

As moms, I think we all want more intentional time with our kids. We all want to build relationships and create cherished moments together. A family project is a great way to do this!

Gets a task done

Of course, you are getting a task done. I am quick to remind my kids of all the things they’d like me to have time for. When we work together to take tasks off my plate, I have more time to give to them all for the things they’d like to do.

Want to watch a video about this? Watch one below!

Here’s how to keep kids busy + get their help at home

Choose a 30 minute task

The first few steps are part of the planning phase. I think 30 minutes is a really great amount of time to spend on a family project. It’s not too long that the little ones will get annoyed. Your older kids should be able to help for 30 minutes without complaining about it. Yet, 30 minutes is enough time to make some good progress on a task.

Whether you’re choosing a task that will only take 30 minutes or breaking down a larger task into smaller pieces, working on a task for 30 minutes is the ideal.

Choose a task that fits this criteria.

Break the task down

How can the task be broken up into pieces that everyone can manage? Break the steps down, or break the task down into pieces that the kids in your family can manage.

Determine who will do what

Once you’ve got the pieces, decide who will do what. Divide the pieces and steps & know what each person will be doing. Younger kids can help older kids or adults. It’s great for them to learn how your family works together, they can likely help more than you think they can, and they will find great value in being included as part of the team.

Decide on a reward

Everyone works better with a reward or an incentive. A simple reward will work just fine.

Assign the tasks from the previous steps & share reward

Once you’ve gotten all the planning done from the previous steps, it’s time to move forward with the action phase.

Now is the time to share everything you’ve planned. Tell your kids the project, assign the appropriate jobs, and share the reward.

This is also when you will need to give instruction to your kids if needed.

Set the timer

Working with a timer is an amazing motivator. Everyone seems to just be more mindful of the time.

Plus, the biggest benefit is that you won’t have to answer “What are we going to be done?”

Your kids can look and see how much longer.

Working with a daily schedule is also so important during this time. Grab our free daily schedule below!

Listen to music or a narrated story

Having some background motivation can sometimes be helpful. If it’s distracting and keeping people from working then maybe not. But, for us music tends to make us work faster. Listening to a book on a streaming service helps make the time go faster.

Having kids at home can be a positive experience in so many ways. Working with a family project is one of those ways.

Keeping your kids busy at home can be fun & give you more free time for doing what you love doing – a busy mom’s dream!