The best thing about kids is that they are usually pretty easy to please. Take them to the playground and their day is made! Since they’re so awesome and accomodating, why not pay it back by kicking your playdates up a notch? With just a little extra effort, you can create an epic playdate for your little ones.
STEP ONE: Plan
The first step to planning an epic playdate is coming up with a plan. Are you going to do something big or small? Will it be local, or do you have to travel? Do you need to purchase tickets or make reservations? The more you plan ahead of time, the more time you’ll have on the day of your epic playdate to hang out and have fun. Not being stressed is definitely a good accessory to carry to a playdate!
STEP TWO: Schedule
Once you decide what you’re going to do for your epic playdate, figure out when you’re going to do it. There’s nothing awesome about standing in lines, or sitting in traffic, so schedule your playdate for a time when there are less crowds. Go early in the day, or even later in the evening, like 5 PM to ensure you have more time for playing as opposed to waiting around. You’ll also want to make sure to take off from work. Plan to have your telephone on silent, and be prepared to give your little one your full attention. The most epic part of a playdate, and the part that your child is going to appreciate the most will be the quality time that you spend together.
STEP ONE: Surprise!
Adding an element of surprise to your playdate can elevate it tremendously. Regardless of what you plan, if you keep it a surprise, it’s going to multiple your child’s excitement times ten! Seeing you step outside of your comfort zone and be spontaneous (well, planned spontaneous) will teach your kids to do the same. Discovering that you were planning this epic playdate all along will remind them just how much you love them.
Need an idea for an epic playdate? The blogger Mighty Girl just had one with her son. Check it out in her post and video.
What else could a parent do to plan an epic playdate?
I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.
Love this! I’m pretty sure we’ll be doing quite a few play dates with my little girl once she gets at that age. My son doesn’t want anything to do with them lol. Thanks for the tips!
She should be ready any day now, Amiyrah! I’m sure she’ll love them!
Great post! I love to do playdates with Hayls and adding in a surprise element, always makes for an exciting time.
Thanks, Melissa! It really does. The look on a child’s face when they get a great surprise…amazing!
Thanks Brandi! Now that the grands are out of school for summer, these three steps will be very helpful in planning playdates with them. Just had a playdate at Sea World San Diego that was so much fun. With the exciting part being able to be up close and personal with dolphins!
I have heard that Sea World was really, really fun! Getting up close to the dolphins has to be cool. I’m going to have to get Ayva to San Diego to check it out!
Some additional information for your planning purposes. Sea World has a rule in place that requires guests to be at least 10 years of age before they can actually swim with the dolphins. Our 7 year old granddaughter was disappointed she could not actually be in the water along with her 10 and 13 year old brothers. But she was able to stand beside the enclosure and pet and feed the dolphins. She says she can’t wait to be 10. Cathi and I told it may not seem like it, but time passes quickly enough! Don’t rush it!
You’ll have to let us know about your Sea World and Disneyland experiences.
I used to love doing these epic dates with my nieces and nephew. They’re a little harder to entertain as teenagers. They loved camping though. With two of them starting high school this year I don’t think I’ll be able to take them :/