50 Simple Parent-Child Bonding Activities

Looking for simple activities you can do to develop a stronger bond with your child? This list is full of parent and child bonding activities to help you do just that!

How to strengthen your bond with your child today

In today’s face-paced world there’s more pressure than ever for kids to grow up fast.

That means that it’s important to take advantage of every opportunity you have to create a strong bond with your child now, while you have the chance.

The good news is that creating a special bond with your child does not require much.

All it really takes is a few minutes of your time and attention.

Not sure where to start? No worries!

Below is a huge list of parent-child activities to do at home, as well as family bonding games and interactive activities to create a strong attachment between members of your family.

The Ultimate List of Parent Child Bonding Activities

1. Eat a kid-friendly dinner together.
2. Be sure to say “Good morning” to each other as soon as you wake up.
3. Snuggle during bedtime.
4. Read a story together before bed.
5. Hold hands when you walk.
6. Sing a special bedtime song together.
7. Invite them to learn to cook with you.
8. Share 3 positive things about your day at dinnertime.
9. Play board games together.
10. Tell them, “I’m so lucky to be your mom”. 
11. Play video games together.
12. Ask them these fun get-to-know you questions.
13. Hold hands before dinner and say how grateful you are for each other.
14. Create a special good morning or good night handshake.
15. Make each other a friendship bracelet.
16. Watch the sunrise together.
17. Give butterfly kisses.
18. During dinner take turns sharing the best, worst and weirdest parts of your day.
19. Choose a family “book in common” that you all read.
20. Watch some good clean family movies together.
21. Share stories from when you were little.
22. Do the laundry together.
23. Get down on the floor and play whatever they want to play.
24. Apologize when you make a mistake.
25. Give them a compliment every day.
26. Commit to giving 3 hugs every day.
27. Sing songs together during bath-time.
28. Have a dance party in the living room.
29. Go for a walk together.
30. Watch the sunset together.
31. Create your own Family Christmas Traditions
32. Draw pictures of each other.
33. Give Eskimo kisses.
34. Put down your phone and make eye contact when you speak to them.
35. Plant and care for a garden together.
36. Brush their hair.
37. Play hand clapping games.
38. Play jump rope together.
39. Do a craft together.
40. Help them clean their room.
41. Schedule a weekly or monthly family game night.
42. Plan a winter bucket list together.
43. Play games like “Would you rather” during family road trips.
44. Make up nicknames for each other.
45. Create a family code word or hand signal that means I love you.
46. Tell them what they are good at.
47. Tell them what makes them special.
48. Tell them about their grandparents or other ancestors they may not know
49. Play sports together.
50. Create photo books together.
51. Write a story together.
52. Get to know their friends.
53. Run through the sprinklers together.
54. Eat a picnic lunch on the lawn.
55. Build a fairy garden together.
56. Establish a no technology hour for everyone in the family.
57. Plan a summer bucket list together.
58. Do a directed draw together.
59. Create your own Family Thanksgiving Traditions.
60. Share family stories.
61. Start a family fitness challenge.
62. Do some yoga together.
63. Tell stories from when they were babies.
64. Look through family photos.
65. Bake together.
66. Volunteer in your community together.
67. Go for a hike.
68. Do a science experiment together.
69. Watch a good clean kid-friendly tv series together.
70. Learn something new together.
71. Take a bike ride together.
72. Get crafty and creative.

There you have it mama! Tons of simple and interactive ideas to bond with your child.

Family Bonding FAQ’s

How do you bond with your kids?

The process of bonding with your child begins at birth. Holding, feeding, bathing and looking into your child’s eyes as you talk and sing to them is  where the process starts.

As children get older and start to become more independent it’s important to make an effort to engage your child in daily conversation and activities to strengthen that bond as they grow. 

Playing, talking and making an effort to spend meaningful time together is essential to forming a parent-child bond that lasts.

Why bonding with your child is important?

There are numerous benefits to forming a strong and healthy bond with your child.

Multiple research studies have shown that children who have established secure bonds with a parent-figure are:

• Less likely to exhibit behavioral issues.
• More likely to do well academically.
• And even less likely to become obese.

The process of bonding with your child also creates a sense of self-identity and feelings of belonging within a family and the community.

How do I emotionally connect with my child?

The best way to form an emotional bond with your child is to frequently share your feelings and thoughts.

Provide opportunities for them to talk about how they are feeling, their likes and dislikes and their thoughts on different topics and issues.

By allowings a safe place for them to feel heard and loved no matter what, is key to establishing a strong emotional connection.

70 Interactive Parent Child Bonding Activities