10 Sweet & Simple Ideas That Will Make Your Kid Feel Special

Sometimes the daily routine of life with young children needs to be broken up with something unexpected.

With a surprise.

I love surprises, and I’m assuming that at least one of my 4 kids shares that particular chromosome with me.  And there is nothing sweeter than my child knowing that he is both loved and liked because of a fun – and often goofy – gesture from his momma.

Have fun with these 10 easy and do-able ideas that are sure to make your kid feel extra special.  One of these surprises might be just what your kid needs after a long week (or heck, couple of years) of potty training.

10 Sweet & Simple Ideas That Will Make Your Kid Feel Special

1.  Make Signs For Everything
Did Little Johnny win the spelling bee?  Make a banner.  Did he tie his shoes for the first time?  Make a banner.  Did he finally eat a bite of asparagus?  Make the biggest, glitteriest banner he’s ever seen.  We celebrate everything around here with a banner in the kitchen, and it’s really fun.

2.  Check Them Out Of School, Unexpectedly
As a homeschooling momma, this is an idea I would like to do if we didn’t homeschool our kids.  I imagine it would be really exciting for my kids to be unexpectedly picked up in the middle of the school day and brought somewhere fun.  I think I would take them to the beach.

3.  Have A Secret Handshake
Nothing says “special inner circle with momma” quite like a secret handshake.  But beware…a secret handshake with a 6-year-old boy could involve things like spitting, burping, and flexing.

4.  Celebrate Their Un-Birthday
All of our kids have a secret un-birthday.  They never know when it will be; they just wake up one day to an unexpected birthday party!  We have a cake, balloons are everywhere, and there’s even a small present.  They love it!

5.  Display Their Artwork
I figure that the house will look “normal” later, but for now it’s a place where 4 young children play, create, and learn.  We have designated our kitchen to be the family “art gallery.”  Their masterpieces are displayed for a while, replaced by newer ones, and eventually the true keepers are stored away in their “Keepsake Binder.”  They are so proud of their little art gallery and the opportunity to have their work seen by everyone.

6.  Rig Up A Doorway Of Fun
Sometimes a kid needs to open his door in the morning and something crazy and unexpected happen.  Like a balloon avalanche that comes out of nowhere, or a barricade of streamers across the doorway that they have to bust through, or (my personal favorite) his doorway opens right into a giant refrigerator box that is set up for a fun cinnamon roll breakfast with momma.

7.  Make A Trail For Them To Follow
Every now and then I surprise my kids with a mystery trail that they have to follow.  I’ve used both colored string or footprint cut-outs, both are fun ways to lead them to either a small treat or a special note.  Make the trail fun!  Lead them over furniture, under tables, through closets, even through a running shower!

8.  Wake Him Up Late At Night (Not Too Late) To Go Somewhere
This is probably my son’s all-time favorite surprise.  He loves unexpected adventures, especially late at night.  Sometimes I’ll wake him up after he’s been asleep for a little while and I’ll take him to a 24-hour diner and we’ll eat and hang out, or we’ll go to a store and pick out fun snacks to eat in the car.  These are some great memories.

9.  Watch Home Movies
We make a big evening of this.  Popcorn, brownies, blankets, and videos of us.  It’s really fun for my kids to watch videos of themselves as babies, with their momma and daddy doting all over them.  This naturally leads to fun conversations centered around good memories of precious times with my babies.  They feel very special at the end of one of these evenings.

10.  Mail Them A Letter
My kids think it’s hilarious when they check the mail and there’s a letter from mommy!  The contents of the letter could be any number of things:  a treasure map, a love note, a funny rhyme, coupons for fun things, or even a drawing!  My kids love getting mommy mail.

I want to offer big love and big kindness to my children.  They are precious, and their joy is undeniably linked to my own, which means that these fun and simple gestures are as much for me as they are for my children!

Enjoy!  And please share if you have some ideas of your own.

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Mommy’s Voice Tape

10 Fun Ideas For When You Are Bored And Need To Get Out Of The House

Photo credits: here

Lauren Souers

Hi, my name is Lauren. I am the wife of one fine man and the momma of four (huge) young children – three boys and one princess! I love all of them. I mostly clean up messes and feed people all day, and it’s really fun to write about it. Jesus is the rock of my family – we love and serve a mighty King! I hope you leave here full of hope that “tired” can be good.