It can be a little challenging to make something so tedious like moving ‘fun,’ especially when kids are involved. But with a few well-thought-out tips, it can be smooth-sailing. You might think that you won’t have time to entertain your kids, but all you’ve got to do is to involve them in the moving process. These are 10 ways you can try to make moving a fun process for your children.
1. Make it Exciting!
Children tend to feed off our energy, so if yours is pretty negative about the move, so will theirs be. They might also be a little upset at leaving behind their home, their school, and their friends. Consider emphasizing how fun this process will be and how their exciting new life awaits them. Make a countdown to the big day with a big, colorful calendar, and show why this will be an adventure.
2. Map Out their Rooms
Some kids are very visual, and they would reject an idea just because they haven’t seen it. If you’ve already decided on a house, take your kids to see it and let them pick out their rooms. When you’re back home, let them draw out a map of their room and ask them to visualize how and where they will place their belongings. Mapping out their room is fun, and they’ll feel independent and excited to move.
3. Play with the Boxes
When you’re moving, your house tends to have a lot of cardboard boxes. Maybe consider playing around with these boxes in some imaginative playing. Their toys will be packed, so building a fort, a castle, or even a robot with boxes will be entertaining. They can also help with decorating some of the boxes that they’ve helped you pack. Give them some markers, crayons, and decorative tape or stickers and let them go wild!
4. Ask Them What to Keep
Involve your children in the packing process; let them make a list of all their items or their shared belongings in the household. Then you can decide together as a family, which items should be kept and which items should be sent to charity. You would be surprised at how helpful they can be to declutter and give away the things they grew out of. If they’re a little protective about their items, then consider pre-selecting their toys beforehand to minimize their choices and help them select what they truly want.
5. Create a Treasure Box
Your kids need to feel at home the minute they arrive at the new house. A fun way to do so is having them prepare a treasure box which is a box with their favorite items. This ‘treasure box’ won’t go into the moving truck, but will stay with them till they reach the house. They can include any item they like, and they can decorate the box too to make it more exciting and special. And when they arrive at the new house, they can unpack it and feel right at home because they have their favorite belongings in a new place. This will actually help them connect with the new house.
6. Help with the Cleaning
Let’s face it, this is probably the most boring thing you have to do, but there are always ways around it to make it less of a hassle. For starters, you can include your children in the cleaning process, play some music, and make a day out of it. They can help with tidying up, wiping down anything, or even mopping. You can also ask for cleaning companies to help out. If you live in London, then consider finding the end of tenancy cleaning London services and get a quote on how they will spruce up your home before you hand it over. They’ll pay attention to details and clean what you’ve missed.
7. Set up a Playlist
When you’re packing or cleaning, there’s nothing like a good playlist to get you in the mood; music also motivates kids and gets them moving. Sit down with your kids and create the ultimate energizing playlist that will help you guys get your packing done faster. You can put tunes that will brighten your moods, and you can encourage your kids to have a packing dance party. Include some songs about moving or traveling as well, so they can relate to them.
8. Make Moving Day Fun
Moving day can be a very sad and dreary day for the kids, but if you plan it right, it can actually be a super fun day. Take their minds off the idea of leaving their home and friends by stopping somewhere first along the way to relax and have fun; you both need it. It can be an amusement park, a new arcade, a water park, or even having a picnic at a national park. This way, you’ve turned their sad day into a fun one!
9. Have a Farewell Party
Consider throwing a farewell party in your home, even if it’s empty and full of boxes. Throw a simple party where you can say goodbye to your family and friends and invite your kids’ friends too for one last hurrah! It doesn’t need to be fancy; it can have simple snacks like popcorn or cupcakes and activities for all the kids to enjoy. You can also go around saying what you will miss the most and reminisce about the fun times.
10. Let Them Decorate
When you’re all moved in but the boxes are piling up, you can ask your kids to help with the unpacking. They can even be involved in where your items go; ask them to help with decorating and show them that you value their input. They will feel much more confident that they can speak their minds and they’ll develop a sense of ownership to their new home.
Moving can be hard on anyone, let alone kids; no one is a fan of change. But there are many ways you can make it interesting; when they feel heard and included, they might start seeing tasks like these exciting ones, instead of looking at it negatively. This way, your child will feel right at home.
