5 Tips for Fun Things To Do With Kids When You're Too Tired to Plan

Given the challenges of homework, extracurricular activities, doctors' visits, clothing shopping, housework, bath time, and your own work schedule and household responsibilities, it can be hard to find the time and energy to plan out-of-the-ordinary family activities or fun things to do with kids that are extra special.

Luckily, there are options you can consider that have just enough "something different" to them to make both you and your kids happy - but that aren't so complicated that they require a ton of advance planning, thought, and effort.

So before you give in to exhaustion and settle in for yet another night of playing Candy Crush on your smart phone while the kids watch TV, consider one of these 5 great alternative scenarios.

Family Slumber Parties

When your tired mom or dad self needs to put something together at the last minute, try an all-family slumber party. Have your kids bring their sleeping bags or blankets and pillows to the living room, order some pizza, and pop in a favorite movie - and boom, you've got an event.

If you've got ice cream or popcorn on hand, add them into the mix as snacks and desserts to really give your kids an extra treat. Finish the evening by turning off the lights, bringing out the flashlights and candles, and telling spooky-but-fun urban legends, tall tales, or "before you were born" family stories.

Dinner Shows

Whether it's a movie in a theater or live entertainment, dinner shows are perfect options for nights when you want to have a special outing but you just don't have the time or energy to put something together. Everything's built in - the venue, the meal, and the activity - and you only have to go to one location and make one purchase to make it happen. Plus, there's no clean up afterwards. You can just sit back and watch your kids have fun (and enjoy the fun yourself) while someone else does all the work.

Park Outings

If the weather's nice, a park expedition can be just the ticket when you 're looking for fun things to do with kids that are easy and low stress. Grab your insect repellant, pack up the kids in the car, swing by your favorite take out place, and hit the park for a quick picnic. Afterwards, turn the kids loose to play while you relax and watch on a park bench.

Take a Drive/Ride the Train

Pile everyone in to the car, put some favorite tunes on the radio, and head out someplace where you can check out a little scenery - a country road, a quaint nearby town, a part of your own town you don't visit much. You can keep the outing lively by pointing out landmarks to your kids, singing along, or playing mini-versions of the alphabet game - then cap off the activity by stopping somewhere for an ice cream cone before you head home.

Another variation on this idea, if you live somewhere with at least some public transportation, is to hop on board the train and take a leisurely ride with no particular destination in mind. On the way you can talk about the different cities or parts of town you're riding through, and maybe hop out a time or two at different stops and take a look around. Either way, train or car, your kids will likely be charmed by the novelty of riding around and seeing the sights with no specific purpose in mind- and for the chance to have an unfocused but fun conversation with Mom and/or Dad.

Wave Goodbye:

You know that aunt, uncle, grandparent, or best friend who's always pestering you to let them babysit the kids? Well, why not take them up on their offer? Sometimes, the most fun things to do with kids are activities that you make happen for them, but that don't actually involve you - like a surprise, last minute fun outing with one of their most favorite grownups next to Mom or Dad.

While Aunt Jenna or Grandpa Dave is happily entertaining the kids last minute, you can take advantage of the time to get some housework done, pay bills, or just sit in a quiet house for a few hours and read or watch TV. When your kids get back from their last minute surprise outing, they'll likely be full of enthusiastic stories that they can share with you before bedtime or over the breakfast table the next morning.

Family Is the Foundation of Society

It is often said that no one is perfect, but a team can be. However, we are much more than a "team." We are a family.

In January 2011, during a celebration organized by my company, I said these words to my colleagues, with the purpose of highlighting the cohesiveness of our team.

Indeed, it's common sense that "family is the foundation of society."

Since my childhood, I used to hear my father saying:

A man arrives at home after a long working day. He is greeted at the door by his wife, who kisses him tenderly. The children also embrace their father warmly. With so much love, the fatigue simply disappears, giving space to the great feelings of loving and being loved.

How good it would be if, in every home, we could cultivate the atmosphere of love, peace, and serenity... So would our society become, and we could gradually build a wonderful world and an ideal future for our children - no war, cruelty, or selfishness. In fact, all evil would disappear, and we would turn to live long lives - lives filled with much more love.

Unfortunately, life concerns clearly affect family relations. Families, once well structured, nowadays face difficult times.

At least with respect to us, the Capeverdeans, emigration and the need for a better education have both caused the separation between parents and children, and these are factors that deeply affect the stability of families.

On the other hand, it is also difficult to avoid negative environments, which unfortunately, sometimes include our own schools. Facing such a high risk, it is essential that parents demonstrate, at all times, complete openness in relationships with their children, thus creating an ideal environment to clear all doubts that their children may have. Otherwise, the children are likely to start looking for support elsewhere and normally end up involved with malicious people.

At this point, I would like to stress the importance of family reunions. A snack, a barbecue, or simply going to the beach are all suggestions to enjoy pleasant and unforgettable moments. Whenever possible, those moments should be recorded on video, as this kind of stuff becomes valuable as time goes.

Let's maintain a commitment to do something different with our family at least once a year. Christmas, Easter, and why not May 15th (the International Day of Families)... Well, actually the day does not really matter.

Dedication to Family

With all great fortune kept in mind, I am so lucky to have been born into my wonderful family. Dynamically different but bonded by blood and love, I find moments with any one of them, or a small group of them, or, miraculously, all of the them quite terrific and fulfilling.

As I was organizing my upcoming year of 2015 I noticed that a couple of my nieces had asked me to attend special events with them. Jodi requested a ski trip; Lisa wanted my participation in her 50 Years Old Bash (a sprint triathlon); and Karen wondered about a trip to Disneyland in October with her and her son, my great-nephew, Connor. As I jotted in the potential dates I paused and then said loud and clear, "I believe I will make 2015 the Year of the Nieces!" Why would I plan just three activities with three nieces when I have many more?

With a flurry on the keyboard I sent out a message to each one of them (niece-in-laws included) with a proposal: Let me know what you would like to do this year and I will be there to cheer, participate, support, and bond. Because of this I have multiple craft days with one niece, two Half Marathons with two more nieces, an exercise/fitness extravaganza at Physique! where my niece is employed and serves as lead instructor, fitness short run and expo with niece and her daughter, and a trip to Ogden, Utah for the Sundance Film Festival. Of course extra fun will crop up during the year, but I have my initial outline fleshed out.

The Sundance Film Festival was completed with niece Julene this last weekend. Awesome and fantastic minimalize the joy of our time together. She flew in from her hometown and I drove from mine, picking her up at the airport. After lunch and shopping in downtown Salt Lake City, we headed north to Ogden. The College of Idaho, Julene's alma mater, had organized a two-day festival for 30 of us. This included a great hotel steps from the Egyptian Theater (a masterpiece of design), welcome reception, dinner, box tickets, hors d'oeuvres and beverages, and desserts delivered from heaven. The set-up was perfect, and the films??? Incredible.

Our first film was Stockholm, Pennsylvania written and directed by Nicole Beckwith. The acting, directing, filming, and entire magic of the film are astonishing and the ending is one that no one would every suspect and it is mind-blowing. After the film, Ms Beckwith was present for a Q&A session. Her explanation of her writing, the script, overall planning, and her insight into the mind and human relationships are extraordinary. I rank it in my Top 10 Best Films ever. Rarely have I left a film with so many quotes in mind, shivers down my spine, and thoughts intertwined.

The second film, 71, also provoked thought and astonishment. It is a film that I now know requires a second viewing to catch all of the intricacies I missed during the first. I also must brush up on my knowledge of the Catholic/Protestant fighting in Ireland in 1971. Yann Demange, director, and Gregory Burke, writer, have created a masterpiece.

And while you have snippets and glimpses of our adventures, the essential ingredient of the weekend was one-on-one time together - Aunt and Niece; Niece and Aunt. Our memories will glimmer forever. So I request of you, think of family you love and hold dear. Find ways to spend precious, individual time with each of them, or with as many of them as possible. The rewards will be substantial and the music to your heart will echo forever. And as for the Year of the Nephews? That is coming up next!

A Kids' Guide to the Middle Ages

The Middle Ages were filled with drama. This era came after the collapse of the Roman Empire. Various power-hungry leaders were jockeying for power in creating their own empires. None of them would last. What makes this period so interesting is how chaotic it was, which is why kids love to read and hear about the time of knights, kings, and swordplay. Usually they discover many things, like the noble class, King John and the plague or the Black Death.

Here is a guide to the medieval era that will make your kid take notice.

What Is Considered to be the Middle Ages?

Historians refer to a time in European history from 400 to 1500 A.D. The Great Roman Empire and the Renaissance were no more. They usually divide the Middle Ages into three smaller periods: Early, High, and Late Middle Age.

Who was Fighting?

People in Europe were battling against the Islamic Empire in an effort to take back the Eastern Mediterranean, especially Jerusalem, for the Christian religion. Crusades is how they referred to the wars.

The Feudal System

This system consisted of kings, lords, knights, vassals and peasants. The people who were part of the church played a key role. People born into certain groups rarely moved to another level. It was the law and a great way for the upper class to maintain control over the lower class. The lower class worked for the upper class, which lived in castles and had personal servants.

The Divine Right

Kings felt God anointed them and it was their "divine right" to rule. That is why when new kings were installed they were usually the sons of the King. The bigger and stronger the castle, the more wealthy the person who had it built. The poor lived in huts made from sticks, straw and mud.

The Church in Medieval Times

Religion had a great influence over the people. The upper class and lower class had different beliefs. The peasants believed that the harder they worked the more of their money they gave to the church, and the more they served the church, the better their after-life would be.

Our Fairy Tales

A good number of our fairy tales told today came out of this era as well. The characters are usually set in castles and lived at a time that was considered to be in the Renaissance period.

The Vikings

This time was also when Vikings first appeared. They were mostly from Scandinavia and began around the 400s AD to raid boats in the Mediterranean Sea. The Vikings attacked the Atlantic coast of southern France and the eastern coast of England to get their bad reputation.

Chaos Would Come

Europe would suffer through wars and disease, like the bubonic plague. It spread along the Silk Road from China to Europe killing millions of people and causing the collapse of many empires. By the 1400s, the plague was gone but Europe looked like a different place. The wars were over as well. By then the period was coming to an end.