15 Ways To Transform A Normal Saturday Afternoon Into A Day Your Kid Will Never Forget

Transform your weekend from monstrous to marvellous, and then watch the Wishbones transform from a normal family into a Monster Family, out in cinemas March 2.

1. Go on a real-life treasure hunt.

David Goehring / CC BY 2.0 / Via Flickr: carbonnyc

Get out of the house for an adventure you and your crew will never forget. There are lots of resources and apps out there for predesigned scavenger hunts in areas all over the world – here's some treasure trails across Britain – so find one near you and get hunting.

2. Or create a bespoke scavenger hunt in their favourite place.

Jessica Therriault / CC BY-ND 2.0 / Via Flickr: myfwcmedia

Get your kids to look at their favourite places with a brand-new perspective. Design scavenger hunts and bingos based on unique elements of their favourite places, be it the local library, zoo, or even your own back garden.

3. Play dress-up as a family.

edenpictures / CC BY 2.0 / Via Flickr: edenpictures

Does your family prefer fantasy or fang-tastic costumes? Create DIY costumes (such as mummy, vampire, or werewolf) with household items and then hold a photo shoot. Don't forget to set the camera timer!

4. Make an indoor zipline and take their favourite toys on a joy ride.

Lance Roggendorf / CC BY 2.0 / Via Flickr: lanceroggendorff

String some fishing wire from wall to wall and attach toys to a binder clip or trouser hanger for day of high-flying fun. It's the perfect antidote to rainy day blues.

5. Host an epic dance party.

Via steamcommunity.com

Push the furniture against the wall and clear a dance floor – let your kids choose the playlist and then twist, shout, and shake the day away. If your little groovers can't agree on a track list, go the silent disco route and let everybody jam out to their own faves via headphones.

6. Turn your kitchen into a science lab.

Josh Hallet / CC BY 2.0 / Via Flickr: hyku

Get brains working and hands busy by converting your kitchen into a high-tech discovery lab. There's no shortage of experiments you can can conduct with basic kitchen essentials, and your kids are bound to have their own completely unique ideas on fascinating concoctions – edible and not.

7. Or play sous-chef to your kid, and have them become a top chef.

Woodley Wonderworks / CC BY 2.0 / Via Flickr: wwworks

Challenge your kids to think about big ideas and big flavours by letting them play head chef to your sous-chef/safety marshal. Not only will they have a blast getting creative on a dramatic timeline, but they'll also be learning time-management and attentiveness. Pick a favourite recipe and get started.

8. Turn your house into a DIY carnival.

Ryan Polei / CC BY-ND 2.0 / Via Flickr: ryan_polei

Reimagine your garden or lounge into a carnivalesque wonderland for the perfect boredom buster. Enlist kids in helping you craft games – and then reap the rewards with play.

9. Or host a board game tournament.

Christopher Weible / CC BY 2.0 / Via Flickr: 26546594@N04

Enlist the whole family in a games bracket for a high-stakes day of fun around the table. For a full day tournament, stick with a rotation of simple games to keep the bracket moving. Make sure to have a seriously enviable prize (and lots of delightful consolations) waiting at the end.

10. Take a road trip.

Jarrett Campbell / CC BY 2.0 / Via Flickr: wjarrettc

Turn a simple outing (or painful car trip) into an adventure by enlisting your kids in both the planning and the journey itself. Get out the map and plan your trip – whether it's a simple trip to the grocery store (Will you need to stop for gas? Is there the possibility of an ice cream break at the end of the road?) or several hours with an end goal of getting out in nature or visiting family.

Let the kids play navigator in the car – and definitely let them control the radio.

11. Develop green thumbs.

Rain0975 / CC BY-ND 2.0 / Via Flickr: rain0975

Get down and dirty in the garden for a day that promises to be full of fun, learning, and lots of activity.

12. Repurpose the recycling.

Kate Ter Haar / CC BY 2.0 / Via Flickr: katerha

Put old cereal boxes and toilet roll to use by designing a cardboard city and get your kids to let their energy out by tearing it down Godzilla-style once the work is over.

13. Organise a DEAR day.

Barney Moss / CC BY 2.0 / Via Flickr: barneymoss

That's right: Drop Everything And Read. Cuddle up with your kids for a day spent with their favourite books – make it cosy with loads of hot cocoa and cuddly blankets (bonus points for a blanket fort) and foster that love of reading and sense of safety in stories early on. Make sure you're cosied up with your favourite book too – can't hurt to enjoy a little relaxation while you're leading by example.

14. Become amateur investigators.

Mads Bodker / CC BY 2.0 / Via Flickr: boedker

Pick a topic and become experts! Use a combination of the internet, libraries, museums, qualitative research, and documentaries to study up together on something your kid might be interested in. Whether it's big cats or fossils or theatre history, help them learn how to investigate their passions and explore all the resources at their fingertips. Report your findings to other family members at dinner or call up the grandparents to give them a crash course.

15. Make some movie magic.

Leonid Mamchenkov / CC BY 2.0 / Via Flickr: mamchenkov

Fire up your webcam, your smart phone, or even a bona fide, legit camera, and let your kids be the triple-threat: director, writer, and star of their own story. If they're more of an improv artist, help them produce their own talk show, podcast, or vlog. Whatever format you choose, let your kids develop and trust their creative visions and see where it leads. Don't forget to host a premiere or launch party for the family once it's done!

If making a movie isn't your style, you could always go to the movies! For the perfect Saturday afternoon with the family, go to see Monster Family, out March 2.

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