As we head into spring and warmer weather, I thought I would share my top 10 ideas on building connections with your kids! We regularly do these activities with our kids to build connection and fill their cups. One of my family’s favorite recipes is at the bottom of this post—because baking together is one of my favorite things. Let me know in the comments if you end up making the banana bread or what activities you do together to build connections with each other.

1. Reading books together. Not only are you building a connection, but you are nurturing a future love for books and reading. Let them pick the book. Let them look through it and explore. Read their favorites, even if you are tired of them. Reading lets you explore, pretend, and imagine endless possibilities.

2. Drawing with chalk. My kids think hopscotch is fun and like hopping all over the squares with no real object to the game.

3. Magnetic Tiles – there are so many different ideas for what to do with these. You can draw shapes with the chalk, and they put the tiles inside the shapes (if you are wanting to take them outside). You can create a pattern on the fridge, or along a corner of the wall. Possibilities are endless and we play with these almost every single day. Look at my Pinterest account (@authorkatiemarie) for more ideas under the “Magnet Blocks” board.

4. Baking together. It’s hard to let go of some of the control sometimes and allow the kids to explore and make messes, but I promise the benefits outweigh the cleanup. They learn math and science as well as life skills. Don’t forget the banana bread recipe below—we probably make this together every other week.

5. Bubbles outside (perfect addition to the Easter basket).

6. Go to a park together. I have a list of our top 10 Kansas City area parks coming soon.

7. Go outside and let them pick the activity—and just go with it! Sometimes our kids just need a yes and with you agreeing to play something they make up; their cup will overflow! Recently, I’ve had a picnic and tea party. I have been a pirate on a ship (the swing set), played pirate soccer, as well as a construction digger in the construction site (the garden bed). And if you are wondering, pirate soccer is regular soccer with an “ahoy matey” and “land ho” yelled out every now and then.

8. Go to a story time at your local library. Sometimes having another person read the stories, and being around other kids with a nice change of scenery is all you need to make a day feel special. The bonus is you get to leave with books the kids pick out—which feels like leaving with a new prize!

9. Have a dance party. Now that our basement is almost finished, I was able to set my record player up and the kids are obsessed! We have dance parties in the basement. We are silly, we turn it up loud, we dance, and we laugh. What better medicine is there than family laughter before bed?!

10. “Favorite part of your day” question. This is my favorite conversation to have with my almost 4-year-old. Either during dinner or before bed, I ask him what his favorite part of the day was. Sometimes his answers surprise me, and sometimes they make me laugh, but the best part is since we started doing this now he asks us what our favorite part was. Now we have a beautiful little conversation and I think we all feel a little more connected afterward.

I hope you all have a wonderful Easter weekend and, as always, happy reading.

Banana Bread Recipe

4-6 ripe bananas, mashed with a fork.

1 stick softened butter.

2 eggs.

1 cup brown sugar.

1 tsp vanilla.

1.5 cups flour.

1/2 tsp kosher salt.

1 tsp baking soda.

Mix butter, eggs, brown sugar, and vanilla until smooth. Add in the bananas and mix.

In a separate bowl add the dry ingredients together and whisk together.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix until blended and combined.

Pour into your pan (make sure to line the pan with parchment paper or spray with cooking spray), sprinkle granulated sugar on top, and then put it in the oven. I use an 8x8 nonstick cake pan, but you can use bread loaf pans or muffin pans if you prefer.

Bake at 350 for about 40 minutes (until a toothpick stuck in the center comes out clean). Mine comes out perfect after 38 minutes, ovens vary.

I let the kids mash the bananas and they get to take turns dumping the measurements. Of course, their favorite part is tasting it once it’s cooled.

Tip: Don’t forget the butter spread on that perfectly cut slice and enjoy!