101 One-on-One Time with Your Child Ideas | The Ultimate List & How to Make It Happen

Looking for one-on-one time with your child ideas? You’ve found the ultimate list! Individual time with kids is so beneficial for their development and for our relationship. We’ll talk a little bit about the importance of one-on-one time with a child, but I’ll mostly share tons of ideas for one-on-one time with kids. Whether your child is a toddler or a teen, you’ll find ideas here. You can print the list and choose ideas randomly when you have one-on-one time, or simply browse for inspiration. I’ll also share tips for how to find that quality time with each child. As a mom of five, I know the struggle is real! But it’s so worth it, so fun, and doesn’t have to be so hard. So let’s get onto the tips and great ideas!

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Importance of One-on-One Time with Your Child

The longest running study of human health and happiness has gathered an incredible amount of data about hundreds individuals. From medical records to family interviews spanning decades of the people’s lives, this study has drawn a powerful conclusion. There’s something that predicts health and happiness better than job satisfaction, socioeconomic status, or even genes.

Robert Waldinger, one of the directors of the study, summarized it like this:

The clearest message that we get from this 75-year study is this: Good relationships keep us happier and healthier. Period.

-Robert Waldinger, Director of the Harvard Study of Adult Development

And although this particular study is fascinating, it’s not the only thing pointing us toward the long-term importance of healthy relationships. We have wisdom leaders, other well-formulated studies, and experience to back it up. Relationships matter.

So one of the best ways that we can help our children have a healthy, happy life (and ourselves for that matter) is to develop a strong relationship with that child.

In our busy lives with many personal responsibilities, one-on-one time with a child is one powerful way to strengthen that relationship.

Here are only a few of the specific benefits of quality one-on-one time with a child:

• We get to know our child better as an individual. This helps us better understand and meet their needs.
• Our child feels seen and heard when they have our individual attention. This is important for them feeling safe and loved within the relationship.
• It’s fun! It’s so much fun when we can take a break from the thousand things pulling on us and just focus on our child. We get to just BE with our child and make wonderful memories together. The shared emotional experience of fun (or even feeling supported in a sad time) really strengthens relationships.

You can read a lot more about the importance of one-on-one time with a child here: My Parents Rocked One-on-One Time…And I Want to Follow.

Even when we know that one-on-one time is so beneficial, it can be hard to make it happen. Here are a few tips.

How Do You Spend Quality Time with Each Child?

There are really only two ways to make quality time with each child actually happen: we plan for it or we take advantage of spontaneous opportunities as they come. I suggest we do both with our kids.

Get out the calendar and schedule some times to spend with an individual child. Or build one-on-one time into your routine and make it a regular thing or tradition. Kids enjoy counting on these kinds of traditions and get excited for them, even when they’re very simple.

Examples of One-on-One Traditions

• Have a set time each day for one-on-one time. Trade-off which kid you spend that time with.
• On the day your child was born each month, plan individual time. So if your child was born on April 11th, every 11th would be a little outing.
• Work one-on-one time into your bedtime routine, spending a few minutes together before saying goodnight.
• Choose one night of the week for Special Time. When the other kids go to bed, one child gets to stay up late. Take turns.
• Have a parent-child interview at important times like beginning or ending the school year, birthdays, or other holidays.

Time Saving Home Systems to Create More Time

I understand how impossible it can sound to schedule one more thing into your life. Something that’s been a total game changer for me are time saving home systems. These systems help me meet my home responsibilities in less time, so that I have more time for the things that matter most to me, like one-on-one time with my kids.

A great way to start or improve your home systems is by downloading my Simple Systems Starter Guide.

This guide teaches three steps for creating time saving home systems that work.

Spontaneous Opportunities for Connecting

When a child comes home from school excited about their new library book, we can pause what we’re doing and be excited with them. If a child says, “Want to play, Mom?” we can say, “Yes.” When we notice a child is upset, we can give them a nice, long hug.

When we feel inspired to do something with our kiddo, we can simply do it.

Although the world urges us to live at a break-neck pace, we can choose to slow down a little bit, to be a little more present. And when we do, our days can be filled with special, bonding one-on-one moments.

Related Book Recommendation: The Power of Showing Up: How Parental Presence Shapes Who Our Kids Become and How Their Brains Get Wired By Daniel J. Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson

How Much One-on-One Time Should I Spend with My Child?

If you’re wondering, “How much one-on-one time should I spend with my child?” you’re not alone. We want to provide the best for our kids, but the reality is that our time is limited. The good news is we’ve learned a lot about the importance of spending quality time with a child and found that quality matters much more than quantity of time.

Some of the ways we can make time together feel quality are through positive physical touch, helping kids process difficult experiences, and avoiding stressful conflict. Rather than how many minutes we spend together, it’s the connection and bond we form in those minutes.

An easy way to learn more about how to form deep bonds is by downloading the free parenting app The Happy Child, which teaches the latest research in interesting and applicable ways.

So, how much one-on-one time should we spend with our kids? Aim for even just ten minutes a day of individual attention to your child and see how your relationship feels.

And now, what are some fun ideas for one-on-one time with a child? It’s time for the Ultimate List!

101 One-on-One Time with Child Ideas: The Ultimate List

Really, you can do anything for one-on-one time with your child. So I hope these ideas for one-on-one time with kids simply inspire you to see all the opportunities for bonding with your child.

My kids all pitched in to make this list, remembering many of their favorite things we’ve done together. I also included activities I remember doing one-on-one with my parents when I was growing up. Which means, as I was creating this list, I was filled with good memories of one-on-one time with people I love! I hope this list helps build the same kinds of memories with your kids.

Whether your child is a toddler to a teen, there are one-on-one ideas that will work for every age on this list.

Easy No Prep Ideas for One-on-One Time and No Materials Needed

Your child will appreciate getting individual attention with these easy one-on-one ideas don’t require you to have anything except you and your child.

1. Go for a walk

2. Take turns asking each other random questions

3. Play Would You Rather?

4. Give each other foot rubs or back massages

5. Just chat about your day

6. Take turns filling in the blank with as many things as you can think of. “Someday I want to_________.” Dream big! Plan a time to do one of those things.

7. Snuggle up and tell a story about your parents or grandparents. Bonus if you know a story about when the ancestor was about the same age as your child!

8. Play the Ultimate Rock-Paper-Scissors Tournament (choose an insane number like best of 100, or best of 20 if that’s better for you 😉 )

9. Snuggle up and tell a story about when you were your child’s age

10. Play pretend like family, animals, or hot lava

11. Play charades

12. Play hide and seek

13. Take turns making up parts of a story

14. Do a headstand contest or practice cartwheels

15. Go outside, watch the sky, and chat

16. Do exercise or yoga

No Prep Ideas for One-on-One Time with Simple Materials

These ideas don’t require preparation but may require materials that are often readily available.

17. Write a story together

18. Snuggle up and watch a movie (include that positive physical touch!)

19. Do a puzzle together

20. Sing karaoke

21. Make up a dance together or try a trending dance from social media

22. Read aloud a picture book or start a chapter book together

23. Look up reruns of your favorite show from when you were your child’s age and watch them together

24. Create a social media post together

25. Look up a YouTube video tutorial, and practice a new skill together such as yodeling or line dancing

26. Look at family photo albums, family pictures on your phone, or family home videos

27. Write down your own answer and how you think the other person would answer these favorites questions. What’s your favorite…color, food, game, song, school subject, book, movie, household chore, vacation, and beverage? See how many you answer correctly for the other person. Keep going with as many questions as you want.

28. Play trucks, trains, dolls, or whatever your child is into right now

29. Play video games

30. Work in the yard or do another project together while you chat

31. Build something with Legos, blocks, or other building material

32. Learn a new language together

33. Learn some Braille or sign language together

34. Run through the sprinkler

35. Play with remote control car or helicopter

36. Make a movie together on your phone

37. Build a blanket fort

38. Create a slide show together about something that interests you

39. Fold origami

40. Build a fort outside (snow fort or from branches or behind a bush)

41. Play catch

42. Walk or play with a pet

Simple Low Prep, Low Mess Ideas for One-on-One Time with Some Materials Needed

These fun ideas for parent-child bonding require some preparation or materials that may not be as common. There’s not much clean-up required for these!

43. Play a board game (some of our favorites for two people include Mancala, Labyrinth, Connect 4, Checkers, and Chess)

44. Play a card game (some of our favorites for two people include Rummy (without money or score just to see who goes out first), Speed, Spot It!, Phase 10, and UNO)

45. Learn how to make some balloon animals

46. Draw portraits of each other

47. Play bean bag toss or water bottle bowling

48. Play a trivia game like Trivial Pursuit Family Edition or one of these online trivia games

49. Do your child’s hair in a new style while you chat

50. Make a picture book together

51. Practice an instrumental or vocal duet

52. Dress-up in costumes or real clothes and do a fashion show

53. Teach each other something you learned like a fun skill, card trick, or art design

54. Do a nature scavenger hunt or other scavenger hunt.

55. Do shadow puppets or a regular puppet show

56. Draw what you see around you or watch a “How to” drawing video on YouTube

57. Draw or write about a favorite family memory

Fun Low-Prep Ideas for One-on-One Time that Might Require Clean-Up

These are really fun ideas for one-on-one time that you’ll want to do when you have time for a little clean-up afterward.

58. Print some photos and make a collage or scrapbook page

59. Make a gratitude chain by cutting strips of paper, writing one thing you’re grateful for on each strip, and then stapling the strips together in a paper link chain.

60. Paint

61. Do a seasonal craft like making a paper Mache scarecrow in fall, snowflake or Baby Jesus craft in winter, caterpillar in spring, or one of these cute summer crafts for various ages

62. Toss water balloons

63. Make a meal together

64. Sew, learn to knit, or tie a quilt

65. Cut old magazines to make a collage

66. Have a nerf gun war or shoot at targets

67. Cut or make paper flowers

68. Have a water fight with squirt guns or cups or the hose

69. Make a contraption out of dominoes, a marble run, or recyclable materials

70. Paint toenails or fingernails or do make-up

71. Serve someone in your family with breakfast in bed or helping do their chore

72. Make cards to use for upcoming birthdays, holidays, or simply “Thinking of You”

73. Bake cookies, quick bread, or a favorite family recipe

74. Make beaded or braided friendship bracelets

75. Plant seeds or young plants

76. Make some decorations for an upcoming holiday

77. Do a science experiment like growing crystals

Memorable Plan Ahead Ideas or Outings for One-on-One Time

Plan ahead or plan on heading out of the house to do these fun activities.

78. Visit a museum

79. Go for a drive to watch a sunset or see beautiful scenery

80. Doorbell ditch a treat at someone else’s house

81. Attend a local play or other performance

82. Go fishing

83. Visit a nursing home or someone who might be lonely. Chat on the car ride.

84. Go thrift store shopping for a unique or silly outfit

85. Play at the park

86. Visit a pet store and see the animals

87. Go to an ice cream or dessert shop

88. Go bird watching in your yard or at a local park or preserve

89. Visit the library or bookstore

90. Go to an amusement park

91. Go out for lunch or another meal

92. Ride bikes

93. Go swimming

94. Go on a road trip (maybe do one solo trip with each child before they graduate high school)

95. Roller skate, roller blade, or ice skate

96. Gather coupons and/or gift cards and go out for a random night of savings

97. Go to a local sporting event together

98. Attend a professional sporting event together

99. Go to a concert

100. Go for a hike

101. Volunteer with a local cause

Do you want to print this Ultimate List of One-on-One Time with Your Child Ideas or save it for later?

Family Time Ideas

The more healthy relationships our kids have, the better. So feel free to share this post with grandparents or another caregiver you know. Additionally, family time where siblings and parents can all bond is also wonderful for our children. You can find tons of family time ideas in 101 Best Indoor Activities for Families or in our Kids & Family posts.

What are some of your favorite one-on-one time ideas? Share in the comments!

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