Do you find yourself constantly searching for things to do with your kids to keep them and you entertained? Well I know I do. Last week I had finally had enough of this and I decided to try something different: I decided to let my ten year old plan the day. You might be thinking, this is a disaster waiting to happen. But honestly this turned into one of the best weekends we've had together in a while! So here’s a detailed list of what we did, complete with pancakes, playgrounds, and a trip to the Boca Aquarium.

Saturday Morning: Pancakes First, Always

Once he woke up my little one didn't waste any time before he started making requests. Everyone knows that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, so a tasty meal was the first step to our weekend. He decided we should have pancakes and make them into shapes of his favorite tv characters. After gathering all the ingredients and cookware, we got to work. We carefully poured and shaped pancakes to their desired shapes, using chocolate chips to create designs. We both loved this activity because we worked together to get creative and create something we both would get to enjoy once completed.

So if your child makes a breakfast request, suggest something you can make together. This can be a great bonding activity and takes some of the work off of your hands. Your kid will have the chance to learn new skills confidently as you work together. In this example, choosing to make the pancakes into shapes adds a playful and fun aspect to the task. When kids learn to do everyday tasks in a fun way, it creates a strong positive association with the activity that can benefit them in the future.

Midday: Park Time at Sugar Sand Park

So after eating a generous amount of sugar, my child was full of energy. Lucky for us today was a beautiful day and he wanted to play outside at the park.  What kid doesn't love the park, right? After discussing a few park options together, he decided on Sugar Sand Park. This was a great choice because it had a lot of activities to do for him.  Sugar sand park has all the typical features of a park with the lovely additions of a carousel and various nature trails. We actually stayed at the park for a few hours. My kiddo got to play with others and run around while I soaked up some sunlight and got some reading done, a win-win if you ask me.

Afternoon Surprise: “I Want to Go to the Aquarium!”

Here’s where the day took an unexpected turn. After getting all his energy out at the pack, we packed up in the car and started to head home. As we were driving home I heard my kid yell from the back seat "Now let's go to the Aquarium!". After pulling into a parking spot and doing some quick research online, I found an aquarium just down the street from where we were, The Boca Aquarium. And lucky for us, when I checked their Facebook page, I discovered that today they were having a touch tank and live shark feeding event! So that’s how we ended up at the Boca Aquarium, it was a much needed break from the sun after our morning outing to the park. My kid is definitely an animal lover so this was the perfect afternoon activity.

Evening: Pizza Picnic at Home

So when you think of the ideal dinner for a kid, pizza is probably the first thing to come to mind. This is exactly what mine asked for. We decided to elevate this meal by making it into a picnic in the living room. We put out blankets on the floor and ordered delivery from our favorite pizza spot. While we were waiting for the deliciousness to arrive, we browsed our streaming services to find the perfect movie to watch while we ate. We don't usually watch tv with dinner but since it was up to him, I gave it a try. This turned out to be the ultimate way to end our day of fun.

Final Thoughts: Why I’ll Let My Kid Plan Again

Not only was letting my kid plan the day fun, it also taught me way more about him. We got to spend quality time together doing things that HE wanted to do. I learned a few new interests of his and we got to explore them together. I could tell that he genuinely enjoyed every moment of our day and now I have some ideas of activities for us in the future. For example we’ll definitely be visiting the Boca Aquarium again as well as having another living room picnic with a movie. On my own I wouldn’t have thought of these ideas for us so I'm very glad I let him take the reins here.

So if you’re in South Florida, consider checking out these really cool spots. And maybe, if you’re up for an adventure, let your child plan a few activities or even the whole day! You’ll definitely be in for a surprise and things may turn out to be more fun than you expected. 

Parenting Takeaway

So my main takeaway from this day was that sometimes the best plans can come from our kids. While they are young and we may think of them as followers, we should let them be leaders. This will provide us with insight and give them confidence. So next time you feel stuck and don't know what to do with your day, let your kid decide. You definitely won't regret it.