That PNW Dad Challenges You!

That's right I challenge you, will you rise up and meet my challenge or will you scurry away defeated. What is the challenge you might be asking, well there's a few to pick from. This is a choose your own adventure. The goal here is to have fun and make some incredible memories with your kiddos.

First Challenge: Fortress All Day Everyday! – Spend the day building an epic fort together. Make it as complex as possible using blankets, pillows, and furniture, and cardboard boxes then get some snacks and have a movie or story night inside. After the movie/story you can make shadow puppets and continue the fun that way. At the end of he night you can pretend to be very large monsters and destroy the fortress together, this is as much fun taring down as it is building.

Second Challenge: Nature Treasure Hunt – Create a scavenger hunt in a local park or backyard, listing items to find, like a specific leaf, a feather, a smooth stone, mushroom etc. You could also go ahead and hide things throughout the area. The one who finds the most items on the list wins a family prize! The great thing about this one is if the family wins, everyone wins. You can decide what the family prize will be.

Third Challenge: Mystery Meal Challenge – This is a fun one. Have each family member pick a random ingredient, then work together to make a meal that uses all those ingredients in some way—no recipes allowed! The result will be a fantastic or maybe not so fantastic family meal that you can serve up during special occasions if it turns out well. This could even turn into a family tradition. Every year you come up with a new meal that you can work on and refine all year long.

Fourth Challenge: Around the World in One Night – Pick a country at random, learn about its culture, and make a dinner that reflects its cuisine. You could even listen to music from that country while cooking or dining. This challenge is going to have to be a 2-part challenge. On night one you pick the country and do your research. On the second night you can make the meal ( Purchase ingredients during the day so you don't have to at night) and celebrate the countries culture.

Fifth Challenge: Invention Creation Hour – Gather household items and challenge everyone to invent something useful (or fun!) with them. Present the inventions afterward with a quick demo or explanation. You can provide some supplies such as tape, string, paper, etc to help you add on to your invention creation.

Sixth Challenge: Backyard Olympics – This one will work great if you have some sapce outside. Create mini-games like “long jump” (with a measuring tape), “javelin throw” (using sticks or soft items), or a “relay race.” Award medals (or snacks) for fun achievements.

Seventh Challenge: Handwritten Letters Day – Write letters to each other or to friends and family, then mail them. It's a nice way to slow down and share some appreciation for friends and family. I guarantee you this will put a smile on the recipients face.

8th Challenge: Family Music Jam – Pick random household items that can be used as instruments, then form a “band” and create a family song or rhythm session. Bonus points if you record your jam session. You can easily record using your phones recording app or by downloading an app. Extra special brownie points if you upload and share it with us.

Looking forward to hearing about how these challenges go for you