7 Fun and Spontaneous Things to Surprise Your Kids With

It's easy for spontaneous moments to get lost or overlooked in our day to day lives.  After looking up the definition I smiled at the irony that things that may seem spontaneous to our kids often are not and can take a bit of time to set up or plan.  It is the element of surprise for them when the event happens that makes it spontaneous in their eyes.

This afternoon J and I spent a good 45 minutes or so filling water balloons.  I bought them spontaneously at the newsagent this morning, with a forecast of 36C+ an after school water balloon fight seemed perfect!

Steven had to duck home to pick up some paperwork so he timed it with school pick up.  He got the kids to head through the gate to the backyard rather than through the front door...J and I were waiting in ambush with water balloons.  The squeals and laughter were totally priceless.

The water balloon fight lasted 5 minutes, tops.  It was awesome.

The kids were just as excited about the fact we'd surprised them as the water balloon fight itself. Loved it.

While I was busy filling those water balloons here's a few fun 'spontaneous' ideas I thought of.

• Ambush the kids with water balloons on a hot afternoon, easier still get some cheapy water pistols and fill some buckets.
• Put up the tent in the backyard and go 'camping' for the night.  Just eat the marshmellows from the packet if you don't have somewhere to toast them.
• Eat dinner by candlelight (although, that probably won't work in the daylight savings states right now)
• Break up an argument or calm down a tantrum (not yours) by bursting into song and dance.  The dingle dangle scarecrow is probably my favourite spontaneous song.  Sing and dance for a while, dinner can wait another 5 minutes.
• Blow up balloons after the kids are asleep and leave them scattered across their bedroom floor, who says you have to save this for their birthday?
• Emerge from your bathroom with your face painted like a clown one morning, have a few magic tricks up your sleeve.  Go on, I dare you!
• Play a game with them that you wouldn't normally take part in whether its a video game, board game or role play.  Trust me, they'll love it.

What's your favourite 'spontaneous' thing to do with your family or friends?

Tatum xx