Three Great Ways to Keep Your Kids Engaged at the Cottage

Cottage life is all about the quiet, simple life, disconnecting from the rushed whirlwind that can be daily living.

While being at the cottage means you can leave the distractions of the city work life, those with young children know the rush never really ends.

While many cottage areas have family-friendly places, like these featured cottages for sale, sometimes children don't take to the quiet, simple, still life as well as we do. It can be challenging to keep kids entertained at the cottage, especially on days of bad weather when outdoor exploration and play aren't an option.

Here are a few ways you can keep your cool with the kids when you're up at the cottage.

Prep a Meal Plan

Mom, I'm hungry.

Unfortunately, the cottage doesn't necessarily mean a break from meal prep, and those with picky eaters may find difficulty satiating them if the pantry at the cottage is limited. Planning meals ahead of time with known tried and true recipes will save you the headache of trying to come up with ulterior meal plans during your vacation time. These meals don't need to be overly complicated either. Most common cottage food is already family-friendly. Unless you have dietary restrictions in your family, many kids will jump at the idea of hamburgers, hot dogs, or chilli for dinner.

And don't forget the snacks! Easy travel-safe food containers like juice boxes, yogurt cups, individual apple sauce containers, and veggie sticks make for great, healthy, single-serving treats.

Bring Activities for Indoors and Outdoors

Cottage life is all about connecting with the great outdoors. Thankfully, there are tons of activities kids can do at the cottage that celebrate this tradition.

Scavenger hunts, letting them use a camera for nature photo-taking, binoculars, outdoor games like ring toss, sports balls, and the like are all fun things to do outdoors.

If possible, set up a small tent on your cottage property that kids can play and hang out in their own private space in nature.

If your cottage happens to be near a lake or river, things like paddleboards, flotation devices, beach balls are all fun and great for all levels of ability. Activities you may consider doing as a family could include kayaking or canoeing.

For the days where outdoors isn't an option, make sure to stock up on plenty of indoor activities such as colouring books, crafts, cottage safe indoor toys are all great ideas. Kid-friendly family board games are a perfect way to connect during these days of poor weather. 

Baking is another interactive activity that the entire family can be involved in. It could even be used to sneak in an educational moment; learning about measuring, timing, and how to accurately follow directions.

Plan for Alternatives

If parents know anything about kids, it's that they can be fickle. One minute they might be a loving activity or food, the next they are bored of it. Always having a backup activity or two planned on the days indoor colouring won't cut it, will help keep up the variety and keep you sane when bringing the kids up to the cottage. Likewise, planning a backup kid-friendly meal for the day your child randomly decides they don't want their favourite food anymore will keep mealtime going smoothly.