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The Inspired Treehouse

Growing healthy bodies and minds through play!

Play Ideas for Families: 365 Days of Play!

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Today, we want to show you how easy it is to make 365 Days of Play possible for every family! Check out a few of our favorite play ideas for families.
The Inspired Treehouse - Use these play ideas for families to help create 365 days of fun and engagement! this …

At the Inspired Treehouse, we believe that with a little help, kids can build strong, healthy bodies and minds through play. When families are active, playing and moving together every single day, they see immediate benefits in the form of improved physical fitness, increased quality time together and overall healthy development.
The U.S. Bank Cash 365™ American Express® Card can help make daily active play and engagement possible for families by providing the means to get out and explore new play experiences every day!
Most family play can be free or super easy on the wallet, but when you need some gear or there are other expenses are involved, the U.S. Bank Cash 365™ American Express® Card can help. With 1.5% cash back on everyday purchases and no annual fee, the U.S. Bank Cash 365™ American Express® Card can make possible happen.

Get Started Today with 365 Days of Play!

If you’re having a hard time coming up with fun play ideas for your family, use the following categories to help you brainstorm. We’ve included a few of our favorite ideas from each category to get you started, but get creative! What play ideas can your family come up with together?

Explore the Magic of Your Backyard!

Going somewhere new is always fun, but there are plenty of adventures to be had right in your own backyard too!

Here are some ideas to get you started:

Play on the swingset.

Play a game of tag.

Shoot some hoops with one of these driveway basketball games.

Play with sidewalk chalk. 

Catch fireflies.

Play with hula hoops.

Set up a lemonade stand.

Play with bubbles.

Have a squirt gun or hose fight.

Try a round of backyard golf!

Try Some Indoor Fun!

What if the weather’s not cooperating? No worries! Sometimes a low-key day inside is the best way to inspire play and quality time.

Try these easy ideas for play inside:

Build a fort.

Play with your couch cushions!

Have a family game night.

Play I Spy With a Twist.

Let the kids have some fun in the bath!

Play with Play-Doh.

Go Somewhere New!

A little change of scenery goes a long way when it comes to engagement and play. Simply visiting a place you’ve never been as a family can inspire excitement and adventure!

Try one of these ideas:

Visit a new museum.

Try out a new water park.

Go on a road trip.

Pack up for a camping trip in a new spot.

Work and Play as a Team!

Looking for some awesome quality time with your family? Set up a teamwork challenge! Activities where you have to solve a problem or conquer a goal together are fun and beneficial for everyone!

Here are some of our favorites:

Try a blindfold challenge. 

Race through this wacky relay. 

Go geocaching.

Work together to create a partner painting masterpiece.

Cook a meal together.

Learn a new skill – cartwheels, somersaults, monkey bars, swimming!

Get Moving!

Some of our favorite ways to play as a family are also great ways to get in shape! Physically active play is more than just fun, it sets kids up for a lifetime of making fitness a priority in their lives.

Get up and moving with these fun activities:

Take a bike ride.

How about some rough and tumble play?

Fly a kite.

Go to the pool. 

Find a new hiking trail.

Head to the playground. 

Climb a tree.

Go canoeing or kayaking.

Try a sensory motor scavenger hunt! 

Try yoga together as a family.

Check out these jump rope games.

The Inspired Treehouse - Use these play ideas for families to help create 365 days of fun and engagement!

Create Something Together!

Getting creative as a family is a great way to play together! Try building something or making a masterpiece as a team!

Here are some ideas to get those creative juices flowing:

Build your own scooters.

Try your hand at origami. 

Make a simple craft.

Try some sticky note art.

Use Your Imagination!

When all else fails, pretend or imaginative play is one of the best (and most entertaining) ways to play together as a family. And good news…pretend play is almost always free! All you need is a great storyline and some simple props!

Here are some of our favorite ideas:

Play dress up.

Make your own movie or play.

Make your own musical instrument and start a band!

Bring out all of the stuffed animals in the house and play pet shop.

Line up all of the chairs in the house, get out a few suitcases and pretend you’re on a train or plane!

Learn how animals fall asleep and pretend to be each one.

See what we mean? 365 Days of Play for your family doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive! It can be as simple as the ideas above. And when you do need to pick up craft supplies or pay everyone’s admission to that new awesome water park, the U.S. Bank Cash 365™ American Express® Card can help!

Plus, with the U.S. Bank Cash 365™ American Express® Card, you could earn a $100 customer relationship bonus! The card is offering $100 for customers who spend $500 in the first three months and have a relationship with U.S. Bank. If you do not already have a relationship, you can open one and still receive the bonus if done within 30 days. Very cool! If you would like to learn more about the U.S. Bank Cash 365™ American Express® Card, or to apply, click here! Visit U.S. Bank online to learn more!

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What travel necessity would you first spend your cash back on? Leave a comment for a chance to win a $100 gift card.

Entry Instructions:

No duplicate comments.

You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:

1. Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post

2. Tweet (public message) about this promotion; including exactly the following unique term in your tweet message: “#SweepstakesEntry”; and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post

3. Blog about this promotion, including a disclosure that you are receiving a sweepstakes entry in exchange for writing the blog post, and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post

4. For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry.

This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older (or nineteen (19) years of age or older in Alabama and Nebraska). Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail. The notification email will come directly from BlogHer via the sweeps@blogher email address. You will have 2 business days to respond; otherwise a new winner will be selected.

The Official Rules are available here.

This sweepstakes runs from 8/1/2016– 8/31/2016

Be sure to visit the U.S. Bank brand page on BlogHer.com where you can read other bloggers’ posts!

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Claire Heffron

Claire Heffron is co-author at The Inspired Treehouse and a pediatric occupational therapist in a preschool/primary school setting. She began her career with a bachelor's degree in magazine journalism but quickly changed course to pursue graduate studies in occupational therapy. She has been practicing therapy for 10 years in public and specialized preschool/primary school settings. She is a mom to three funny, noisy boys and relies on yoga, good food, and time outside to bring her back to center.
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Comments

  1. Emily H. says

    I’d spend my money on gasoline! It may not be glamorous, but it’s definitely a necessity when it comes to traveling and commuting!

  2. heather says

    The first travel necessity that I would spend my cash back on would be gas and snacks for the road.

  7. Amy Tong says

    I would spend the cash back on gas. love road trips. :) Great ideas on creating fun memories for the family!

    amy [at] uTry [dot] it

  9. Julie Wood says

    My luggage is outdated so I would buy some new modern luggage to take a trip with.

  13. Natalie says

    I would use the cash back to buy luggage! I do not own a single piece of luggage for travel! I have been borrowing a friend’s suitcase.

  18. Jeffrey says

    The travel necessity I would purchase with my cash back bonus is luggage. We have a trip planned early next year and new baggage is already on our purchase list.

  20. Erika says

    I would spend it on some books and activities to keep the kids busy in the car, and I would spend the rest doing memorable things with our family on a vacation.

    chambanachik(at)gmail(dot)com

  25. Lisa Brown says

    I would buy a quality carry-on piece of luggage with wheels.
    jslbrown2009 at aol dot com

  26. Lisa Brown says

    tweet-https://twitter.com/LuLu_Brown24/status/763673775124516864
    jslbrown2009 at aol dot com

  33. Starla says

    How awesome! I could definitely use a bit more travel in my life. I would first put it towards a good cooler for my family!

    starla.bates AT yahoo.com

  45. Barbara Montag says

    With the cash back I would buy some audio books.
    A great past time at the right time.
    thank you

  47. Tina W says

    The first thing I would get is a new window shade! Mine is getting a little tattered and we definitely need one here in the desert. HOT SEATS!!!!!
    Then I would buy some beach towels because we would be heading off to the coast for cooler weather!

  58. Elizabeth pergande says

    I’d spend it on something fun for the family! truckredford(at)Gmail(Dot)com

  74. Tabathia B says

    Probably a portable car charger, travel bags and a first aid kit

    tbarrettno1 at gmail dot com

  76. Jerry Marquardt says

    The travel necessity that I would first spend my cash back on would be an airplane ticket.

  78. Anastasia Falling says

    One travel necessity I MUST have is batteries! I love taking photos and I don’t want to run out of power in the midst of something great :)

  80. Kathryn C says

    #SweepstakesEntry- comment

    I would apply any cash back towards the cost of renewing my US Passport

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