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There are many different ways to get the entire family involved in improving your living space. Not all of them have to be as dreary and soul-crushing as cleaning and scrubbing. In fact, a number of home improvement projects will allow your kids to unleash their imaginations while learning the value of cooperation and developing a personal connection to the home.
We put together a shortlist of projects you can do with the entire family that will add value to your property. It’s not a comprehensive list. We encourage you to let your creativity flow when it comes to getting everyone invested in a great home.
1. Painting walls
Painting walls might sound like a stone-cold drag. You cover the things you don’t want to paint, leaving lots of bare walls that require consistent strokes the same way to avoid runs or unsightly stroke marks. You can do that, of course. If everyone paints a little section of a wall, it’ll get done faster so everyone can spend more quality time together.
You can also do things like paint in diagonals or put shapes on walls. If anyone in your family is a born artist, you can even try your hand at designs.
2. Replacing screens
Screens are what makes it tolerable to have windows open at the height of mosquito season. If they get damaged, you will either need to mend or replace them. Doing it as a family will give your kids an appreciation that creating a comfortable living space involves a series of mundane, basic tasks.
If your screens don’t require replacing, odds are pretty good that they need a good cleaning. Getting the family involved in removing and cleaning them not only makes the job go by faster, but it might introduce your children to parts of the house they rarely go into. At the very least, while they’re taking them out and putting them back in, maybe they’ll see something they’ve never seen.
3. Organizing your closets
Most people don’t enjoy organizing their closets. We get that. On the other hand, closets have a tendency to be messy, disorganized, and wasteful of space. Getting everyone involved in organizing them gives your children a sense of responsibility and ownership over their little corner of space. The work also gives them a chance to identify things they don’t need anymore, resulting in a bit of beneficial decluttering.
If you wanted to take this a step forward, you could have everyone build a closet organizer. There are tons of great plans available to help store things like shoes and crafting supplies.
4. Weeding the garden
Weeding is one of the most important jobs in landscaping and gardening, and also one of the least popular of all tasks around the home. Weeds make your living space look unkempt and haggard. At most, they can compete for sunlight and water with plants you want.
Getting everyone involved in pulling weeds is a great way to commune with the land. It also introduces kids to wildlife and fauna living right next to them.
5. Patching holes
Holes happen, especially in the walls. It isn’t just kids who have mishaps. Adults are known to occasionally be clumsy. You’ll need to patch those holes.
It’s not a glamorous activity, but it is a necessary one. If a child is old enough to do the work, then it’s very appropriate that if a child makes a hole that the child repair it.
6. Bunk bed ladders
One great thing about getting everyone involved in home improvement projects is that you can use it to introduce your kids to tools. The best projects will introduce your kids to basic tools like hammers, saws, welders, and rulers and produce something useful or at least fun.
If they’ve got a bunk bed, they’ve got a need for a ladder. Most come with one, but building a different one will help them feel a sense of accomplishment every time they get into bed.
7. Contact paper
Contact paper is a cheap alternative to painting walls and hanging traditional wallpaper. It’s easy to apply, so it’s appropriate for all ages. Plus, it goes up fast. You can cover an entire wall in just a few minutes.
8. Outdoor lighting
If you’ve got a yard, chances are your kids like to spend time in it, even when it gets dark. Hanging some simple outside lights creates safer play by adding light. It can also look a lot more relaxing.
There are lots of different kinds of lights to hang, from Christmas-style bulbs to paper lanterns. Your kids can help hang them all, and even feel a little special if you delegate the job of turning them on for the first time.
Conclusion
There are lots of ways to get your family involved in improving your home. Some of the ideas are a lot more boring than others, but all of them are necessary. Getting your kids to help not only allows you all to spend family time together, but it teaches children a sense of ownership in their home and valuable skills.
Sources
https://schoolofdecorating.com/2013/01/painting-walls-with-kids/
https://todayshomeowner.com/video/replacing-a-torn-window-screen/
https://www.doityourself.com/stry/how-to-build-a-kids-closet-organizer
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/vegetables/vgen/garden-weeding.htm
https://www.lowes.com/n/how-to/patch-and-repair-drywall
https://www.hunker.com/13403805/how-to-build-a-bunk-bed-ladder
https://interiordesign.lovetoknow.com/Decorative_Contact_Paper
https://blog.1800lighting.com/lighting-tips/install-outdoor-hanging-lantern/
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