Nerd culture is taking over and nowadays it’s cool to love all the things you did as a kid. Comic books, sci-fi movies, cartoons, there’s no longer a need to be ashamed of your fondness for these things. Some people think that when you have kids you have to abandon all your hobbies and interests. However, I think that if you’re a parent, you have even more a reason to cling to your childhood memories. That’s because it’s a great bonding experience when you’re able to share your favorite characters, stories and hobbies with your own kids. Today, I want to share with you some fun “nerdy” activities that you can enjoy with your offspring.
TV Show or Movie Marathon. Thanks to Netflix and other digital viewing platforms, there are literally thousands of television shows and old movies that are accessible with just a click of a button. One of the things that I love to do with my kids is introduce them to the TV shows and movies that I used to love as a kid. There was a moment when the entire X-Men cartoon series was on Netflix including the Phoenix saga and I got to relive all those episodes with my son. Now he knows more about the X-Men than I do!
Build a LEGO Set. I’m not a big collector but I do love me a challenging LEGO set. What’s great is that my two sons also love LEGOS so it’s the perfect family activity for us all. Lately, we’ve been into collecting and building Star Wars LEGOs so we’ll save up for a big set and spend an afternoon building it together. We take turns finding the pieces and putting it together and it’s a great lesson in teamwork and patience. I also love that there’s an aspect of engineering that goes into it and I’m all about toys that are fun and educational.
Attend a Comic Convention. You love toys, your kids love toys. You love costumes, your kids love costumes. You love superheroes, your kids love superheroes. I think the choice is pretty easy! Comic conventions have all that and more. Usually the floor is packed with teenagers all the way to middle-aged adults. However, there’s no reason why a kid wouldn’t love a comic convention. This is the ultimate family outing for any “nerdy” family. It’s even better than most family outings since child admission to these types of events are usually free!
Visit a Comic Book Store. If you don’t do comic conventions, then a comic book store is always an option. There are so many different comic book series available, both old and new, that you can never get enough. Make it a weekly or monthly ritual with your kids and encourage them to start their own collection just like you did when you were their age. You can also use this incentive as a way to get your kids to do chores around the house. Washing the dishes could earn them one new comic book. Taking out the trash could be worth another comic book.
Visit a Science Museum. As I previously mentioned, I love any reason to introduce my kids to educational fun and I think this is the same for most parents. That’s why a trip to a science museum is such a great family activity. And if there’s anything that a nerd loves, it’s random facts. Whether it’s an aquarium, an observatory or space center, or a natural history museum, I highly recommend taking your kids to a place where you can drop some knowledge on them.
Do you have a “nerdy” activity that you enjoy doing with your kids? Let us know by leaving a comment below!