How to stop the fighting: Fun sibling activities to help them work together

By Stacie Gaetz

As summer break gets closer, you may be equally excited for the warm weather, and dreading the hours of hearing “We’re bored!” and “Mom, she hit me!”

The two months of summer always feel like they have flown by once they are over, but in the moment, they can seem to drag on when you are stuck between siblings that have spent too much time together.

It can be hard to find ways to keep both (or all) of your children happy without resorting to screentime or ending up with a destroyed house.

However, there are a few activities your children can do together that can encourage cooperation and bonding (and discourage arguments and screaming!).

Get them giggling

Laughter brings people together and acting silly in a safe environment can help your children bond. It is even better if the whole family can get in on the fun! Some games that encourage these positive interactions include:

• Animal Walk – Take turns calling out different animals and the other person/people must walk like that animal for a set amount of time.
• Mad Libs – These have been a huge hit since I was a kid and there is no need to go out and buy a book. You can find tons of free printable options online. Creating silly sentences will have your kids rolling on the floor laughing together.
• Funny Face Freeze – Have them take turns holding their faces in funny positions to see who can do it longer.
• Would You Rather? This is another one that you don’t need a book for. Simply think up examples on your own or look them up online. This one can be particularly silly if you search “gross Would You Rather? questions.”

Cooperation rather than competition

My kids are both strong willed and setting them up to play a traditional board or card game against each other is a recipe for disaster. If you are looking for an organized game, there are a number that encourage cooperation and working together and don’t result in a single “winner.” Your children will collaborate to triumph as a team rather than compete with each other. Some of these games include:

• Hoot Owl Hoot
• Outfoxed
• Race to the Treasure
• Cauldron Quest
• Castle Panic

Teach each other

Let one of you children teach the other about something they love and then switch. Imparting their knowledge on the other sibling can help to reduce tension for everyone involved. This is particularly special when it is time for the younger kiddo to teach their older sibling(s) about something they are interested in. Examples of this can include how to do a cartwheel, hula hooping, hopscotch, games like What Time Is It Mr. Wolf? or anything else they like to do.

Let them gang up

My children are never closer to each other than when they are plotting against their parents. Let them set up their own fun game for you and your partner or a friend of yours to play. Maybe they can create an obstacle course that you will have to run or hide somewhere around the house and try to scare you.

Create something together

Whether it is a dance routine, LEGO project, paper airplanes, a fort or stacking plastic cups, working together to create something that didn’t exist before can help bring your kids closer. My kids like to create short plays together that they perform for us later or they like to set up a “scene” and record a “movie” on my phone – complete with stuffed animal actors, sound effects and music.

Have a common task

Games like scavenger hunts and balloon bump where the children have a shared goal (checking all the items off the list or keeping the balloon off of the floor) can help stop the fighting. Other fun games like this include “the floor is lava”, where they kids must figure out how to get from one piece of furniture to another without touching the floor and setting up and running an obstacle course.

Go big

Kids love anything that is oversized. Buy a large roll of paper and unfurl it in your living room. Let them draw whatever they want on it. Have them work together to create a scene or character or get them to create a backdrop for a play they organize together. Have a large cardboard box? Let your kids color all over it and then use it as a fort.

Split up

It is important to keep in mind that sometimes, no matter how awesome the activity is, siblings simply can’t/won’t do anything but annoy each other. When all else fails, it may be necessary to separate them. Know your children’s personalities and set them up for success.

My quiet eight-year-old daughter needs time away from her rambunctious six-year-old brother every now and then and is happy to take part in independent art-and-craft activities while I burn off some energy with her bro.

Get in the habit of knowing when your kids need a break from each other and trying to step in with some of these solutions when they need help (before it escalates into full-blown name calling and hair pulling).

Here’s to a peaceful summer!