Benable — create shareable lists of things you recommend!
E.g., products you love, local businesses, travel recs - you can add anything to a Benable list!
I Finally Found Monthly Brother Sister Date Activities That Stopped the Fighting
28
items My two kids were at each other's throats every single day. Constant bickering, door slamming, the whole show. A friend suggested monthly one-on-one sibling dates where they take turns picking the activity. Sounded too simple. But three months in, the...
Sections
7
Board Games They Actually Both Want to Play
Outdoor Adventures When One Kid Picks Fresh Air
Art and Craft Supplies for the Creative Kid's Turn
Baking and Cooking Date Supplies
Movie and Cozy Night In Date Picks
Scavenger Hunt and Exploration Date Gear
Board Games They Actually Both Want to Play
Finding a game that a 7-year-old and a 10-year-old both enjoy without someone flipping the board took trial and error. These four survived the sibling stress test.
Grab this for the kid who hates long rule explanations. My daughter picked this for their first date night and they played seven rounds straight. No tears, no drama. Stock up on snacks because they won't want to stop.
Connect 4 Classic Grid Board Game
Use this when you need them focused on something other than annoying each other. My son holds his breath every single turn and his sister narrates like a sports commentator. It's the funniest thing I've witnessed in this house.
Hasbro, Jenga Game, Classic Hardwood Blocks, Ages 6+
Toss this in the car for restaurant waits or rainy afternoons. Before we had this, waiting for food meant kicking under the table. Now they're too busy plotting Draw Four revenge to remember they're supposed to be fighting.
Customer reviews for Mattel, UNO Card Game
Perfect for the kid who loves asking weird questions. My son once asked 'does your person look like they'd eat pizza for breakfast' and somehow it worked. For siblings aged 6 to 12 who need a reason to talk without yelling.
Guess Who Christmas 2022 Edition Board Game, by Hasbro
Outdoor Adventures When One Kid Picks Fresh Air
My daughter always picks outdoor stuff. Her brother used to groan about it until we got the right gear. Now he's the one asking when the next outside date is.
Snag one for each kid before your first backyard campout date. My two dragged these onto the porch in October and told me they were ‘sleeping under the stars.’ They lasted until 11pm, which honestly is a win.
Coleman 50 Degree Adult Sleeping Bag - Single Pack
Bring these out for any sibling date that involves sitting in the yard, at a park, or watching a sunset. My son claimed his was his ‘thinking throne.’ Folds small enough to fit in the trunk without a wrestling match over trunk space.
Ozark Trail Kids Camping Chair with Cupholder, Green
Try this when your kids need to burn energy without a screen in sight. My daughter picked an archery date and her brother went from ‘this is dumb’ to begging for a rematch in about four minutes. Foam arrows, so nobody loses an eye.
Zing Toys Z-Curve Bow Refill Pack - Soft Foam Arrows
Get this for siblings who are competitive but need a one-on-one sport. No teams, no friends needed, just two kids whacking a ball back and forth. We set it up in twenty minutes and they played until it got dark.
Swingball Pro – All Surface Portable Pro Tether Tennis Set
Art and Craft Supplies for the Creative Kid's Turn
When my son picks the activity, it's always something messy. Took me a while to find supplies that let him go wild without destroying the kitchen table permanently.
Keep this stocked and ready for art date nights. My son pulled it out and told his sister they were ‘making portraits of each other.’ Hers was detailed. His had her with three arms. They both laughed so hard they cried.
Crayola Inspiration Art Case, 140 Piece Art Set, Ages 3+
Pair this with a flashlight after dark and you've got a whole evening planned. They painted rocks for each other's rooms, which was shockingly sweet for two kids who fight over the TV remote daily.
Creativity for Kids, Art Rock Painting Kit, Glow in the Dark
Toss this on the table when you need a low-effort sibling date setup. My kids spent an hour building a tiny city together, which is roughly 59 minutes longer than they usually cooperate. For rainy day dates when going outside isn't happening.
Play-Doh, Party Pack Clay, 10 mini cans, 10 oz total
Swap this in when one kid wants a quieter date. My daughter taught her brother to braid and he made her a bracelet she still wears to school. If your kids need a calm bonding activity, this one delivers every time.
Hello Hobby Make Your Own Friendship Bracelets Kit
Baking and Cooking Date Supplies
Every third month, someone picks a cooking date. The first attempt was a flour explosion. These products saved our kitchen and their teamwork skills.
Use this for siblings who want to cook but have zero patience for complicated recipes. My kids followed the cards step by step and only argued once, over who got to crack the egg. Huge improvement from our usual meltdowns.
Walmart Holiday Cookie Kits Recipe by Tasty
Get this so both kids can chop at the same time instead of fighting over one knife. Safe enough that I don't hover, which means they actually feel like they're doing it themselves. My son made his first salad and acted like he won a cooking show.
Curious Chef 11-Piece Yellow and Orange Chef's Kit
Bring this out for cupcake or muffin dates. Sized for small hands, so nobody's struggling with adult pans. My daughter picked a cupcake decorating date and her brother put gummy worms on every single one. Disgusting. They loved it.
Wilton Premium Non-Stick Cookie Sheet Pan Bakeware
Grab this before your first kitchen sibling date. Measuring cups, spatulas, the whole lineup in kid sizes. Took the ‘mom do it for me’ out of the equation and now they actually cook together instead of watching me do everything.
Baking Kits For Kids
Movie and Cozy Night In Date Picks
Sometimes the picked activity is just flopping on the couch together. Sounds lazy, but honestly those are the nights where they end up talking the most.
Switch on this machine and suddenly it's a real event, not just Netflix on the couch. My kids take turns picking the movie and making the popcorn. The one who doesn't pick the movie gets to pick the toppings. Keeps it fair.
Nostalgia, Popcorn Machine, 2 qt, Stainless Steel Stirring
Snag one for each kid so nobody fights over the soft pillow during movie dates. My son sleeps with his now, which he'd deny if you asked. For the sibling date that turns into an accidental sleepover on the living room floor.
Squishmallows Official 12 inch Rufus the Brown Moose
Keep two of these on the couch permanently. Before we had separate blankets, movie night meant a tug of war that ended in someone crying. Now they each wrap up in their own and actually watch the movie in peace.
Bedsure GentleSoft White Throw Blanket for Couch
Try making dessert waffles as part of the movie date. One kid picks the movie, the other picks the waffle toppings. My daughter puts strawberries. My son puts gummy bears. Nobody judges. That's the rule.
Dash Mini Waffle Maker, 4 Inch Nonstick, Chaffle Maker, Pink
Scavenger Hunt and Exploration Date Gear
My son picked a ‘treasure hunt’ date once and it became a monthly request. Now we rotate who hides the clues and who solves them. These help pull it off without much planning.
Pair these with any outdoor scavenger hunt and your kids will feel like they're on a nature documentary. My daughter spotted a hawk and narrated the whole thing in a British accent. Her brother almost fell over laughing. Worth every penny for that mo...
kids binoculars
Use these as scavenger hunt clues. One kid writes the clue, scratches off the coating to hide it, and the other kid reveals it at each stop. Way more exciting than just writing on paper. My kids guard their clues like state secrets.
Customer reviews for Melissa & Doug Scratch Art Magic
Get this for nighttime scavenger hunts in the backyard. My son planned a flashlight treasure hunt and his sister said it was ‘the best date ever.’ Hands-free light means they can actually dig through bushes without dropping everything.
Energizer Vision HD+ Focus LED Headlamp
Toss this in their exploration kit for any outdoor date. Does it actually help them navigate? No. Do they feel like adventurers? Absolutely. My daughter blew the whistle every time she found a clue and the neighbors probably think we're unhinged.
Outdoor Survival Whistles with Compass Flashlight
Journal and Memory Keeping for Every Sibling Date
We started writing down what we did each month and who picked it. Six months later, flipping through those pages is my favorite thing. The kids fight over who gets to write the recap.
Grab one and label it the Sibling Date Journal. Each month, whoever didn't pick the activity writes the review. My son drew a star rating system. His sister's cupcake date got 4 out of 5 stars. She was offended. He was thrilled.
Pen+Gear Composition Book, Wide Ruled
Bring this to every single date. Printing a photo right there makes it feel like a real event. We tape each one into the journal and six months of sibling dates now lives on our bookshelf. Wish I'd started this from day one.
Fujifilm, Instax Mini 12 Instant Film Camera, Blue
Keep these with the journal so the recap pages actually look fun. My daughter color-codes by activity type. My son draws stick figures of everything that went wrong. Their pages look completely different and that's the whole point.
Crayola Super Tips Washable Markers for Kids
Use these to paste in photos, ticket stubs, or whatever random stuff they collect during dates. My son glued in a leaf from their park date and a popcorn kernel from movie night. It's chaotic and perfect and I'm saving this journal forever.
Scotch Permanent Glue Sticks - 0.28 oz - 18 / Pack - White