How to Motivate Your Kids to Try Something New Every Month

If you’ve read about how I learned to surf with my four daughters or how we survive the annual chaos of choosing where to travel, you already know two things about our family:

We love adventure.

We are loudly opinionated about it.

But there’s one little tradition we’ve built in our home that I think might be my proudest creation yet. Bigger than the surf trip. Bigger than learning how to survive a week in a Wi-Fi-free treehouse in Bali with teenagers.

It’s what we call: “New Thing of the Month.”

The Birth of the ‘New Thing’ Tradition

It started off quietly.

I was reading something about brain plasticity — as one does, deep in a parenting podcast rabbit hole — and I came across this idea: the more we do new things, the more we stay curious, adaptable, and resilient. Simple enough. But it hit me hard. Why we didn't do it before???

Because I looked around and realized something: we were getting comfortable.

Too comfortable.

Way too comfortable!

The kids had their favorite snacks, their favorite shows on Netflix, their preferred three outfits. They’d say, “I don’t like that,” before they even tried a new food. “That’s booooooring,” before even opening the book. “That’s not for me,” about activities they’d never heard of.

And I get it — it’s easy to default to what’s familiar. Adults do it too. But I didn’t want my daughters to become people who stopped trying, stopped exploring, stopped growing.

So, I gathered them all in the living room one Sunday evening — yes, snacks were involved (you need snacks to get everyone together :) — and I pitched the idea.

The Pitch (and the Resistance)

“From now on,” I said, “we’re going to try one new thing every month. It could be anything — a sport, a skill, a hobby, a dish, a language, a craft, an adventure, a challenge. Anything. But we’re all going to do it. Together!”

Crickets.

Then chaos.

“WHAT? Every month??”

“I don’t want to do boring things!”

“What if I hate it?!”

“Are you having a midlife crisis?”

(Okay, that last one was the teenager. And yes, probably.)

But I held firm. And, because I believe in leading by example, I added:

“I’m going to do it too. Every month. I’m learning something new right alongside you. We do it T-O-G-E-T-H-E-R!”

That softened the blow. Just a little.

Month One: Baking Bread (and Minor Explosions)

We started easy.

Sourdough. Focaccia. Pretzels. Cinnamon buns.

We watched YouTube tutorials. We measured and kneaded and waited and… learned the difference between yeast that works and yeast that most definitely does not. Our first loaf came out looking like a prehistoric fossil. The second? Slightly less offensive.

But my daughters were into it. Covered in flour, giggling, arguing over toppings. It was messy. It was loud. It was perfect.

We were doing something new. Together. As we all agreed on.

Twelve Months, Dozens of “First Times”

What followed that first month was a wild, unpredictable, and often hilarious year of experiments:

Capoeira classes — where we all tried to flip and kick and ended up laughing in a sweaty heap. I did my best :)

Watercolor painting — my youngest discovered she loves it; my oldest discovered she’s impatient with drying times.

Rock climbing — three of us made it halfway up the wall; one of us (me) got stuck and needed help down.

Making sushi at home — shockingly decent results, considering we live nowhere near Japan. Yammi :)

Photography walks — each daughter with her own theme: shadows, colors, faces, trees.

Birdwatching (yes, seriously) — we downloaded an app and turned a boring Sunday into a surprisingly competitive “who can spot the most birds” game.

Pottery — let’s just say we’re not selling anything on Etsy anytime soon.

Skating lessons — bruised knees, big smiles, and one epic slow-motion fall from me that lives on in family legend.

Every month, something new. Something different. Something that no one was allowed to say “no” to until they gave it at least one try.

The Secret Sauce: Curiosity + Modeling It Yourself

Here’s what I’ve learned: the best way to motivate your kids to try new things… is to do it yourself. Enthusiastically. Openly. Even awkwardly.

I’ve always loved learning — especially languages. Over the years, I’ve studied 11 of them. Some I can speak fluently. Some I just fumble through like a tourist with a phrasebook. But every time I dive into a new one — even just for fun — my daughters see it. They see that I don’t care about looking silly. That I enjoy the process.

So now when I pull up Duolingo to practice Portuguese or Arabic or Swedish, one of them inevitably sits beside me and says, “How do you say cookie in that language?”

And we’re off.

It’s not about mastery. It’s about curiosity.

And curiosity is contagious.

Let Them Choose (Sometimes)

To keep it fun, we take turns choosing the monthly activity. That’s key.

When my 10-year-old picked “calligraphy,” we all grumbled but ended up spending three cozy nights bent over beautiful letters, making personalized cards.

When my 13-year-old picked “learning a TikTok dance,” I nearly pulled a hamstring. But I also gained some unexpected respect (and a few thousand views).

By letting them steer the ship sometimes, they feel ownership. They’re not being dragged into it — they’re leading it.

What This Taught Us (That Has Nothing to Do With Bread or Birds)

This tradition didn’t just fill our calendar. It changed how we see new things.

Now, when someone says, “Wanna try this?” the default response isn’t “ew” or “nah.” It’s “sure — once.”

That tiny shift is everything.

My daughters are more open. More adaptable. More willing to fail in the name of fun. And honestly? So am I.

We don’t always love every activity. But we always walk away with a story. A laugh. A lesson. And usually, a hilarious photo or two.

What’s Next?

Right now, we’re deciding what to do this month. There’s talk of learning to juggle. Someone mentioned chess. Someone else wants to try making cheese.

Who knows where we’ll land.

But wherever it is, we’ll go there. Together. Awkwardly. Laughing. Probably arguing about whose idea it was. And definitely making memories.

So if you’re a parent wondering how to get your kids to try more things — start small. Start silly. Lead the way. Be the one who signs up first, messes up first, and laughs the loudest.

Before you know it, you’ll have a whole collection of “remember when we…” stories.

And trust me: those are the ones they’ll carry with them forever.