Whether your children are younger or older or you have them all spread out, you need to think of ways to bring the family closer together. This can be done in many different ways and can include fun nights in or exciting adventures outside the house. You should always take into consideration the needs and interests of your family, but it can also be fun to do something out of the ordinary as well.
At-Home Activities
It is a good idea to establish a weekly family night that is just for you and your family. Don’t make plans or schedule anything for that day, and the whole family knows it is a day just spent with family. This gives you the opportunity to have regular bonding and communication time with your children and promotes an atmosphere of family unity.
You can just have a regular game night, or you can have a movie night complete with building forts and eating snacks. You can plan a small staycation where you do an activity together or learn about a new place you might want to visit in the future.
You can also get a monthly subscription box that will provide you with what you need to keep the whole family entertained. You can get saucy with a food pack that will help you explore new types of food or cook together in the kitchen. You can also get subscription boxes for fun mysteries to solve or things to build.
Outside the Home Activities
If your family wants to get out of the house and still spend time together, there are a lot of things you can do. If you want to do something simple and close by, you can visit your library, explore a new park, or go geocaching in your neighborhood.
You can also go to the beach or another attraction that is close to your house. Taking a short trip to a museum or zoo or aquarium can be fun for everyone. You may also want to think about camping or hiking as a way to have a technology-free bonding experience.
If you are more adventure inclined, you could look into kayaking or canoeing on a river or lake near where you live. You can also try rock climbing or karate at a local studio. Look around your community at what is available and see if there is something you want to try.
Promoting Inclusion
The point of family activities is to bring your family closer together. Make sure that the activities you choose are varied enough that they can include discussion and communication to help you feel closer. You may even want to think of ice breaker questions to promote learning new things about each other.
It may also be fun to have a specific family member choose the activity on a rotational basis. This way, each family member feels included, and you get to know each other better. This helps each member to feel like they are important. It may even be surprising to see how much fun you have exploring someone else’s interests.
CONVERSATION