Summary
Involve the whole family in choosing one or two new activities to try for fun at home.
Looking for simple ways to have fun at home as a family? Check out these suggestions.
Fun indoors
Do you need a few new indoor activities to brighten up your week? Here are a few ideas:
- Taste test: Let everyone sample various brands of microwave popcorn, cocoa, juices, raisins, and different kinds of apples to determine their favorites.
- Pajama party: After a dinner of favorite breakfast foods, hang out together in your PJs with the lights down low, and swap spooky or funny stories. Are you really brave? Set up sleeping bags and snooze together in one room.
- Blindfold game: Select several objects to place on a table. Let a blindfolded person try to identify the objects. Challenge each other to find the trickiest objects for the table.
- Be creative: Learn a new craft or hobby that even the youngest can handle
- Have a picnic: Set up a blanket on the family room floor and have a picnic dinner as you watch a movie together. You can take this a step further and “camp out” by the fireplace if you have one.
- Photo opportunities: Gather all the photos you can find of the family and create an album or collage together.
- Bird watch: Place a bird feeder in a place that is easy for you all to observe from indoors. Borrow a book from the library about birds and try to identify the ones you see.
- Story time: Spend some time each week reading a chapter book as a family. Take turns reading out loud, if possible. You might want to discuss the characters or act out your favorite scenes.
Fun outdoors
Try to spend time together outdoors, too. Take a 15- to 30-minute family walk several days a week or plan a longer hike on the weekends. Here are other ideas:
- Bubbles: Blow bubbles and work together to keep as many of them floating for as long as you can.
- Sidewalk chalk: Get the whole family involved in decorating your driveway or sidewalk.
- Obstacle course: If you have a suitable space, create an obstacle course. Place objects to zig zag around, hop over, crawl under—whatever suits your group.
- Snow: If you have snow, get the whole family involved in shoveling, building a snowman, going for short treks around the neighborhood, etc. Color snow with spray bottles filled with diluted primary food colors—it’s artful and experimental when colors are mixed.
- Warm weather: Play in the lawn sprinkler, wash the car together, or toss water balloons.
Special events
Plan special nights or events for everyone. See if any of these look right for your family:
- Game night: Pull out all the board and card games you can find and play.
- Boss night: Take turns letting one family member pick the group activity for 30 to 45 minutes after dinner.
- Guest-of-honor night: Let a family member be the center of attention for an entire evening. Prepare the honoree's favorite meal, set an elegant table, have everyone say something nice about him at dinner, etc.
- Family banquet: Dress up formally, use the “good plates” and even dance together after dinner.
Get your family together and agree on a few of these activities to start, or use them to stir your creativity and make up your own fun!
Summary
Involve the whole family in choosing one or two new activities to try for fun at home.
Looking for simple ways to have fun at home as a family? Check out these suggestions.
Fun indoors
Do you need a few new indoor activities to brighten up your week? Here are a few ideas:
- Taste test: Let everyone sample various brands of microwave popcorn, cocoa, juices, raisins, and different kinds of apples to determine their favorites.
- Pajama party: After a dinner of favorite breakfast foods, hang out together in your PJs with the lights down low, and swap spooky or funny stories. Are you really brave? Set up sleeping bags and snooze together in one room.
- Blindfold game: Select several objects to place on a table. Let a blindfolded person try to identify the objects. Challenge each other to find the trickiest objects for the table.
- Be creative: Learn a new craft or hobby that even the youngest can handle
- Have a picnic: Set up a blanket on the family room floor and have a picnic dinner as you watch a movie together. You can take this a step further and “camp out” by the fireplace if you have one.
- Photo opportunities: Gather all the photos you can find of the family and create an album or collage together.
- Bird watch: Place a bird feeder in a place that is easy for you all to observe from indoors. Borrow a book from the library about birds and try to identify the ones you see.
- Story time: Spend some time each week reading a chapter book as a family. Take turns reading out loud, if possible. You might want to discuss the characters or act out your favorite scenes.
Fun outdoors
Try to spend time together outdoors, too. Take a 15- to 30-minute family walk several days a week or plan a longer hike on the weekends. Here are other ideas:
- Bubbles: Blow bubbles and work together to keep as many of them floating for as long as you can.
- Sidewalk chalk: Get the whole family involved in decorating your driveway or sidewalk.
- Obstacle course: If you have a suitable space, create an obstacle course. Place objects to zig zag around, hop over, crawl under—whatever suits your group.
- Snow: If you have snow, get the whole family involved in shoveling, building a snowman, going for short treks around the neighborhood, etc. Color snow with spray bottles filled with diluted primary food colors—it’s artful and experimental when colors are mixed.
- Warm weather: Play in the lawn sprinkler, wash the car together, or toss water balloons.
Special events
Plan special nights or events for everyone. See if any of these look right for your family:
- Game night: Pull out all the board and card games you can find and play.
- Boss night: Take turns letting one family member pick the group activity for 30 to 45 minutes after dinner.
- Guest-of-honor night: Let a family member be the center of attention for an entire evening. Prepare the honoree's favorite meal, set an elegant table, have everyone say something nice about him at dinner, etc.
- Family banquet: Dress up formally, use the “good plates” and even dance together after dinner.
Get your family together and agree on a few of these activities to start, or use them to stir your creativity and make up your own fun!
Summary
Involve the whole family in choosing one or two new activities to try for fun at home.
Looking for simple ways to have fun at home as a family? Check out these suggestions.
Fun indoors
Do you need a few new indoor activities to brighten up your week? Here are a few ideas:
- Taste test: Let everyone sample various brands of microwave popcorn, cocoa, juices, raisins, and different kinds of apples to determine their favorites.
- Pajama party: After a dinner of favorite breakfast foods, hang out together in your PJs with the lights down low, and swap spooky or funny stories. Are you really brave? Set up sleeping bags and snooze together in one room.
- Blindfold game: Select several objects to place on a table. Let a blindfolded person try to identify the objects. Challenge each other to find the trickiest objects for the table.
- Be creative: Learn a new craft or hobby that even the youngest can handle
- Have a picnic: Set up a blanket on the family room floor and have a picnic dinner as you watch a movie together. You can take this a step further and “camp out” by the fireplace if you have one.
- Photo opportunities: Gather all the photos you can find of the family and create an album or collage together.
- Bird watch: Place a bird feeder in a place that is easy for you all to observe from indoors. Borrow a book from the library about birds and try to identify the ones you see.
- Story time: Spend some time each week reading a chapter book as a family. Take turns reading out loud, if possible. You might want to discuss the characters or act out your favorite scenes.
Fun outdoors
Try to spend time together outdoors, too. Take a 15- to 30-minute family walk several days a week or plan a longer hike on the weekends. Here are other ideas:
- Bubbles: Blow bubbles and work together to keep as many of them floating for as long as you can.
- Sidewalk chalk: Get the whole family involved in decorating your driveway or sidewalk.
- Obstacle course: If you have a suitable space, create an obstacle course. Place objects to zig zag around, hop over, crawl under—whatever suits your group.
- Snow: If you have snow, get the whole family involved in shoveling, building a snowman, going for short treks around the neighborhood, etc. Color snow with spray bottles filled with diluted primary food colors—it’s artful and experimental when colors are mixed.
- Warm weather: Play in the lawn sprinkler, wash the car together, or toss water balloons.
Special events
Plan special nights or events for everyone. See if any of these look right for your family:
- Game night: Pull out all the board and card games you can find and play.
- Boss night: Take turns letting one family member pick the group activity for 30 to 45 minutes after dinner.
- Guest-of-honor night: Let a family member be the center of attention for an entire evening. Prepare the honoree's favorite meal, set an elegant table, have everyone say something nice about him at dinner, etc.
- Family banquet: Dress up formally, use the “good plates” and even dance together after dinner.
Get your family together and agree on a few of these activities to start, or use them to stir your creativity and make up your own fun!