Summary
Involve the whole family in choosing one or two new activities to try for fun this winter.
You don’t have to spend big bucks and change everyone’s lives just to have a bit more togetherness and fun this winter. Take a look at these suggestions to see if anything suits your family.
Stuck indoors
If it's hard to get outdoors, you might need a few new indoor activities to brighten up your week. Sometimes, just the tiniest change in your regular routine can perk up the whole family. 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. The whole family gets into pajamas before dinner. After a dinner of favorite breakfast foods, hang out together 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.
- 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. And for the really bold—spend an entire day of the weekend using as little technology/electricity as possible. Use candles safely, please.
- 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.
- Give to others. Bake and decorate several batches of cookies together, then give some of them to neighbors, a local shelter, or nursing home.
Change of scenery
Sometimes, even when the weather is nasty, you just have to get out of the house. Make the best use of what your area offers—museums, libraries, bowling alleys, skating rinks, theaters. Even the zoo or a park can be exciting in the winter. Since exercise is so important for everyone’s health, why not establish a 15- to 30-minute “family walk” time several days a week or plan a longer hike on the weekends? Consider these other ideas:
- Bubbles. Blowing bubbles outdoors on a cold day doesn’t usually come to mind. Try it.
- Lights. Drive or walk through neighborhoods that are lit up decoratively throughout the winter holidays.
- Obstacle course. Whether your back yard is green or white in the winter, you can all enjoy the challenge of creating and running through an obstacle course. Place objects to zig zag around, hop over, crawl under—whatever suits your group.
- Snow. If you do 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.
Special events
Whether you are indoors or out, the priority is finding time to be together. It’s not so easy for many families to carve out much daily time together. If you all have busy schedules, plan special nights or events to look forward to once a week or even once a month. See if any of these options fit your family, or use them to brainstorm your own special activities:
- Family night. Set aside one night a week or month strictly for the whole family to spend together. Turn off TVs, computers, and phones.
- Game night. This can be the basis of your family night or a separate event. Pull out all the board and card games you can find and play.
- Boss night. Take turns weekly or monthly 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.
Start simple
Pick one or two activities and try them out for a while. Expect a few flops and even some resistance now and then. Keep plugging away.
Summary
Involve the whole family in choosing one or two new activities to try for fun this winter.
You don’t have to spend big bucks and change everyone’s lives just to have a bit more togetherness and fun this winter. Take a look at these suggestions to see if anything suits your family.
Stuck indoors
If it's hard to get outdoors, you might need a few new indoor activities to brighten up your week. Sometimes, just the tiniest change in your regular routine can perk up the whole family. 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. The whole family gets into pajamas before dinner. After a dinner of favorite breakfast foods, hang out together 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.
- 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. And for the really bold—spend an entire day of the weekend using as little technology/electricity as possible. Use candles safely, please.
- 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.
- Give to others. Bake and decorate several batches of cookies together, then give some of them to neighbors, a local shelter, or nursing home.
Change of scenery
Sometimes, even when the weather is nasty, you just have to get out of the house. Make the best use of what your area offers—museums, libraries, bowling alleys, skating rinks, theaters. Even the zoo or a park can be exciting in the winter. Since exercise is so important for everyone’s health, why not establish a 15- to 30-minute “family walk” time several days a week or plan a longer hike on the weekends? Consider these other ideas:
- Bubbles. Blowing bubbles outdoors on a cold day doesn’t usually come to mind. Try it.
- Lights. Drive or walk through neighborhoods that are lit up decoratively throughout the winter holidays.
- Obstacle course. Whether your back yard is green or white in the winter, you can all enjoy the challenge of creating and running through an obstacle course. Place objects to zig zag around, hop over, crawl under—whatever suits your group.
- Snow. If you do 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.
Special events
Whether you are indoors or out, the priority is finding time to be together. It’s not so easy for many families to carve out much daily time together. If you all have busy schedules, plan special nights or events to look forward to once a week or even once a month. See if any of these options fit your family, or use them to brainstorm your own special activities:
- Family night. Set aside one night a week or month strictly for the whole family to spend together. Turn off TVs, computers, and phones.
- Game night. This can be the basis of your family night or a separate event. Pull out all the board and card games you can find and play.
- Boss night. Take turns weekly or monthly 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.
Start simple
Pick one or two activities and try them out for a while. Expect a few flops and even some resistance now and then. Keep plugging away.
Summary
Involve the whole family in choosing one or two new activities to try for fun this winter.
You don’t have to spend big bucks and change everyone’s lives just to have a bit more togetherness and fun this winter. Take a look at these suggestions to see if anything suits your family.
Stuck indoors
If it's hard to get outdoors, you might need a few new indoor activities to brighten up your week. Sometimes, just the tiniest change in your regular routine can perk up the whole family. 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. The whole family gets into pajamas before dinner. After a dinner of favorite breakfast foods, hang out together 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.
- 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. And for the really bold—spend an entire day of the weekend using as little technology/electricity as possible. Use candles safely, please.
- 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.
- Give to others. Bake and decorate several batches of cookies together, then give some of them to neighbors, a local shelter, or nursing home.
Change of scenery
Sometimes, even when the weather is nasty, you just have to get out of the house. Make the best use of what your area offers—museums, libraries, bowling alleys, skating rinks, theaters. Even the zoo or a park can be exciting in the winter. Since exercise is so important for everyone’s health, why not establish a 15- to 30-minute “family walk” time several days a week or plan a longer hike on the weekends? Consider these other ideas:
- Bubbles. Blowing bubbles outdoors on a cold day doesn’t usually come to mind. Try it.
- Lights. Drive or walk through neighborhoods that are lit up decoratively throughout the winter holidays.
- Obstacle course. Whether your back yard is green or white in the winter, you can all enjoy the challenge of creating and running through an obstacle course. Place objects to zig zag around, hop over, crawl under—whatever suits your group.
- Snow. If you do 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.
Special events
Whether you are indoors or out, the priority is finding time to be together. It’s not so easy for many families to carve out much daily time together. If you all have busy schedules, plan special nights or events to look forward to once a week or even once a month. See if any of these options fit your family, or use them to brainstorm your own special activities:
- Family night. Set aside one night a week or month strictly for the whole family to spend together. Turn off TVs, computers, and phones.
- Game night. This can be the basis of your family night or a separate event. Pull out all the board and card games you can find and play.
- Boss night. Take turns weekly or monthly 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.
Start simple
Pick one or two activities and try them out for a while. Expect a few flops and even some resistance now and then. Keep plugging away.