It's Time For Family Fun!
When fall temperatures put the chill on your outdoor family fun, it's time to move things inside with a family fun night. Set aside one night each week or month as just a family fun night. It is a way for the entire family to get together no matter what. You can talk, play games, watch a movie or do just about anything else as long as you do it as family.
The first step in starting your own family night is deciding which night works best for everyone. After that, let everyone know which night it is and tell them not to make any plans for that night. With teenagers, this may be hard, but stress to them just how important it is.
After you have decided when you are going to have your family night, the next step is to decide what you are going to do. It doesn't have to be the same thing every time. To keep peace in the family, it is best to rotate who gets to choose the activity, depending on the age of the children involved.
Some suggestions for family night fun are:
To eat under the table. Take away the chairs and eat Indian style at the table.
To hold a family talent show. Give each family member a set amount of time to put on a performance. It can be storytelling, a poetry reading, a puppet show, singing or dancing. Make the show impromptu or tell everyone about it ahead of time, so they can prepare.
To make a silly supper. When you do this, have the kids help in the planning. Start with dessert and then go to the main course.
To have a theme dinner and a movie. For example, eat Mexican and watch a Zorro movie. Or eat Chinese and watch Mulan. The only criteria should be that it's something you haven't watched thousands of times (unless it is an exceptional one), adults need to like it and it has no excessive nudity, violence, language or adult situations. There are plenty of movies that would lend themselves to a theme.
Family fun activities don't have to be complicated. They can be as simple as working a puzzle together, cooking a meal together, camping out in the backyard, having a picnic or just sitting down and talking. No matter what the activity, enjoying the time you spend together as a family will help strengthen your family and develop each member's communication skills.
When fall temperatures put the chill on your outdoor family fun, it's time to move things inside with a family fun night. Set aside one night each week or month as just a family fun night. It is a way for the entire family to get together no matter what. You can talk, play games, watch a movie or do just about anything else as long as you do it as family.
The first step in starting your own family night is deciding which night works best for everyone. After that, let everyone know which night it is and tell them not to make any plans for that night. With teenagers, this may be hard, but stress to them just how important it is.
After you have decided when you are going to have your family night, the next step is to decide what you are going to do. It doesn't have to be the same thing every time. To keep peace in the family, it is best to rotate who gets to choose the activity, depending on the age of the children involved.
Some suggestions for family night fun are:
To eat under the table. Take away the chairs and eat Indian style at the table.
To hold a family talent show. Give each family member a set amount of time to put on a performance. It can be storytelling, a poetry reading, a puppet show, singing or dancing. Make the show impromptu or tell everyone about it ahead of time, so they can prepare.
To make a silly supper. When you do this, have the kids help in the planning. Start with dessert and then go to the main course.
To have a theme dinner and a movie. For example, eat Mexican and watch a Zorro movie. Or eat Chinese and watch Mulan. The only criteria should be that it's something you haven't watched thousands of times (unless it is an exceptional one), adults need to like it and it has no excessive nudity, violence, language or adult situations. There are plenty of movies that would lend themselves to a theme.
Family fun activities don't have to be complicated. They can be as simple as working a puzzle together, cooking a meal together, camping out in the backyard, having a picnic or just sitting down and talking. No matter what the activity, enjoying the time you spend together as a family will help strengthen your family and develop each member's communication skills.
