5 Favorite Family Time Ideas

Everyone should have some family time that includes the kids and adults doing something together.  Often we segregate ourselves and let the kids do one thing while we adults to others.  Its hard sometimes to find activities that keep both adults and kids entertained.  Here are a few of our favorites:

1) Family Movie Night:  This one is a no-brainer.  Pop some popcorn, clear the floor and spread out sleeping bags.  Choose a movie that the adults can handle and the kids will enjoy.  Sometimes its live action, sometimes cartoon.  Either way its one we all enjoy for some reason or another.  We usually reserve some special treat for the occasion, like soda or a special snack.  The kids even get a special later bedtime.

 

2) Family Game Time:  This is one we don’t get to do as often, but really fun when we can.  The kids are finally at an age where we can play games like Uno, Sorry, or even Pictionary.  They love interaction with the “big people” and the feeling of you being on their team while they test their skills or knowledge.  Game time is also a great time to be sneaky and work on learning.  Our kindergartener had just learned to read, by the end of the year we were able to use the Scrabble time pieces to make words.  That's all we did.  Who says you have to follow the rules?  Make up your own!

3) Family Drawing Time:  Ok, so we’re not all baseball players.  Daddy and I are avid artist and we encourage our kids to draw, paint and color as often as possible.  We love to sit around the table or living room drawing and coloring.  We have even purchased drawing sketch pads for the kids to draw on the go.  Take a look at each other’s are and encourage the best from your budding artists!!

4) Visit a Bookstore:  This for us is big time fun.  Each child is allowed a book and we have just as much fun choosing the books.  We wander, we sit, we read bits of books, when one has made a selection we help the next person.  Even a shopping trip can be family time as long as you do it together.

5) Family Dinner:  I know this one seems a bit silly, but there are plenty of families (including us at times!) that don’t really eat together.  Sit, eat, talk, laugh.  Its really an easy way to find out how everyone’s day went and talk about your upcoming plans.  Oh, and shut off the TV!  It’s difficult to talk over the sound of sitcoms and commercials!

There are tons of ways to have a bit of family time!  What are some of your family time favorites?

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