Christmas is around the corner, and we will have more time to spend with our kids and family. These moments are so important, that we create margin to make joyful memories with our children, and to give them a strong foundation to build from as they grow.
There is no easier way to build a happy family than spending quality time together! But being intentional about this is not always simple.
One great way to make sure that you connect and have fun as a family on a regular basis is planning a weekly family night. This easy habit will bring a lot of joy to your home and will help you create many happy moments to enjoy with your family!
Here are my favorite reasons why creating this habit is great for any family:
- It makes family time a priority.
Life gets busy all the time and it’s easy to get caught in everyday tasks. Sometimes all the things on our to-do lists prevent us from just slowing down and enjoying our kids. Planning a weekly family night is an easy way to become more intentional and enjoy more quality time with your family.
Once it becomes a habit the family night will probably become your favorite night of the week!
- It makes children feel connected.
Kids love family night not only because they are fun but also because it brings them closer to their parents. A family night is a perfect opportunity to have fun together and connect!
When kids feel connected they behave better so this easy habit will also help you build a more peaceful home!
- Family nights will become precious memories.
Kids grow up so fast! When they are little we feel like we have forever to enjoy them. But the truth is that time goes by so fast and we need to cherish every moment that we get to enjoy our kids!
A weekly family night is a tradition that will bring you many happy moments that will become precious memories as the kids grow up.
So here are some of the activities I do with my children and family on that special nights:
Ice cream Sunday bar
This idea is certainly one of the children’s favorites!
You can either buy ice-cream or prepare it at home. Place different ice-cream flavors and toppings in different containers and allow everyone to create their own ice-cream. Get creative, have fun, and enjoy the tasty family night!
Hide and seek in the dark
Take the hide and seek game to a new level by playing it in the dark. You can also buy some glow in the dark bracelets to make it more fun!
Backyard camping
This is a great idea to this during the summer. Pack a small backpack, put a tent in the backyard, and spend the night camping.
Stargazing
This is another great summer activity! You can do it in your backyard or drive to a park and enjoy the stars from there.
Scavenger hunt
This activity is perfect for both young and older kids. You can find many scavenger hunt ideas depending on your child’s age. For young children color scavenger hunts are perfect! For older kids, you can try scavenger hunts with clues or photo scavenger hunts.
Family nature walk
Go to a nice place and enjoy the nature together! Nature trails and parks are perfect for long walks. You can start them in the evening and finish them when it gets dark. Or you can even have some fun in the dark by bringing flashlights for every family member.
You can also do a nature scavenger hunt during the walk to make things more fun.
Dance party
Another way to get active without even leaving the house is planning a dance party. If you have any party supplies at home from past parties use them to make the night more fun. Kids love party decorations and hats!
Create a playlist with your family’s favorite songs and dance together! You can also combine the dance party with some karaoke if you like it!
Family video
Create a nice family video together! You can record a family interview or let each family member share a story. If you want to make it even more fun, you can record each other performing a dance or singing a song. The fun is guaranteed!
Creative night
Explore your creativity by planning a creative night! You can either find some nice crafts to do (Pinterest has plenty of ideas) or just color or draw together. One of my favorite ideas is to create self-portraits or family portraits!
Watch old family videos
Watching old videos is a great way to enjoy happy memories and have fun remembering different moments from the past!
You can either show your kids videos from the times when they were not born yet or you can watch movies from their childhood. Another nice idea is to watch movies from your family vacations.
Play charades
This is an easy and fun game that is great for almost all ages. You can find many printable charades cards on Pinterest that you can use to plan the game.
Time capsule
This is such a nice idea to try with your kids! Create a family time capsule and include photos, letters, lists of your favorite things, small items, and any other things that you would like to rediscover after a few years. Place all of them in a box, seal it, and write on it the date when you’ll be allowed to open it.
Talent show
Invite each family member to participate in a talent show and share one of their talents. You’ll certainly enjoy each of the performances and you’ll also laugh a lot!
Board game night
This is one of our favorite family activities! Board games are fun and kids love them!
If you have toddlers or preschoolers, here is a list of board games that are great for young kids. Click HERE
Chalk art
Get outside a make an artwork in the driveway or in the park using sidewalk chalk. You can make a collaborative drawing together and create a big and colorful artwork!
Puzzle time
Pick out a big puzzle and work on it together. Play some music on the background to create a nice atmosphere and collaborate to put the puzzle together.
You can find many cheap jigsaw puzzles at garage sales or you can borrow some from your friends.
Family art night
This family night idea is similar to the creative night but this time you will use paint. Pick a theme and paint together. Here are some nice theme ideas: dream house, family portrait, dream vacation, favorite activity.
Truth or dare
Play a family-friendly version of the game and have fun together! We adapted the game for family nights and named it “Question or challenge”. The questions are a nice way to connect with the kids and the challenges bring a lot of laughter!
Formal dinner
Invite the whole family to a formal dinner. Pick a nice outfit to wear, decorate the table, and add some candles with you have any at hand. Prepare some of your family’s favorite meals and enjoy a special dinner.
Family photoshoot
This activity will combine having fun with creating some lovely family photos. Get creative with the background of the photos, dress up, bring the kids’ favorite toys in the pictures, and have fun!
Lego night
You probably have Legos or other similar construction sets in the house. Use them to plan a nice family night! You can either work together to create a big construction or create an exhibition with each family member’s creations.
Bingo night
Playing bingo is an activity that is great for all ages. You can find many printable bingo games on Pinterest depending on your children’s age. All you’ll need to do is plan the bingo cards and boards and enjoy the game together!
Old photo albums
This idea is similar to the old videos night. Take out some old photo albums and look at all the pictures together. Tell stories about your favorite pictures. Kids will love to find out details about their birth or their early years and telling little stories while showing them pictures is a great way to connect.
Theme night
Imagine that you are planning a theme party! This idea is very similar to planning a theme party but a lot more affordable! Invite the kids to choose a theme and have a party around that theme. You can either buy or create decorations, prepare some special snacks, and do activities related to that theme. Here are some nice theme ideas: holidays, superheroes, other countries, books, seasons, animals.
Vision board
Create a family vision board. This activity is a great way to connect and bring more inspiration and motivation to your home. Invite each family member to participate and add ideas to the vision board. At the end of the activity display the vision board in your house and review it from time to time.
Play card games
Get some of your favorite card games and play them for the whole evening! We have this pack with several card games for young kids and we always have fun playing them! Click HERE
Family walk
Go for a family walk in the neighborhood. Walk slow and talk about all the things that you enjoy in your neighborhood. If possible, walk to an ice-cream shop and enjoy a delicious treat together.
Family dinner at the restaurant
Go to your favorite restaurant and enjoy a tasty dinner. Invite each family member to share their favorite moment of the week. You can also use that time to plan some nice family activities to do together in the next weeks.
Go to a sports game
Another nice activity to do outside the home is to go to a sports game. Support your favorite team and enjoy a fun night together!
Family book club
This family night will require some advance preparation. At the beginning of the month pick some books for every family member to read. In the last family night of the month plan a family book club and share your impressions about the books. This is a great way to encourage reading and you can transform it into a monthly tradition.
Surprise family night
Surprise your kids with an overnight stay at a local hotel (or a hotel in a town nearby). If you can find a hotel with a pool then the kids will have even more fun! You can find good deals on Groupon to make this activity more affordable.
Bike ride
Go for a family bike ride on a nature trail or a park. This is a great way to get active and enjoy a nice family activity! If you plan to do this after it gets dark, bring some glow sticks with you to make the activity even more fun.
Family interview
Write down a list of question and ask them to each family member. Record the answers either by writing them down or by recording the interviews. You can transform this into a yearly tradition and see how the answers change in time.
Children’s choice
Let the kids plan the family night! You can even give them a small budget and let them take care of all the preparations! Children are very creative and they might really surprise you with their choices!
Planning time
If you want to plan a relaxing family night, try this idea! Invite the family to a planning night and plan your next vacation together! If you won’t have any vacation soon you can plan a staycation instead.
Museum night
Many museums offer special evening events for families and some of them are free. Check the schedules of your favorite museums and see when you can plan a museum night for you and the kids.
Innovation night
Invite the kids to an innovation night when every family member will build something. Each family member will choose their supplies and put their own idea into practice. If you need inspiration you can find many awesome ideas on Pinterest. You can use building sets like Legos, Mega Blocks, or Magnates, or get creative using things you find around the house.
Night in the living room
Bring a big mattress in the living room and invite the whole family to sleep there. Build a fort around the mattress, watch a movie together, enjoy some popcorn, and spend the entire night in the living room. The mattress will probably get crowded but it will be lots of fun for the kids!
I hope I’ve inspired you for at least one of the ideas above. The upcoming holiday season is the perfect time for family time. Enjoy, have fun and relax with your family. Have a wonderful Holidays!
