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Families are busy. Life is busy. It’s easy to get into a rut of work, school, chores, church, sports, and the list goes on and on. When there are days that have less pre-planned commitments, the last thing we want to do is plan something. Yet, family time is important. Making time for dinner together, family devotions, and serving others has a big impact on each member of the family. Our kids need quality time with us. To be honest, we need quality time with them too. It doesn’t always have to be a mega event, expensive trip, or an all day affair. But it should be something that involves having your focus on each other and open communication opportunities.
Here is what I witness in many families today. Evenings become TV, movie or video game time. Car rides become the perfect opportunity to check social media. Even at the dinner table there is often a device hindering conversation. As parents, we are distracted and our children decide that they will find ways to occupy their minds elsewhere. We often fall into a routine of putting off until tomorrow the things which are most important today. In doing this, we miss out on precious moments with the ones God has entrusted to us.
Every season has different activities that we can participate in which don’t require extra money. The following list also doesn’t involve any electronics! These are some of our favorite things to do together as a family. Make these ideas your own by starting new traditions. (For example: Have a game night with brownies and ice cream). You can find ways to interact with your children in ways that encourage creativity, communication, and working together. Our family’s desire is to enjoy the simple things in life while building relationships with each other. You may find that you enjoy the simple things too!
Winter
- Puppet show (make your own with paper bags, socks, etc.)
- Board games for an epic game night (we have bought most of ours at yard sales/Goodwill for less than $2each)
- Act out a Bible story
- Put puzzles together (make it even more interesting by racing boys vs. girls)
- Teach yourselves a new skill or hobby (Grab a book from the library! Ideas: juggling, painting, magic tricks)
- Build a fort out of blankets (Mimic a real camp out by doing microwave s’mores)
- Read an age appropriate chapter book aloud
- Sculpt Playdough creations (Attempt Playdough pictionary if you are feeling extra talented.)
- Play hide & seek
- Sled riding or Snow ball fight (If you don’t have snow, you can always use fake snowballs!)
Spring
- Visit a playground
- Spring clean as a family
- Plant a garden or container garden/flower bed
- Exercise together
- Color Easter eggs
- Go on a nature scavenger hunt
- Visit a neighbor and offer to help with yardwork or cleaning.
- Go fishing (If you don’t have a permit, ask a friend with a pond if you can fish there.)
- Make paper flowers to place in a vase as a decoration for the dining room table
- Save old bread to feed ducks at the park
Summer
- Fly a kite (Make one if you don’t have one.)
- Camp-out (This can happen in your back yard or even the living room floor.)
- Pick up litter
- Go for a bike ride
- Star-gazing (see how many constellations you can spot)
- Water balloon fight
- Wash the car
- Plan a picnic dinner (keep it simple)
- Blow bubbles (you can even make your own giant bubbles!)
- Swim or play in the sprinkler
Fall
- Hike and identify trees (Trees, Leaves & Bark (Take Along Guides)
- Volunteer at a soup kitchen or nursing home
- Build paper airplanes and have a flying contest
- Family pictures (use a tripod or have a friend take the pictures)
- Carve pumpkins (use the The Pumpkin Patch Parable: Special Edition (Parable Series)
to share the Gospel with your children)
- Have a bonfire
- Collect leaves and do leaf-rub pictures
- Make homemade gifts or cards in preparation for Christmas
- Pillow fight!
- Build Lego creations
to share the Gospel with your children)I hope this list sparks some other ideas for your family too! Remember, the goal is to spend quality time together, without the distraction of a screen vying for anyone’s attention. Many of the ideas encourage serving others together or doing a chore together. This is a good way to model to our children what it means to be a servant of Christ.
Seeking Wisdom.
