With busy work environments, crowded personal lives, or even school, it becomes hard to maintain good quality time with loved ones. As we grow old we forget the joys of spending blissful family time with the people we grew up with. Spending time together strengthens the family bond, improves your child’s academic performance, help your kid’s develop parenting skills and less chance of violence, drug abuse and behavioral problems such as aggression, which is very common among children these days. That’s just one of the reasons why family time is important. So make sure to squeeze in some family time this weekend with these ten ideas!
1. Home Video Night
All kids love to see themselves when they were younger. Pop in a tape of their younger days or create a slideshow using pictures of them growing up. Parents wedding tapes also fascinate kids. Just make sure to fast-forward if your video is 6 hours long. The point is not to bore them to death!
2. Cooking And Eating
Always remember the family who eats together, stays together. So make it a point to have a “Family Meal Night”, where you and everyone prepares food; you can even have a world cuisine day, and enjoy delicacies from various countries. This is a great lesson in teamwork and everyone will love the tasty meal cooked together. Encourage your child to come with her own dish, of course with you as a helper along the way!
3. Visiting A Zoo
It is always fun to go see wild animals in the zoo! This is the kind of activity that is fun and serves all age groups. You could go to the nearest zoo or sanctuary in your city. It’s a great way to have a short break and helps you connect with nature.
4. Game Nights
A fun-packed weekend needn’t cost a fortune. Board games such as scrabble are a great way to make the weekend fun for all members of the family. Remember the breathless excitement of those childhood Monopoly marathons? Dig out the old board games from the attic and teach a new generation to play.
5. Family BBQ
A barbecue is the best idea for outdoor activities. Invest in a small barbeque stove. Call your family members and prepare for a barbecue party. Each family can take up one responsibility; the one with the largest garden or open space can host the party. Family bonding activities are a great way to bond and a nice treat never hurts, does it?
6. Science Museum
Visit your nearby museum with your family, which is going to satisfy your child inquisitive side, ranging from marine life to astrology and everything in between. Science museums concentrate on static display of objects, which is going to be loved by your kids. Art and city museums will improve your child’s aesthetic and general knowledge.
7. Outdoor Fun
Arrange for a cricket match with your old school friends. Or a tennis match, or even a Frisbee match! Ask your children to arrange a match for both the adults as well as the younger ones. This is one way that makes you have fun AND lose some much-needed kilos off your body! If you have the incentive, you can even ask for local sponsors and make this a neighborhood event.
8. Beach Day
Take your entire family to the nearest beach in town. Make sand castles, take a dip in the water, play games on the beach. Going to the beach is super fun when you are with your family. You bond with them in a fun way. Collecting shells is also a very cool idea and you never know it may become a hobby?
9. Movie Night
Watch a movie together as a family. A great way to keep this idea interactive includes watching a film with a controversial message and discussing it afterwards. This way the child learns value lessons as well. You can also watch age-appropriate documentaries about environmental or world issues, and stimulate discussion.
10. Camping
Grab a tent and tell stories while sitting around the campfire. Ask your children to identify animals and the noises of insect or something interesting like collecting backyard materials for making a project. It is good to remind the children that fun doesn’t have to cost money.
