Are you running out of fun and creative ideas for activities to do together as a family? It can be hard to come up with new ideas that the whole family wants to participate in, especially if you have children of differing age ranges. With most kids wanting to hang out with their electronics, parents are having to get more creative to ensure some actual bonding activities for the whole family. Here are a few ideas that you may enjoy.

Make a Movie

While we all love a good movie night, there isn’t a whole lot of bonding and communication happening aside from choosing which movie to watch. Why not get those creative juices flowing and work together to make your own movie? Start with a storyline, sit down with the family, and decide whether you want to do a comedy, fantasy, horror, etc. Use your imagination to come up with a script, decide who will direct and which roles each family member will act out. Once you’ve filmed the movie, pop that popcorn, get dressed up, roll out the red carpet, and watch together. Not only is this a fun and creative activity, it’ll also be something that you can look back on when your children are grown.

Game Night

Board games can get a little boring when you’ve played them over and over. Perhaps it’s time to ramp it up. Make your own board game with the entire family participating in the rules, the decorations, and the prizes, or host a good old fashioned scavenger hunt with prizes and clues hidden around the house. Play some interactive games such as charades, Twister, hide and seek, or musical chairs. No matter what game you decide to play, or a combination of all, you will definitely have some bonding fun with the family.

Go Camping

You don’t have to leave your house to have a campout, just pitch a tent in the backyard or the living room, bust out the sleeping bags, and you’re ready to go. If you are camping in the backyard, light a fire in the fire pit and roast some marshmallows. Camping indoors? No problem, make some s’mores in the kitchen. Add some spooky stories and flashlight animals and you’re sure to have a great time.

Food

We all love to eat, so why not do some family food activities? You can do a restaurant night with the family. Work together to create a menu, split up the restaurant duties amongst the family members, and work together to create a great meal. Another fun idea is to do taco or pizza night. Spread out a buffet of all the fixings and have everyone make their own creation. Baking is also a treat for kids, and adults still want to lick the bowl. Don’t stop at just baking though – set up a decorating station with all the choices of a gingerbread house and let your kids go to town making their candy store creations. Cooking is a great activity for kids and teaches them great life skills. Plus, you get to eat the final project.

Choose a Charity

What better lesson to teach your kids than thinking of others and doing for others? Create an activity based on kindness and giving by working together to decide on a plan to help out a charity in your area. If your family loves animals, think of some items you can possibly donate to a local shelter. If they’re concerned about people going hungry, make a list of some pantry items to donate to your local food bank. Concerned about those who are homeless? Have each family member go through their things and create a donation pile of clothes and toys. Working together as a family to help others is an activity your kids will never forget.

 

Just because the whole family is under one roof doesn’t mean they’re connecting and communicating with each other. Choosing some of these interactive activities will certainly bring everyone together for a night of fun. What are your go to activities with your kids?