Family nights are an excellent way to stay connected with your family, no matter what ages and stages of life. This connection is increasingly important in today’s world where potential distractions from family are becoming ever louder. It is important for families to invest quality time each week if they really want to forge meaningful, lasting relationships and reap the benefits of family. Having a consistent family night is one way for families to have quality time together. Here are some family fun night ideas that the whole family can look forward to each week.
Family Fun Night Guide
Decide on Frequency for Family Night
First, you need to decide how often to have family night. It’s recommended that you try to do this kind of thing once a week, so look at your schedules and find a day of the week that you all have an evening free. Next, pick the dates for family fun nights and put them on the calendar where everyone can see them.
Plan Rules For Family Night
This part is not that fun but only has to be done once! Set a few ground rules. Will cell phones be allowed? Can you bring guests? What happens if someone argues or complains? This will help keep everyone on the same page.
Family Fun Night Ideas
Here are a bunch of family fun night ideas to get your family started having fun together. You can repeat favorites and add new ideas to the list any time! Most of these are indoor activities because a lot of times you will want to cozy up together inside and relax but sometimes you will want to go out and explore together too. Try alternating between family game nights, movie nights, crafting nights, and family fun night outs!
Family Fun Night Games
The most obvious question to answer is what games will you play. Start building a game collection so you have a variety of games available. No one wants to play Candy Land every week! The first investment you make should be cards and dice. You can play a variety of games with just these two items by doing a quick search online to find rules and instructions.
Next, you may want to start investing in age appropriate classic games. Games such as Clue, Jenga, Scrabble and Monopoly cover a wide range of ages. Most manufacturers indicate the targeted players age somewhere on the box. Keep this in mind when purchasing games. Ideally, you want to have something for everyone. Bookstores often sell fun and educational games for people of all ages.
Make your own board games. This is a really fun activity and it will likely create some lasting treasures. My dad made a horse racing game for my sister and I when we were little and I still cherish it.
For family fun night ideas, don’t be afraid to dip into the digital games. I was surprised how much I connected with my kids when I played a game with them on their xBox Connect. I always think it’s interesting that kids often connect deeply with someone else who plays their games with them.
Hold a family game show. Pick your favorite game show and have the family craft all the parts to hold a show together. It may take one family fun night to plan and another to actually play.
Puzzles are another great family fun activity.
In addition to board games, outside games are always a hit, and unlike board games, they often do not require a specific purchase. You can have relay races, play red light green light, simon says, charades and more.
Family Night Talk
Communication in family is vital to the health of your relationships. It really doesn’t matter exactly what you talk about. You really just need to communicate genuinely, and openly about things going on in life. Just like spouses need intimacy between them to stay happy and strong, parents need to develop emotional intimacy with their children. Parents might try a family counsel to bring that communication to the center of the group. Talk about things that you like and don’t like about the family, ask for and value the kids’ opinion. Empower them with the ability to make decisions.
You may just share a short thought on a moral principle that would be relevant to the lives of family members. A short talk about the meaning and application of the principle would be awesome! Maybe you could take turns on family night, coming with a quote to discuss.
If kids are raised in an environment where they learn how to communicate with their brothers, sisters, and parents, they will grow up to be successful in their careers, marriages, and other relationships.
Family Night Out Ideas
Want more family fun night ideas? Don’t worry. We have plenty more besides games.
A cookout in the backyard is a great way to spend the evening outside together. Everyone can pitch in on fixing a dish. Enjoy smores and tell stories.
Indulge in a game of sports as a family. Go to your local baseball field or to your community center for a family game of basketball. Try out golf! Or you can play badminton or frisbee in the back yard.
A family walk around the neighborhood can get the conversation rolling as you walk.
A evening of stargazing and finding constellations can be fun for the whole family. Have a constellation scavenger hunt!
Explore local museums. From art to history there is so much to see and learn and museums these days make it really fun and interactive for all ages.
Compete in a walk-a-thon together. You can enjoy a memorable event and raise money for a charity at the same time.
Go berry picking or apple picking or whatever happens to be in season.
Find a karaoke night or a trivia night that you can all attend. Or make your own at home!
Visit a local park and let the kids play and adults can swing too!
Find a local play to attend as a family. It is great to support theatrics and you may even inspire your children to participate in their school plays.
Food For Family Night
No family fun night would be complete without food! Some families like to incorporate a theme with their food, such as Mexican night, or ballpark food. Others take a more causal approach and order in. Prepare a favorite treat and eat at home, or go out to a restaurant that’s good for the family. Try something different for each family fun night.
The most important thing to remember is that family night is about family. It’s not about the games or the food. If everyone gets together and has fun, family night has been a success! What are some of your favorite family fun night ideas?
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