Having a family night at home isn’t just a great way to save money, it’s an excellent way to bond. That is, as long as you’re doing things together and not all staring at your devices or watching TV in different rooms. After you have all had a long day at work or school, coming together as a family is a great chance to reconnect, share your day, and share a little fun too with these family home evening ideas.
Fun Family Home Evening Ideas
Need some great inspiration for how to spend a family night at home? Start the family evening off over a shared family dinner. You can all help cook together or you can order food to share together as a family. The key here is to turn off the TV and phones and just enjoy each other’s company. Next, here are some fun family home evening ideas that will bring you all together for quality family time that will build your family bond.
American Idol Contest
Pick two family members to be the judges and let everyone else compete against each other to see who’s the best performer. You can make it more fun by getting a karaoke machine and letting your kids invite friends to participate.
Backyard Campout
You don’t have to pack backpacks and hike off into the woods to enjoy some fun in the great outdoors. Pitch a tent in the backyard, play games, cook hamburgers and hot dogs on the grill, make s’mores, and tell scary ghost stories under the stars. It is a really memorable and fun way to spend a family evening.
Family History
Share an evening at home on the couch looking at old photograph albums. Tell your kids stories about your childhood and let them know who is in all those old photos! You may even want to print out a family tree chart and fill it in together so they can learn more about their ancestry. Share the details of your family history and family traditions.
Family Skits
Another of my family home evening ideas is to try some family skits. Divide into two teams and each team writes a skit to present to the other team. If you’re family is big enough, let the kids write and present the skits while the parents judge. If your family is smaller, do a talent night instead and let everyone present their own talent.
Scavenger Hunt in the Dark
Set up a scavenger hunt or treasure hunt then give everyone a set of clues. They have to find their treasures outside by flashlight and either bring the item back or take a picture of it. It’s great outdoor summer fun.
DIY Night
Is there something your family wants to learn how to do or something you want to build? Have a DIY night where you learn a new hobby or make something together as a family. Not only will you enjoy bonding time, you’ll have something to show for it. Try one of the DIY ideas.
Family Home Evening Lesson
Share an evening together as a family discussing your faith. A bible study (or spiritual lesson in keeping with your faith) is a great way to unite the family around common values. You can discuss topics that the small children may have learned about in Sunday School or you can discuss ideas for missionary work with older children. You may want to write down a favorite bible verse on a piece of paper to try to memorize and recite at your next family scripture study.
Music Night
Even younger children with enjoy a good music night. Those who play instruments can perform and small kids can join in on the drums with pots and pans. Or alternatively, you may all enjoy sharing a favorite song with the family and educating each other about new artists or music genres that you enjoy. This could also be used as singing time if your family is more inclined that way.
Paper Crafts
Another great idea for cool things to do is pick a paper craft that is age appropriate for your kids and let everyone make their own. Encourage each member of the family to personalize them to reflect their individuality. This paper popsicle craft may be the perfect way to get started. Then you can string them all up together to enjoy your family project as home decor for a little bit.
Movie Night
Another fun way to spend the evening with members of your family is to watch a movie all together. Afterwards, be sure to discuss it and share your favorite character. This takes it from a passive activity into a more bonding activity as you share what interests you and why.
More Great Family Home Evening Activities:
- Cook as a family– allow each family member to prepare a dish for your meal
- Build blanket forts and camp out in the living room
- Play tag or other backyard games
- Have a water balloon fight
- Play Frisbee with a glow-in-the-dark Frisbee
- Get plain white mugs and decorate them with glass paints so everyone has their own personalized mug
- Tie-dye t-shirts
- Go on a family walk, bike ride, or other fun family fitness activities
- Have a pizza and ice cream sundae party where everyone gets to make their own
- Make puppets and put on a play
- Play Charades, Monopoly, or other fun family board games
- Enjoy a double-feature movie night with popcorn and snacks
- Have a fondue night
- Book club night
- Create a cookie decorating party
- Play table tennis or badminton
With so many great ideas for staying in with your family, you won’t miss a thing by not going out. In fact, you’ll probably have more fun with these family home evening ideas! Family life is important from the time kids are born all the way through their teens when they move out. Schedule special family evening time at least once a week, every night if possible! What are some of your favorite ways to pass the evenings with family?
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