Family Fun Night
This site is dedicated to helping parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles get creative with the time that they spend with their families having a fun night together. My hope is that the ideas I have to share will inspire you and your family to plan a Family Fun Night. Once you try it I know it will become something that the entire family will look forward to doing together on a regular basis.
Family Fun Night is a passion I have had since my oldest son was just an infant. Our family was the typical two income family and I felt the effect of spending so much time away from my husband and son. I wanted to find a way to spend fun quality time with my family at least one night a week. We had limited financial resources at the time and I needed to be creative in the activities that I planned on a limited budget.
It took me several years to fully develop my Fun Night plan for our family and I read many books and articles about the subject as I researched what other families were doing. We now have many fun frugal ideas for spending a quality night together having fun. Our family has grown to include two sons, now ages 11 and 6, and they look forward to our special nights of fun activities. We have planned everything from cooking homemade pizza together, to taking a long walk with the dog, or doing a science experiment with clay and soda pop.
A regular family fun night will strengthen the family relationships, as well as, teach values and life skills to the children. By planning a recurring family night that focuses on communication, lessons, stories, games, and activities the moral character and spiritual belief of the people will grow.
The first thing to remember is that planning a night of fun does not need to take a lot of work, time, or money to make it memorable for the family. In fact, some of the best times our family has spent together having fun were spontaneous nights when my husband and I put all of our worries and cares about life aside and focused on playing a game and eating popcorn with our children.
Happy Fun Night to your family!
Suggestions for a Successful Family Night
Shut off the television. The purpose of family fun night is to build relationship, improve communication, develop character and values, and to simply enjoy time together in a relaxed and fun setting.
Schedule Family Fun Night on the calendar. As a family, plan the dates and times each month for the family fun night and make sure everyone gets the date(s) on their calendar. This is especially important as your children grow into teens and begin to have full schedules with sports, school activities, work, and social time with friends.
Everyone participates. The whole point of family fun night is to have fun together. This means everyone needs to participate for the event to be successful.
Everyone gets along. No arguing, fighting, put downs, or discipline allowed. Everyone should come to family night with a smile and be ready to laugh!
Make time for spontaneous fun. Family Fun Night needs to have general structure and maybe a special theme to it; however, don't have every moment scheduled with busy activities. Leave time for discussion, laughing, questions, hugs and kisses.
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10 Tips to better Family Time
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Parents and their children are spending less time interacting with each other. As a result, many children are getting less personal love and attention than their parents did. American Demographics reported that parents today spend roughly 40 percent less time with their children than did parents a generation ago. To help families stay connected, below is a list of helpful family time tips. Keep in mind, quantity and quality time is important when choosing activities. So build memories around exciting events by keeping your family time creative and enjoyable. Print out the following tips as daily reminders.
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1 Eat together & listen to each other
Most children today don't know the meaning of a family dinnertime. Yet the communication and unity built during this set-ting is integral to a healthy family life. Sharing a meal together allows the opportunity to talk about each other's lives. This is a time for parents to listen, as well as to give advice and encouragement. Attentive listening conveys a message that a person is really interested in another. It also imparts a sense of worth and helps develop trust. Therefore, listening is a critical link in successful parenting.
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| 2 Read often
It's important for parents to read to their children. The latest research indicates that reading to your children cultivates an interest for knowledge and stimulates language development. It also increases their attention spans and helps them become more curious. Look for books that your child would enjoy reading. After reading, ask questions about the content.
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| 3 Do chores together
Part of what goes on in the home is the development of teamwork. Functional family life depends on the contribution of everyone. Assigning chores is the most productive way of teaching responsibility and accountability to your children. Doing chores with your child will help foster good communication skills.
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| 4 Help with schoolwork
A great way to spend quality time with children and light a fire of learning is to help children with their schoolwork. A parent's eagerness to help will cause a child to become more interested in school thus improving his or her grades. Regular trips to the library for school projects are an inexpensive and enjoyable way to spend time with children. Helping should begin with an understanding that children are responsible for homework. Parents are there to help their child get organized and to encourage them when they get stuck.
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| 5 Start a hobby or project
Choose a fun activity that your child is interested in. Activities like cooking, crafts, fishing or biking will make great hobbies that can open the door to exciting family time. Once a child learns a new recipe or is able to cast a lure accurately, let him or her take the lead with your supervision.
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6 Play games
New technology has made video games more prevalent. As a result, many children are spending long hours in front of the TV playing computer programs. Parents should find creative ways to spark an interest in family-oriented contests such as board games or card games. This will give parents additional time to talk and nurture their relationship.
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7 Plan a family outing
Sometimes getting out of the house is important. Hop in the family car and go for a drive. Prepare a picnic lunch and visit a local park. Take time to play catch or ride a bike. A stroll in the woods will help parents interact with their children. Also, a visit to the zoo or museum will spark a child's enthusiasm and lead to lengthy discussions.
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8 Encourage athletic activities
It is vital for children to exercise. Sports not only strengthen the body, but also build character and determination. Whether it's a father pitching a baseball to a son or a mother and daughter nature walking, finding time for athletic events is important for a child's emotional and physical development. This is a great opportunity for a family to interact.
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9 Create a Family Time calendar
Since many parents have hectic schedules, time with children often becomes a low priority whether intended or not. Post a calendar on the refrigerator and have parents and children pencil in special events. Knowing when you're going to meet may also help you think of creative activities. Commit to keeping this schedule free from interruptions.
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10 Pray together & attend a house of worship
Nothing is more special than taking a few minutes each day to pray with a child before bedtime. By explaining the purpose behind prayer, children will learn the importance of faith as the foundation for the family. Also, when parents go to religious services, they instill in their children a reverence for God. Churches can also offer invaluable support to families.
"For more family-strengthening resources, go to FamilyFirst.net."
"Reprinted with permission. © 2007 Florida Family Council, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Family First, All Pro Dad, iMOM, and Family Minute with Mark Merrill are registered trademarks of Florida Family Council, Inc."
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