Turn Evening Hum into Family Fun

Start a New Family Tradition: Family Fun Nights!

With so many family get-togethers and school holidays on the horizon, there’s never been a better time to explore ideas for activities whole families can enjoy together. How about a balloon race? Or an “opposite” night? Family fun doesn’t have to be complicated or cost a fortune. Among the many resources available for filling long winter evenings, one stands out: Family Fun Nights: 140 Activities the Whole Family Will Enjoy. We’ve reprinted a note to parents from the author and just one of the many great ideas you’ll find in the book.

Family Fun Nights

An Introduction to Parents
A recent article in Forever Families included the findings from national study of 1,500 schoolchildren who were asked what makes a happy family. Children didn’t list such things as money or fancy cars. The most common answer was doing things together as a family.

Family memories and traditions can be created in an evening without a lot of work, and these memories can last a lifetime. Perhaps you have a little time after dinner or just before bedtime, or perhaps your child’s little league game was rained out. These are all perfect times to enjoy family time.

The Mom Central newsletter suggests you ‘establish family traditions that take precedence over outside activities, no matter how busy each family member becomes. Make spending time together a priority.’ Your children will be glad you did.

—reprinted from Family Fun Nights; © 2009 Chicago Review Press

Make a Time Capsule

What you need: a tin or metal box with a lid that seals; paper; pens; materials you collect (see below for ideas).

1. Decide when you will open your time capsule—in 1 year? in 10 years? In 20 years?
2. Gather Materials that will be interesting in the future.
3. Put everything in the capsule, seal it, and label it with the words “Do not open until (date you have chosen).”
4. Here are ideas for things to place inside your time capsule:
   • Photographs
   • Newspaper clippings
   • Menus from your favorite restaurants
   • A list of today’s prices for things such as gas, milk, and a movie
   • The names of top film stars and actors
   • The name of the president
   • Hit songs and popular bands
   • Pages from a current fashion magazine
   • The names of the teams that won popular sports events such as the Super Bowl or the World Series
   • Predictions for the future
   • Secret notes to other members of the family, not to be read until the capsule is opened