With the festive season over and the (seemingly never ending) chilly, dark days set to stay for a little while longer, it’s easy to feel the winter blues creeping in. Setting aside time each week for a family fun night is not only a great way to fend this off, but also comes with a host of its own benefits.
Family fun nights create new traditions and memories.
Both kids and grown ups alike will fondly look back on the precious moments made from the time spent together. You won’t only build a great habit and create lasting memories— a new family tradition might be started.
Family time becomes a priority.
As everyone’s busy getting back into their established routines, it’s easy for weekly family time to be thrown out of the window. Setting aside intentional family time each week means kids are likely to feel more connected and really appreciate the time spent together.
Family fun nights allow everyone to unwind after a long week.
Everyday tasks, to-do lists and busy school schedules take the backseat, giving the whole family space to relax. Having designated time to spend together allows everyone to unwind (and perhaps most importantly), have fun!
Stuck for ideas for what to plan for a weekly family fun night? Here are some of our favourites…
- Put together a family cookbook with your favourite recipes or a scrapbook with old photos.
- Weekly themed dinners can be a fun way to get kids involved with cooking! Each week, a family member takes turns to plan and cook up a themed meal (think Mexican, Chinese, Thai).
- Set up an at-home bowling alley with upside down cups and a toy ball for some competitive fun.
- Nothing beats a good old fashioned evening of charades and board/card games (bonus, it keeps kids away from the screens in the evening!)
- … or if your family aren’t keen on Monopoly or chess, creating your own family board game can be a fun alternative. Grab some pens, cardboard and small objects to use as game play pieces and let their imaginations go wild.
- In need of a more zen evening after a hectic week? Create an at-home spa complete with homemade face masks. You can find recipes for DIY face masks here.
- At home family movie nights, complete with DIY ‘tickets’ and homemade popcorn is a surefire way to get the whole family together after a long week.
Looking for after school activity inspiration? Check out our blog post with our nannies’ favourite after school activities to do with the kids. If you’re looking to hire a helping hand this year, browse part-time nannies in your area for free here.
