Family Bonding Time Ideas

School is out and Summer has arrived. That means more time at home with the kids! This might be something you’re either dreading or looking forward to, but the best thing to do is to start planning ways to implement family time together. You won’t always have your kids home with you so it’s best to take advantage of the moment - the present is your present, don’t let these potential memories slip away from you! Coming up with some family friendly activities will help you keep your kids entertained, it will keep up their spirits and help foster a positive energy at home. Most importantly, it will help you create priceless memories that you’ll look back on for years to come. Here are some great family bonding time ideas you can start with! 

Movie Night

This one is super easy. Find a movie you all like, pop some popcorn, stock up on everyone’s favorite snacks and make the living room extra comfy. Whether it's Harry Potter or old classics like The Sandlot, Matilda, Home Alone or Disney movies, pick something everyone agrees on and will stick around to watch to the end. You can just play it in your living room or make it extra fun and set up a projector in your backyard. Throw some sheets, blankets and pillows and have an extra fun movie night with the whole family! 

Volunteer 

Find a local charity or non-profit that is in need of volunteers. Organizations like the Humane Society or other environmentally friendly initiatives like Beach Cleanups always need able bodies to help them complete tasks. Get the whole family involved and if the organization doesn’t provide t-shirts, consider getting some matching family t-shirts to make it more fun for everyone! This type of activity is the perfect way to teach your kids about the importance of giving back and community service. Doing something together is also a great way to strengthen your family bonds. 

Go Camping

Are your kids lovers of the outdoors? Get them to unplug and turn their attention to mother nature with a camping trip! You can make it as much of an outing as you want - you can travel cross country to set up camp at famous places like Yellowstone Park or you can go to your local park. If you’re lucky enough to live near any rivers or springs, these usually have camping grounds surrounding them, allowing you to set up tents and bonfires, then go tubing down the rivers the next day. These types of camping trips are usually 2-3 day trips. If you like a little less disruption, you can always just go camping in your backyard! 

Family Yoga or Bike Ride

Get your family active and moving! It’s so easy to become comfortable at home, rocking pj’s all day, streaming tv shows, movies or scrolling through social media all day. This can get very unhealthy and sedentary real quick. Break the cycle with some physical activity! Organize a family yoga class - you can stream an instructor in your living room, move all the furniture out of the way, throw on some matching printed yoga leggings and hit those poses! Or if you’d rather go out and get some fresh air, get some bikes and hit the trails! 

Craft Night or Game Night 

These two are classics - but they always work. If your kids are into crafting fun things, have a chat with them about some things they’d be interested in making. Whether it’s dreamcatchers or friendship bracelets, homemade kites or cute room decorations, it should be easy to find tutorials online. Gather your materials and lead a DIY craft night! If this isn’t their thing, consider having a fun game night! You can use old school board games like Jenga or Monopoly - or you can opt for newer games. If your kids are gamers, consider showing them that you’re not just going to ask them to turn off the games and come to dinner all the time - show them you have a little edge to you by jumping in and learning how to play the video games along with them! This will show you kids you are more than just that uptight disciplinarian and that you, too, once had a childhood. Bridging the gap with video games is a great way to connect with your family!