5 simple ideas for family fun night

Be intentional. This has been something on my mind especially since my kids were born, and it’s been something I’ve really set as a focus for 2018.  I have found that if it’s not something I am setting out to do, it can easily get pushed aside by the busyness of the days, and weeks, and just life in general.  I want to be intentional in the big things and the little things and make the most of the time we have with our kids.  As a family with 2 toddlers, we spend a lot of time together.  With the exception of a few date nights here and there (also something we are trying to be more intentional in doing) we are together as a family of four a lot.  Most nights and weekends though this just means doing life together.  Running errands, working on the house, keeping up with the farm, plans with family and friends are a few of the every day things that keep life busy. One thing we’ve been trying to more intentional with is setting aside some time as family to do something simple and fun together.  My almost four year old really loves these “special nights” and looks forward to the next time we plan one!

For us, especially in this stage with little ones, these family nights are simple and focus on time together more than a huge activity. Here’s a few ideas for a night together as a family.

1. 1. Movie night. I know, movie night doesn’t really seem like much of bonding time, but because we try to limit the amount of time our kids watch TV and usually end up being busy cleaning or getting things done in the time they do watch their shows, both my kids love when we sit down together and watch something.  So, we get out the popcorn and rearrange the family room and sit down for some laughs together!

2. Game night.  This is something that is timeless and can change as kids get older, but spending time together over games has always been one of my favorite things to do with family.  We spend a lot of extended family trips staying up late playing games, and teaching our kids new games has been really fun.

3. Campout.  This can really be done anytime of year if you want to have a campout in the living room, but we love to have family night in the summer in our backyard!  The kids love putting up a tent, roasting marshmallows for s’mores,  listening to daddy tell silly stories but the fire, catching fireflies, and falling asleep in their sleeping bags.

4. Ice Cream run.  We like to do this as an impromptu treat for the kids, but it makes it extra special for them when they already have it in their minds that they are headed up to bed, and daddy decides they can stay up a little late and make a trip to our favorite ice cream place for cones!

5. Kids’ pick.  Ask your kids to help plan the next family fun night if they are old enough!  Tell them they can do the planning from the food choice, to the activity, and the location!

There is really no perfect activity or plan for a night with family, but the goal for us is to take time out and spend some intentional time with the people we love.