#62 - 101 Fun Things to do as a Family

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Bored much? Tapped out of ideas for family fun?

Well, THIS episode will solve that problem! Check out 101 things your family can do together. Some are aspirational and will take focused attention (#72) while others are easy to accomplish any day of the week (#28, 33, or 83).

  1. Here's the list for easy reference.
  2. Have a Photo scavenger hunt - (Example here)
  3. Moms - Let your daughter do your hair or makeup
  4. Play hide and seek
  5. Memorize the lyrics to a song that you can all sing together
  6. Have a pet and let the kids name it.
  7. Shoot baskets in crazy ways
  8. Use every single Lego in the house to build something
  9. Rearrange the furniture for movie night
  10. Let the kids cook dinner (and tell them you love it!)
  11. Make friends with the neighbors and bake them treats!
  12. Plan secret missions and execute them together (donut drops, balloons)
  13. Go fruit pickin' together (strawberries, blueberries, apples) then make dessert!
  14. Have coloring book nights
  15. Conduct entire conversations using nothing but GIFs for an entire day (bonus for a week)
  16. Have "team day" where everyone dresses head-to-toe in the team colors
  17. Let the kids show you how to get somewhere... (airport, school, grocery store)
  18. Deconstruct an electronic device and figure out how it works.
  19. Sleep outside
  20. Cook over a fire (s'mores count, but try hotdogs too!)
  21. Explore your hometown and let different family members pick the places to go.
  22. Let the kids pump the gas (or wash the car windows)
  23. Make sure everyone knows how to sew buttons on their shirts!
  24. Keep a list/jar/book of blessings
  25. Let your kids plan an entire day when you travel
  26. Draw pictures on each others hands
  27. Use nicknames as often as possible
  28. Go to a midnight showing of a favorite movie franchise
  29. Have a burping contest
  30. Find a way to help some friends anonymously (rake a yard, wash their car...)
  31. Illustrate a book IN the book ... make your own illustrations
  32. Edit a family video together
  33. Dog sit (or HORSE sit for bonus points)
  34. Dance party! (duh...)
  35. Create a chalk/white board for inspirational/encouraging sayings (here's ours)
  36. Speak with an accent for an entire meal
  37. Bring cookies to your local fire or police station
  38. Let your kid run your workouts!
  39. Pray at meals where the kids lead
  40. Create family collections (bugs, tickets, spoons, etc.)
  41. Geocache!!! (This is a GPS scavenger hunt - link here)
  42. Ride a train or subway for no purpose except to ride!
  43. Watch Singing in the Rain -- then SING in the rain ASAP!
  44. Listen to a podcast together and talk about it.
  45. Have a running joke.
  46. Find a public place where you can spray paint together (legally!) - go crazy
  47. Do the target challenge -- to find the MOST interesting thing for under $3 -
  48. Stay for movie credits and look for a specific, random name. We look for "Carl.”
  49. Make your own bread, pizza, and ice cream at least once.
  50. Watch Elf once a year and quote every favorite line together every single time.
  51. Plant something from seed and watch it grow. Bonus points for a mystery seed!
  52. Save a baby tooth and show your older kids how it dissolves in soda.
  53. Build at least one piece of furniture for your home.
  54. Put lights up outside.
  55. Hike a local trail.
  56. Serve a meal in the form of a face.
  57. Host a guest from a foreign country.
  58. Start a water balloon fight on the last day of school.
  59. Save the wishbone from that roasted chicken, dry it, and then make a wish!
  60. Have a TV show you watch together as a family.
  61. Buy a canvas and paint something - hang it in the house.
  62. Serve dinner by candlelight monthly.
  63. Once a year work a puzzle together.
  64. Jump into a pool/lake/ocean with your clothes on!
  65. Wear a costume out in public when it's NOT Halloween.
  66. Tell a story a fun about the grandparents at dinner.
  67. Surprise each other with balloons.
  68. Put a note with a favorite treat into each other's lunch.
  69. Celebrate a random holiday (Flag Day, Earth Day - for us Guy Fawkes w/ bon fire - MLK jr day with photo scavenger hunt) with customized family traditions
  70. Go doorbell ditching (to friendlies!)
  71. Have a whipped cream fight (preferably with another family!)
  72. Sponsor a child thru compassion international (and write letters!)
  73. Visit all 50 states
  74. Decorate each other's doors to celebrate personal victories!
  75. Each breakfast for dinner on a regular basis
  76. Listen to an audio book on a long drive
  77. Have a secret handshake
  78. Race popsicle sticks down the gutters on a rainy (no lightening) day.
  79. Create family award night during "award season" (Jan - March) - and customize your own awards for things like "best performance in an awkward situation" or "best spill..."
  80. Go to a local high school event - play, sporting event, concert BEFORE your kids are old enough to actually attend said school
  81. Take 10 year old trips
  82. Invite the neighborhood over for a potluck (everyone brings a dish) -- set up on the driveway if necessary!
  83. Read a book out loud together. Take turns reading chapters for older kids or picture books for younger kids
  84. Spend an evening playing the Wikipedia game (link here)- also see EP# 10
  85. Plan your own 5K and make t-shirts
  86. Have "classic movie nights" with the parents showing kids their favorite flick.
  87. Let the kids introduce the parents to their favorite video game.
  88. Read about a different culture then visit a restaurant that serves that food.
  89. Have a family pedicure night - complete with foot soaking!
  90. Explore a new part of town on a rented bike
  91. Do a regular family service project in your community
  92. Plan a board/card game night
  93. Allow the kids to plan and serve the grown ups with a menu they design - and serve - and be sure to light the candles!
  94. Bake AND decorate sugar cookies WITH sprinkles
  95. Have a non-device day and just see what you can do with boredom!
  96. Wash the car together and end with a water fight!!!
  97. Invite the neighborhood out for a competitive game of kick the can.
  98. Spend a day on the beach building sand castles and then celebrate when the waves crash them in!
  99. Produce a family and/or neighborhood talent show.
  100. Have every person print out a favorite picture from the previous year and make a collage on canvas or wood.
  101. Play "punch bug" - slugging OR tapping each other when you see a VW beetle

BONUS - make a habit of taking family jump shots together - tag w/betweenparents

 

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Joy PhenixParenting