Tag: family night

25 Days of Celebrating Christmas

The 1st of December means the holiday season is officially here. Celebrating 25 Days of Christmas is the perfect way to ring in the festivities. Gather your family and friends for a memorable Christmas time.

Ideas for Celebrating the 25 Days of Christmas

  1. Put up Christmas tree and other holiday decorations
  2. Address and send out Christmas cards
  3. Go to the local bookstore or library for holiday books
  4. Start a new tradition and make homemade Christmas ornaments (Pinterest is a great resource for finding ideas)
  5. Try a new holiday-themed recipe
  6. Attend a local Christmas concert or play
  7. Get a professional Christmas portrait done
  8. Host a Christmas party for your family or friends
  9. Host a Sunday Christmas Tea
  10. Attend a live nativity
  11. Go caroling
  12. Build a snowman/go sledding
  13. Write letters to Santa
  14. Volunteer your time/donate to a toy charity
  15. Host a Christmas themed craft day
  16. Ride around and look at Christmas lights
  17. Visit Santa
  18. Make gingerbread houses
  19. Christmas themed movie night
  20. Fill Christmas stockings or baskets to hand out to friends, family, or neighbors
  21. Celebrate the 1st day of winter, make cut out snowflakes to decorate windows
  22. Bake Christmas cookies
  23. Host a family or friends’ night with games and other activities
  24. Celebrate Christmas Eve
  25. Christmas Day dinner with family and friend

Planning and hosting different events is a great way to celebrate the Christmas season with family and friends.

31 Ideas for October Fun

October weather often brings cool crisp days. The changing weather may not always be agreeable. Cold rainy days may keep you indoors. Sunny days may be perfect for enjoying the outdoors. Staying indoors or grabbing your favorite hoodie to head outside, October is the perfect month to try new things.

  1. Decorate for Halloween
  2. Host a Halloween themed craft day
  3. Plan and make your own Halloween costume
  4. Make and send Halloween cards (your mom or grandma will thank you)
  5. Have a family game night and serve Halloween related snacks (Monster cookies, anyone?)
  6. Attend a pumpkin weigh-off competition
  7. Go hiking or take a nature walk
  8. Go to a haunted house
  9. Go on a ghost tour
  10. Host a bonfire (make S’Mores)
  11. Pick fresh apples at the local orchard
  12. Go to the library or bookstore for Halloween themed books
  13. Drive or take a walk to view the different Halloween decorations
  14. Visit your local pumpkin patch
  15. Roast pumpkin seeds
  16. Attend a local Octoberfest
  17. Host a Halloween cartoon or family-friendly movie night
  18. Make Halloween cookies
  19. Bob for apples
  20. Host a classic monster movie night (Dracula, Frankenstein, and The Mummy)
  21. Drink hot cocoa, pumpkin spiced latte, or mulled apple cider on a cold October night
  22. Make Halloween themed gingerbread houses
  23. Make pumpkin bread
  24. Crave or paint pumpkins
  25. Host a Halloween themed photo session (the kids will enjoy testing out their new costumes)
  26. Host a scary movie night for adults
  27. Tell or write a ghost story
  28. Make popcorn balls
  29. Attend a Halloween parade
  30. Throw a Halloween party
  31. Go trick-or-treating

Enjoy the small celebrations, the memories will last a lifetime.

Boredom Busters: Creating a Summer Bucket List

School’s out! Now, what is the first thing you hear –“I’m bored.” Consider creating a summer bucket list with your children to help chase away the boredom. Keep in mind, the list should be ideas you are willing or able to do.

Creating the Bucket List

Make the summer bucket list a family project. Use a notebook or purchase a poster board to write out your ideas. Consider using a different colored marker for each child. Allow each family member to come up with different activities. Of course, younger children may need help with the writing part of the project.

Summer Bucket List Ideas

Summer bucket lists can be simple everyday items to planned vacation adventures. The choice is up to you.

  • Have a bonfire
  • Make S’mores
  • Have a water balloon fight
  • Go to the zoo
  • Ride in a canoe
  • Have a slumber party
  • Get an ice cream cone
  • Go hiking
  • Have a pool party
  • Sleep in a tent
  • Listen to music in the park
  • Go to an amusement park
  • Go to the library
  • Volunteer
  • Ride a roller coaster
  • Go for a bike ride
  • Go skateboarding
  • Make root beer floats
  • Bake cookies
  • Paint rocks
  • Have an arts and crafts day
  • Have a Harry Potter movie marathon
  • Pick strawberries
  • Go to a lake
  • Go for a walk
  • Make art with sidewalk chalk
  • Go swimming
  • Visit grandma and grandpa
  • Day road trips
  • Visit an art gallery
  • Go to a museum
  • Go to a sporting event
  • Go to a splash park
  • Go to a fair or festival
  • Make homemade popsicles
  • Make a fort
  • Go fishing
  • Go to petting zoo or local farm
  • Have a family game night
  • Cook a meal together
  • Take swimming lessons

If you are uncertain on the type of activities, become a tourist in your town or surrounding towns. Use an Internet search. Local activities often get overlooked. Providing you a chance to join in on the fun on a weekly basis, community activities are free or minimal costs to participate.

March: Craft Month

Did you know March is Craft Month? Crafting projects come in different shapes, sizes, and styles. Basically, crafts are the simple process of making items with your own two hands. Requiring only your imagination to begin, crafting activities is a hobby for all ages to enjoy.

Benefits of Crafts for Children

As adults, you make crafts with a specific outcome in mind. Perhaps you are following a pattern or trying to mimic a creation from the Pinterest site, your crafting process is a unique journey. Keep in mind, for children the process may not produce a specific outcome or recognizable piece. And that is okay. Allow your children the chance to create a one of a kind project. Introducing various crafting materials for your children to use actually has numerous benefits.

  • Improves eye/hand coordination
  • Increases fine motor skills
  • Expands communication skills
  • Boosts self-esteem
  • Expands the imagination
  • Increases valuable family time

Two Easy Ways to Introduce Crafts to Your Children

Introducing crafting activities to your children or even yourself is simple. Materials and time are your two key components for craft projects.

1. Craft Box

Creating a craft box or basket is a wonderful way to store materials. Crafting materials do not need to be expensive. Check out your local dollar store, hobby shop, and recycle some materials around the house. If you are uncertain about how to start your craft box, many stores offer buckets or jars of materials ready to go.

Materials may include:

  • Glue
  • Glitter, sequins, beads
  • Paint
  • Paint brushes, sponges and other instruments for paint applications
  • Crayons, markers, pencils
  • Pipe cleaners
  • Yarn
  • Pompons
  • Construction paper or drawing paper
  • Child scissors
  • Paper punch
  • Paper towel tubes
  • Rocks
  • Googly eyes
  • Dried beans, macaroni, or other kinds of pasta
  • Modeling clay

2. Making Time

After you get all your materials in place, next is making time for your crafts.

  • Raining or snowy days are great for craft days.
  • Host a craft night for the entire family to enjoy.
  • Invite friends over for a crafting party.
  • Create holiday crafts to decorate your home (St. Patrick’s Day, Spring, and Easter is just around the corner).

Having fun is the most important part of crafting. Enjoy the process of making something new. Ask your child to share the details of the final crating product. Often a story about a craft is a great memory making moment.

Happy Crafting!

Stay Home: Tips for Enjoying a Long Holiday Weekend

Many Americans use the long Labor Day weekend as a chance to hit the road to their favorite travel destination. More and more individuals are opting to forego the hustle and bustle of holiday travel. Keep in mind, staying at home does not have to be boring. Use the time to relax or enjoy activities close to home. The simplistic nature of staying at home may be the best decision for you and your loved ones.

Tips for Enjoying a Stay at Home Weekend

  1. Unplug

Make the decision to spend time away from the computer. Everyday work, school or personal commitments keep you online. Even though you are staying home, act like you are on vacation.

  • Set your email message to out of town or out of the office.
  • Put your cell phone on vibrate.
  • Check your cell phone sparingly.
  • Stay off social media.
  • Leave your work at the office.
  1. Go Outdoors

Labor Day weekend is the unofficial end of summer. Use the time to go outdoors for activities other than lawn maintenance.

  • Go for a walk.
  • Go for a hike.
  • Go for a bike ride.
  • Go canoeing or kayaking.
  • Soak up the sun.
  • Lay in the hammock.
  • Watch the sunset while enjoying your favorite beverage
  1. Be a Local Tourist

When many people think of tourists, images of far off places come to mind. Be a local tourist. Holiday weekends usually bring special events. Using a little research of your hometown area, you may find enough activities to keep you busy all weekend.

  • Go to an art gallery.
  • Visit a museum.
  • Attend an outdoor concert.
  • Watch a parade.
  • Go to the local, state or federal park.
  • Attend a local fair or festival.
  1. Family Night

Hosting a family night is a great way to relax and spend time with your loved ones. Family nights can be a quiet evening with a movie or night out. Involving everyone in the final decision helps make the evening more fun.

  • Backyard camping
  • Pizza night
  • Movie marathon night
  • Special dinner night
  • Game night
  • Music night
  • Special activity night, for example, laser tag or bowling
  • Slumber party night
  • Complete a family project
  • Volunteer as a family

Using your imitation, the types of family nights are endless.

  1. Host a Party

Impromptu parties or barbeques create a last minute event. You are not alone in staying close to home on a holiday weekend. Ask family and friends to come over. Due to the last minute planning, go old school with the menu. Ask everyone to bring a dish to pass. The variety will be a refreshing break from a themed or planned menus.

Lack of funds, family commitments, or just a desire to relax without worrying about packing and driving, everyone has a different reason for staying home on a holiday weekend. Whether you decide to go out or simply relax on the couch all weekend, enjoy your decision to stay home.

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