Family Game Night is the perfect way to bond with your family, create memories, and have fun.

We all know that spending time with our families is important, it offers feelings of stability, security, and ultimately love. With all of the demands on our time, it is important that families be intentional with their time.

Here are some tips to help Family Game Night be a success at your house.

Time

Ready, set, go! Begin by checking your calendar to find a free hour or so for everyone in your family. Many people become overwhelmed thinking that they must block out an entire evening or that game night must be a weekly occurrence. The frequency and duration of a Family Game Night isn’t the focus, it is simply setting aside time for those most important to you: your family.

Also, the best way to keep everyone’s attention is to keep things moving. Some games can be more like a marathon than a sprint. Designating a time for game play, and for each game played, helps to keep the time flowing and everyone focused on the game, parents included.

Games

Begin by checking your calendar to find a free hour or so for everyone in your family. Many people become overwhelmed thinking that they must block out an entire evening or that game night must be a weekly occurrence. The frequency and duration of a Family Game Night isn’t the focus, it is simply setting aside time for those most important to you: your family.

Also, the best way to keep everyone’s attention is to keep things moving. Some games can be more like a marathon than a sprint. Designating a time for game play, and for each game played, helps to keep the time flowing and everyone focused on the game, parents included.

Sportsmanship

One of the best lessons that you can teach your kiddos during a game night is sportsmanship. Remember, children do a much better job emulating our actions than they do our words. Keep these things in mind as you play:

Be Patience– Even when your child has dropped the dice on the floor 700 times, show your child that you can wait nicely and help them to get back on track.

Winning Doesn’t Matter– That old adage “It doesn’t matter if you win or lose, it’s how you play the game” is important to keep in mind as you play with your family. Remind children that playing fairly, being kind to other players, and having fun is what games are all about. Winning and losing is just a small part of the story.

Be Flexible– Are pieces to a game missing? Improvise. Did you realize 5 minutes into the game that it just isn’t a good fit? Scrap it and try again. Did your kids get hungry? Take a quick snack break. Rigidity is one of the fastest means of making a fun night anything but fun.

Manage Your Expectations– Life in general, and parenting specifically, seems to be smoother when you enter a situation with your expectations low. If you envision a picture-perfect hour of nothing but joy, love, and gratitude… you are sure to be disappointed. Instead plan on a few bumps along the road and count the smiles as worth any bumps. E

Armed with these few hints you are ready to plan and execute a Family Game Night that will be a building block for many family memories.

For many families a reunion is a summer tradition. Seeing extended family whom you have not seen in years is both heartwarming and grounding. Children do not always share in our joy at these events. After a few minutes of talking and connecting, kids often become bored, making it difficult for parents to then enjoy themselves. Here are some tips for making your family reunion kid-friendly and ensuring that your children look forward to attending next year’s gathering.

Games

One way to kick off any good party is with games. You might want to go low-key and simply plan on having lawn games, like croquet and badminton. Classic games like a potato sack race, water balloon toss, egg relays, ring toss, and three-legged races are fun competitions for young—as well as young-at-heart—family members. Depending upon the number of children you have attending the reunion, you could also enlist the help of older cousins in running the games. If your tribe enjoys some friendly competition, you could even create a point system with a prize awarded to the winning family member(s) at the end of the games.

Storytime

Prior to the reunion, ask family members to bring their favorite children’s book. Create a storytime area at your reunion where family members can read their chosen children’s story. You may enjoy listening to an older relative reading a book to your children that you remember hearing as a child, or a young child sharing their new accomplishment of learning to read. Sharing a love of stories is a beautiful family tradition.

Family Scavenger Hunt

One way to keep older children occupied and interested is through a Family Scavenger Hunt.

The goal is to find a family member who fits the criteria for a variety of specific traits, such as a person with the middle name Michael, a veteran, the youngest sibling family, the couple who was married on June 22nd, etc. This activity encourages children to engage with members of the family by asking questions and possibly even learning some family history.

Outdoor Movie Night

At the end of a reunion, children are generally tired. By providing an area for them to watch a family-friendly movie, you are giving them a chance to relax. Offering an outdoor viewing, as well as popcorn and snacks, makes this a memorable experience. A movie also allows adults to talk and mill about with family members that they weren’t able to spend much time with during the day.

Summertime is the prime time for family reunions. Warm, sunny weather is the perfect backdrop for picnics, cookouts, games, and fun with family members of all ages. Whether you are expecting a dozen cousins or several hundred relatives, don’t forget to include activities that will keep the young members of your family happy and engaged