As the kids get older it can be hard to think of ways to have a fun time with family. They are starting to go off more with friends and really don’t need us as much as they used to. But there even though two of my kids are a teen and tween who care more about video games than spending time with family. I try to get them to spend a little bit of time together each day.
Finding ways to have a fun time with your family is easier than you might think. And it doesn’t have to be that expensive either. There are a ton of different things you can do as a family that cost little to no money.
Ways Have a Fun Time With Family
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Go for a Family Drive
This is my go-to way to spend time with my family and my favorite of all time, I think. One of the reasons that I love it so much is that it’s how my family spent time together when I was a kid. We would go for long drives in the country and just talk and listen to music for hours.
Since it is something that I enjoy doing I started my kids on it early. We try to go for a drive once a week together. Sometimes we have a destination in mind. But most of the time we just wing it.
This is a great way to get the kids relaxed and talking about different things that interest them or even problems that they may have. We don’t always have those types of conversations. But sometimes they open up about things in the car that they may not have otherwise talked about.
Family Movie Night
Most of us have some sort of streaming service at this point. Whether it’s Hulu, Netflix, or Amazon Prime, there is a ton of family-friendly movies on any of them. We like to let each person pick a different movie for a family night each week. Then we make popcorn, turn the lights down, and just enjoy each other’s company for a while. This is a great way for us to get the kids to watch some older favorites of ours too. I usually pick something from when I was a kid. The reactions they have to some of the things in the movies are great.
Family Game Night
Another great way to spend time together as a family is a game night. We pick a game that everyone can play and spend an hour or so. Sometimes it’s a board game, or cards, or even a video game. Switching between the different types of games keeps it more interesting and keeps the kid’s attention a little longer.
Some of our favorite family games are:
Dungeons and Dragons Role Playing
Okay, the last one isn’t a board game, but the kids love playing it. Their dad is a big D&D lover and has been playing for years. So, it was a no-brainer to start the kids playing it as soon as they were able to understand how the game works.
Go for a Family Hike
My kids spend way too much time inside the house playing video games and watching TV. So once a month or so I load everyone up in the car and we go find new spots to go for a hike. It’s never too tough and the kids like to be out in the woods exploring around them. This is also a great way to teach them forest safety and about the different species of plants, animals, and insects that live there.
Visit a Museum
I love teaching the kids about the history of the area we live in. So, we try to visit a museum at least once a month. I try to find different ones in the area that are free or that ask for a small donation for entrance. This keeps the cost lower and allows us to be able to do things like this more. What’s even better is that you can visit some museums online. This lets them explore even more places that they might not otherwise get to see.
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Explore The Historic District
One of the perks of living in a smallish area is that they have a historic downtown area that is fun to explore. We like to check out the small shops in the area and see if we can find cool local art too. This is great for the kids because it gets them used to looking at local shops for things to buy. Instead of relying on the big chain stores all the time.
Family Day at the Park
Even though my kids are getting older they still like to go to the local park. My oldest will walk around or just swing. And the younger ones have a blast playing tag or just climbing on everything. Sometimes I can get the oldest to join us for a game of tag or hide and seek. Which makes it a fun experience for the whole family. We pack a picnic lunch and usually spend a few hours enjoying the fresh air. It’s a nice way to get out of the house and get some exercise.
Family Meals
We don’t eat out often because it’s not only expensive for the five of us, it takes a lot of effort to just get everyone out of the house. Since we eat home-cooked meals most of the time I try to make most of our family meals. I have a strict no electronics at the table rule. Even though we sit and watch TV during dinner. This way we watch something that we all enjoy and can talk about our days. The rule about electronics at dinner helps to keep everyone off of their phones and engaged with the conversations around them.
Family Music Night
We like to have a family music night a few times a month. We watch YouTube video’s on the TV in the living room. The kids pick the songs that they want to listen to. And we add our favorites in there too. Since we started doing this the kids have a good appreciation for all types of music since their dad and I listen to different kinds of music. They enjoy music from the 1950s to today. And will often request some older music that most kids their ages don’t know.
Final Thoughts on Ways To Have a Fun Time With Family
Whether you go for a drive or just watch movies there are a ton of different things you can do to have a fun time with your family. No matter how old the kids get. They will probably grumble and complain at first. But eventually, they will have fun too.
What are some of your favorite ways to have fun with your family? Let me know in the comments!