The 10 Best Ways to Celebrate Family Day with YOUR Family
Family Day is here, at least in Alberta. For us, it means spending some uninterrupted time together, doing all the things we love. But not everyone knows what to do during this holiday weekend, especially since it has an extra day.
So here are 10 of the best ways you can spend family time with your favourite people!!
1 - Exploration Adventure
When winter comes around, we tend to spend a lot more time indoors. This is great on those cold, frigid days, but when a lovely Chinook rolls through, it’s time to get outside and breathe that fresh air. So, take your family out to a local park (like Dinosaur Provincial Park) to explore the area and trails. Take photos and journal what you see and do, or teach your kiddos about the various types of flora and fauna you’d see at this time of year.
2 - Have a DIY Day
Whether it’s crafts or a fun house project, this is the chance to get down and dirty with your family. Refinish an old piece of furniture, create a new board game, or start an indoor garden so your plants can get a head start before Spring arrives. There are so many ideas and fun projects you can offer to all ages, and it keeps everyone occupied (and away from the TV) for a good period of time!!
3 - Culinary Challenge
Do you guys enjoy cooking together? What about baking? I don’t know about you, but when it comes to food, baking was always my favourite, and my daughter now LOVES to help put the ingredients together in the mixer. This idea allows you to make a fun game out of your cooking/baking to-do list. Have each team create a dish for dinner, or bake a fun set of treats!!
For younger kids (or single-parent homes), have each parent cook an item, and invite the kiddos to decide which parent made the best dish. For the olders, each child can make their own dish (if there’s room in your kitchen) and the parents can choose whose recipe is the best!!
4 - Family Game Night
This one is a classic option. How many of us remember family movie nights with our parents? Back then, it was a simple event, where we chose a movie and ate some yummy snacks. Nowadays, you can plan themes around the movies you’ll watch, by cooking food that matches the movie (for instance, if you were to watch Turning Red with your family, you could theme your meal around Chinese culture). Make it super fun, and your kids will be raving about it!!
5 - Movie Marathon
Another classic idea is a movie marathon. For younger kids, start earlier in the day and choose a fun series they love (like Despicable Me 1, 2, 3, and Minions, for example). With teens, do something like the Harry Potter series, or the Lord of the Rings trilogy.
6 - Scavenger Hunt
Like a fun game of I-Spy, a scavenger hunt can occupy your family for HOURS. You can do something simple like a bingo card of some different things they may see in a day or look up your local geocaching locations and go scouting for them. You can turn it into a fun adventure day no matter which you choose.
7 - Photo Session
Such a fun way to commemorate the holiday together. The new year is here, and your family photos need an update, so what better time to get together for a photo session than Family Day weekend?
(I know, it’s a little late this year, but NEXT YEAR IDEAS!!)
You can opt for a professional session, or give a camera to your kids and have them document your family outings through their own eyes.
8 - Storytelling Night
This one you can make work a few different ways. With older children, have everyone think about funny stories they’ve encountered recently, and recount even the smallest details they can remember. With younger kids, spend time making up a story together, with each person saying a new line, while one parent writes it all down. Who knows what your imagination can create?
Lila and I spend time once in a while sitting at my computer, writing out stories that she creates about her friends. It’s such a fun way to share my love of writing and storytelling with her, and she has such a blast doing it with me!!
9 - Volunteer Together
A great way to spend the weekend is to find time to give back, whether to your community or a charity you feel is close to your heart. Volunteer at the animal shelter by walking dogs or snuggling a ton of cats. Assist the food bank by going shopping for a ton of non-perishables and dropping them off for a family in need. Spend time cleaning garbage out of your favourite outdoor areas so everyone can enjoy the cleaned space. And document what you do to encourage others to take part as well!!
10 - Family Gathering
Last but not least, another classic idea. The family get-together. It’s not often we get to spend time with our loved ones, especially extended family, so this is the perfect opportunity to have everyone meet up. Have a potluck meal together or go out to a restaurant. Go bowling or meet at the Zoo. You don’t have to host an army of people in your home to spend time with them (trust me, I get how overwhelming that can be!!).
Spending time with our families and nurturing those relationships, particularly in our immediate families, is so important. We want our kids to feel they can trust us with anything, come to us when they’re struggling, and feel comfortable enough to let us know when they’re in trouble. Having these moments together strengthens those bonds!!
And you never know when the extended family members may leave your world. So soak up all that time with them, as much as you can. 🫂
