*This is a contributed post*
All families are different. Every person has their own individual quirks and personality, and families as a whole tend to have a unique dynamic that sets them apart from other families. Your family are the closest people to you, and often the people you love and cherish the most. This means you probably want to make as many memories with them as possible!
Bonding with your family, especially while your kids are young, is important. You’ll wish you had these moments back when your kids are no longer small, and you’ll treasure the memories you created together laughing, playing, and trying new things.
In this guide you’ll find 15 things all families should do together at least once. Enjoy:
- Camping
Camping should be on the top of your family bucket list. Camping is a wonderful way to spend time together without technology getting in the way! You can camp somewhere near you, or even just in the garden if you’d rather not go far, and have your home comforts nearby. Camping can be a great experience if you choose to camp on a designated site, as kids can make friends with other kids, and you might meet some like minded families.
Of course, you’ll want to invest in quality gear, so it’s probably a good idea if you plan to go camping more than once!
- Hiking
Hiking is a fantastic way for families to stay fit and enjoy the great outdoors. You don’t have to climb a mountain to start with, but you could definitely make something like that a goal of yours. Don’t forget to have the right gear, such as waterproof jackets and sturdy boots. Thermal flasks are also a good idea so you can stay warm, or cool on your hike. Why not buy a book on hikes in your area and start working your way through them?
- Snorkeling
Exploring nature with camping and hiking is wonderful – but what about the life we can’t enjoy pretty much whenever we want? There’s a whole other world under the sea; you’ll be amazed by all of the different marine life, the colours, and the magic of it all. You should look into lessons if this is something you’re thinking of doing as a family, and then you can look at buying the equipment, like a full face snorkel and complimentary items. This is a great activity to try when you’re on holiday together!
- Travel To A Different Country
There’s no law that says you have to travel out of the country to have a fantastic time. ‘Staycations’ are becoming extremely popular and you can definitely have an incredible trip by travelling a short while away from where you live. However, it can be beneficial to travel to a different country, explore a different culture, and let your children see how people in different countries live.
Travelling to a different country gives everybody the opportunity to become more cultured, enjoy a different climate, and experience things you wouldn’t be able to at home.
- Go For A Night Walk
Night walks can be lots of fun – especially if you decide to go in your pyjamas! Doing this before bed can get the kids ready to drift off, and it gives you a chance to tell stories and reflect back on the day. This should be a relaxing experience, not a sweaty or high energy one. Enjoy your neighborhood at night time and use this time to wind down together.
- A Random Act of Kindness
Teaching your kids how important random acts of kindness are is amazing. They will learn empathy and other valuable traits when you make the effort to do this. You can perform a random act of kindness by buying a homeless person lunch, paying it forward in the coffee shop queue, volunteering, leaving dollar bills in library books, or simply keeping an eye out for opportunities when somebody may need help and take it. If the person in front of you has forgotten their purse, why not pay for their shopping for them? Things like this make us feel just as good as if we were the ones being helped, and if you believe in karma in any shape or form, you’ll have it coming back to you tenfold!
Why not come up with ideas and write a list?
- Swimming
Putting an emphasis on swimming while your kids are young should help them to strengthen their skills. They could end up in a situation where they really need to use them one day, saving their own lives or the life of somebody else. Plus, swimming is a great way to stay fit and healthy. It’s a great form of exercise and a lot of fun!
- Stargazing
Stargazing could be a nice way to encourage your family to be still and stay in the moment for a while. It can help you to get perspective, and realize how small and unimportant your issues are in the grand scheme of things. It will help you all to feel connected to nature, give you inspiration and encourage imagination, and best of all, it’s a beautiful, free show!
- Read Together
You’ve probably watched TV together a few times, but when was the last time you read together as a family? Reading can be far more productive than watching TV. It can improve many skills, help your kids to excel at school, and simply instill a love of reading that stays with you all forever. There’s nothing like getting lost in a great book!
- Cook Dinner Together
Cooking together can be lots of fun. You teach your kids skills for the future, like what foods are great paired with what herbs and spices, how to experiment, and even how to use an oven. You then get to eat what you’ve made together! When just starting out, baking can be amazing. Eventually, you could even look at hosting family cook offs if this is something you like to do.
- Have A Water Fight
In the heat, it can feel impossible to cool down. So why not throw water over each other for fun? In other words; have a water fight. Buy guns. Buy balloons. Get your hose at the ready. A few buckets too. Grab as much ammo and equipment as you possibly can and have fun attacking one another with cold water!
- Build A Den
Building a den is one of the cheapest things you can do, but your kids will be obsessed! A den is great for a pyjama or film ay. Use the sofa cushions, blankets, boxes, and anything else you can find to make your den. If it’s big enough, you could all sit in it and tell stories or read books. If you have more time and a larger budget, you could even build a more permanent den together, like a tipi or a tree house.
- Do Something For Charity
Charitable work is fantastic, because you’re not only helping people in need, you’re improving your own well being. Lots of people don’t realize that we all actually feel the best when we’re helping out other people! So, volunteer. Start at a soup kitchen, and the next month walk dogs at the shelter. There are lots of ways you can probably volunteer to help, and getting your kids into the habit will make them see how lucky they are, help them to develop compassion and empathy, and usually become more well rounded, kind adults.
If this is something you want to make sure you keep on doing, take it in turns to pick something to do!
- Have Professional Portraits Taken
Having professional portraits taken will give you something to remember your family by at a specific moment in time. They are amazing to show off in your home, and of course, you’re going to love looking back at them 10, 20, even 30 years down the line. You can always buy a great camera and take your own pictures, but professional portraits should be considered too – don’t forget to take your pet if you have one. They’re part of the family, too!
- Adopt A Pet
Pets, providing your family has a suitable environment for one and the means to care for one, can make a unit feel complete. Cats, dogs, house rats, gerbils, rabbits – any and all pets can be adopted. Before you head to a breeder or a pet store, check out your local animal shelters first. These animals are in desperate need of homes, and you will literally make their lives by picking them up. Just make sure you ask the right questions and are sure you will be able to give the animal what it needs before taking it home, as it’s only fair on everybody. You can’t just pick one because it’s cute – it isn’t fair to give it away or rehome again later on.