| Are you sick and tired of TV being your first (and | | | | they keep wanting more. |
| maybe only) form of entertainment for your family? | | | | 5. Project fun |
| Wouldn't it be great to have fun and interact instead of | | | | How about starting a project that the whole family can |
| just staring at a box? Fortunately you've come to the | | | | help work on? When I was a kid my dad decided we |
| right place for 8 long lost, easy and fun, suggestions for | | | | were going to build a canoe. He got plans at the library |
| family activity that can be done virtually anywhere in | | | | and most evenings we were out in the garage |
| the world. | | | | working on it together. We used it for years on the |
| So get up off the couch and do these things on a | | | | lakes near our home. A lot of wonderful memories are |
| regular basis: | | | | tied to that canoe. |
| 1. On the boardwalk | | | | Think of something the whole family can pitch in on |
| No matter where you are, or where you live, there is | | | | and do together and then enjoy together later on. If |
| somewhere you can take a walk or a hike. Get out of | | | | building would not be interesting to your family try other |
| the house and see your neighborhood, your town, the | | | | options--design clothes, start a business, write books, |
| fields or mountains around you. Walking, talking, and | | | | make scrapbooks, cook together, paint, plant a garden, |
| seeing together is a great way to have fun and get | | | | build model airplanes, do puzzles, etc. |
| some fresh air. | | | | 6. School's out |
| 2. Water world | | | | Even when school is out, learning is in. Have each |
| Most kids love water, and frankly, parents probably | | | | member of the family write down some things they |
| ought to get back in touch with it. Grab your swimming | | | | would like to learn to do. Compare lists and find |
| suits and go to the city pool, the YMCA, the river, the | | | | something that everyone would be willing to learn. |
| lake, or an open downtown fountain. For fun right at | | | | Then search out resources in your community to learn |
| home, turn on the sprinklers in the yard or grab the | | | | what you've decided. How about learning to dance, to |
| hose and have a good old-fashioned water fight. | | | | sculpt, to play musical instruments, etc. Learning is fun. |
| 3. Yards of fun | | | | 7. Meeting of the board |
| If the weather is nice, yard games are a great way to | | | | Board games and card games are so readily available |
| play together, have fun, and even develop new skills. | | | | and really are fun in a box. There are so many to |
| Croquet, badminton, bocci, soccer, volleyball, or lawn | | | | choose from that you can find one or two that your |
| bowling are great ways to bring back some "good old | | | | family can enjoy together. We play games frequently |
| days" to your family. Try playing the outdoor games | | | | on Sunday evenings, and during the summer, board |
| you loved as kid and see that your kids will love them | | | | games are a regular part of the fun. Board games |
| too. Try Kick-the-can, Red Light Green Light, Mother | | | | also teach following the rules, cooperation, compassion, |
| May I, Statues, etc. (For rules for these, and other, | | | | and creative thinking. |
| games ask for them through the contact page at | | | | 8. Friends and family |
| marylougames.com) | | | | Consider the old practice of visiting friends and family |
| 4. Reading Team | | | | members. If your kids groan at this suggestion start |
| One of our family's favorite things to do over the | | | | with a visit to a friend or relative that also includes a |
| years has been to read aloud together. It's so fun to | | | | barbecue, a movie night, or treats. Make the visits fun |
| get a book that everyone will enjoy and just sit down | | | | and over time the idea of visiting people won't seem |
| and listen together. Pick someone who enjoys reading | | | | so strange to the kids. Make sure that (eventually) you |
| and can give expression and voice to the people in the | | | | are visiting people of many ages. Kids can actually find |
| book. We've read both fiction and non-fiction. We read | | | | older people to be very interesting. But start with what |
| in the car while traveling, in the evening at bedtime, on | | | | is familiar and fun until they are visiting pros. |
| Sunday afternoons. Usually none of us want to put the | | | | There you have it, 8 long lost ways to get off the |
| book down, and the kids beg for one more chapter. If | | | | couch, create fun for your family, and build unity with |
| you've never done this before just pick a good book | | | | the ones you love. Having fun together makes life |
| and start with just one chapter. Here's a hint: Always | | | | better! |
| stop when you're in the middle of the excitement so | | | | |