Our Family Memory Bank #3: Plan a Family Fun Night

4 Family Fun Night Ideas via Childhood 101

Does your family enjoy a regular family fun night? My Our Family Memory Bank challenge to you for the month of April is to find time for a family fun night. Here are some ideas to get you started.

Idea #1: Family Movie Night

4 Family Fun Night Ideas: Movie Night

We enjoy a family movie night once a month and it is something Immy really looks forward to (AJ joins in sometimes too but she is still a little to really understand the whole idea of a movie night). There is great deliberation and discussion about which movie to watch in the weeks leading up to the big event and we enjoy choosing and preparing snacks together. You can read more of my suggestions for family movie nights here and Debi shared a list of 10 Nature Inspired Family Movies here.

Idea #2: Family Games Night

4 Family Fun Night Ideas: Games Night

I think a family games night is especially fun when you have extended family around to visit. As we have young children our games tend to be simple ones like dominoes, snakes and ladders or Connect 4 but you will obviously choose games that best suit the age and stage of your family members.

Also, if the weather is fine where you are, consider heading outdoors for a game of soccer, basketball, cricket, tennis or even just kicking or throwing a ball around.

Idea #3: Family Art Time

4 Family Fun Night Ideas: Art Time

For something a little different why not try a family art making time. You can either work on a collaborative artwork all together or just sit together while each creating your own piece from the same materials. If you plan this to be a regular event consider buying each family member their own sketch pad to create in. Obviously there are hundreds of different drawing and other art making activities you could try together but you might like to start by looking through our Art category or checking out my Kids Art Pinterest board for inspiration.

Idea #4: Family Music Time

4 Family Fun Night Ideas: Musical Fun

While a family jam session might be a regular occurrence for the musical families among us, even those of us who are somewhat less musically inclined can have fun enjoying music, singing and dancing together. You might like to;

  • Invest in some simple percussion instruments (cymbals, bells, tambourines, maracas, egg shakers etc) and enjoy a sing-a-long, bonfire and toasted marshmallows optional!
  • Put on some fun music and have your very own disco themed fun time.
  • Learn a dance together – try something fun like the Macarena, the Nutbush City Limits Dance, the YMCA or the Time Warp. Check out Youtube for a refresher if need be.
  • Have fun with Wii’s Just Dance or PlayStation’s Singstar.
  • Go and listen to some live music together. We have a good friend who is an acoustic solo entertainer and it is a real treat to attend a gig at a family friendly hotel where he is playing.

Whatever your choice, I challenge you to grab your calendar now and schedule in your family fun night. You are welcome to leave a comment on this post sharing your plans – I would love to hear what you think will work best for your family. You can also share the fun on social media with a comment or a photo over on the Childhood 101 Facebook page or via Instagram, Twitter or G+. Just add the hashtag #ourfamilymemorybank and @childhood101 so I can be sure to follow along.

What are your family fun night plans?

Read more about the Our Family Memory Bank challenge here.