5 Awesome Family Day Activities for All Ages

One of the best ways to make family memories is to spend some good old fashioned time together. Kids will often remember that awesome game night or classic book you read together as a family. We’ve been making more of an effort to disconnect from technology and enjoy an occasional family day with our kids. These 5 awesome family day activities are great ways to connect with your kids and encourage some new family hobbies!

Play a Board Game

A family board game night is a fun and interactive way to make family memories. Kids will love competing to win the game and watching mom and dad join the fun. Roosterfin Games makes a variety of easy-to-learn educational games with fun characters such as ninja squirrels, roosters, rabbit pirates and monkeys.

Monkeys Up is a fun family game that reinforces counting, memory and strategy. Players compete to get the highest set of three monkeys. Each monkey has a hidden number under its feet that is only revealed when flipped. Take turns rolling the cube and completing the action; switch, steal or flip. The game moves quickly and keeps the whole family engaged!

Or take turns flipping Ninja Squirrels cards into the center of the ring and snatching nuts when the colors match. Whoever collects the most acorns wins! Ninja Squirrels is a fast paced game and helps kids learn color identification and practice quick response motor skills.

My kids love playing board games and they are delighted when they can easily understand the goals of a game. Easy board games that repeat simple actions take the focus off learning the game and maximize the fun!

Read a Book Out Loud

Another special way to spend a family evening is to read a book out loud. We enjoy choosing a family classic such as The Hobbit or The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Weekend afternoons are a great time to get the family together and read a few chapters of a book out loud. Listening to the story will encourage kids to use their imaginations to visualize the story. I find reading to be much more relaxing than spending time watching a movie or a TV show. Reading out loud stimulates the brain and an imaginative storyline provides thought-provoking entertainment.

Go on a Family Hike

Looking for an outdoor adventure? My kids also enjoy hiking together as a family. We live near many hiking trails that are easy to explore. I love being able to choose a 30 minute hike or a 2 hour hike, depending on how energetic our family is feeling. A family hike is an interactive way to spend an afternoon and enjoy time out of the house, especially when visitors such as grandma and grandpa come to visit. We have spent many memorable hours hiking and casually exploring the outdoors in Idaho, Oregon, Colorado and California.

Bake Cookies Together

Baking cookies together is one of our favorite cozy family day activities for all ages. Kids can learn some practical kitchen skills too! My kids enjoy helping me add the flour and baking power to our homemade chocolate chip cookie dough. I usually give my kids a turn to stir the dough and they like to lick the spoon. Incidentally, my husband is the biggest culprit who samples the most of our raw cookie dough, despite protests. You can easily include the whole family in making homemade cookies, and enjoy freshly baked cookies while you play a family board game!

Paint & Create Custom Art

A painting day is an awesome way to spend the afternoon together with your family. Kids love to be creative and get messy, and what better place to do so than on a canvas?? Plus, if your kids’ art turns out interestingly, you can create a family art wall! I love inspiring my kids to create their own art, think through the design, and fill in the details. All you need for a family art day is some basic art materials:

Art Materials:

• acrylic paint paper or small canvasses
• tubes of acrylic paint
• medium paint brushes
• jars of water
• paper towels

A family day having fun is always a great idea. Which activity would be your favorite to do with your family?