31 Days Of Activities For The Entire Family

When I was young, family activities meant playing board games or days out, for example, but these days, I think for many families, it means they all sit in the same room staring at their phones or the television (if they’re even in the same room).

As I write this, with the coronavirus in the news 24 x 7, days out are currently less realistic, but there are plenty of activities that families can do together that will increase the oft-referenced “quality time”.

And that’s important, because studies have shown that something as simple as eating dinners together can improve the academic, emotional, and even physical development of any children in the home.

So just imagine how much more you could achieve, as a family, with regular, fun activities that will also help you all bond and become even closer as a family!

This article provides a month’s worth of fun family activities to get you going.

And don’t forget to check out the list of additional resources at the end.

Baking

Let each family member choose something they want to bake together, as a family. The options are many, including bread, cakes, cookies, muffins, a pastry or pie – anything will do if it can be baked and is tasty!

Then, you all work together as a family to collate the ingredients and make something super-delicious that everybody can be proud of being a part of.

If you have a large family, you can even do a different baking project every other day until everybody has had a chance to make their favourites!

Board Games

Sometimes just a relaxing day of playing board games is a great way to pass the time.

I was definitely a board game addict when I was a child, even though my parents often didn’t really understand the rules.

Monopoly was a staple, for when there was a lot of time available, but I was happy to play almost anything, given the chance.

These board games can be purely chance-based (e.g. Ludo, Snakes & Ladders), 100% skill-based (e.g. chess), or a combination of both (e.g. backgammon, mahjong, Scrabble).

These days, now that I am by myself (as my late wife was not a fan of playing games), I spend a lot of time (too much, maybe), playing backgammon and cribbage (which to be fair is a card game that traditionally uses a board for keeping track of the score) on my phone, against the computer.

If you want to add a little something extra, try making up some new rules and change the same old games up a bit!

You can also create your very own games like themed charades, or scavenger hunts – something which a lot of children do anyway!

Unleash your creative side, and play by your own rules. 🙂

And while not technically board games, jigsaw puzzles can be another way for a family to spend time together with a common goal. As a child, we used to do jigsaws frequently, a pastime I continued until well into my adult life.

Build A Critter House

A typical birdhouse can be a home for lots of animals besides birds, including chipmunks, mice, squirrels, and other small mammals.

Birdhouses are not that difficult to make, and not only will your children learn a useful skill but they will also be helping out your local wildlife.

If you’ve never built one before, here is a great video I found for you that walks you through the entire process:

Build Models

When I was a (very) young boy, my father tried to get me interested in building things (e.g. Meccano, model aeroplanes that actually flew), but it wasn’t really for me, as you can read about here.

I did try my hand at those Airfix models, which were usually of planes or boats), but I enjoy it that much.

Having said that, building models (e.g. from scratch using bits of materials you find around the home, kits, or easier, for young children especially, items such as Lego) is a great way to spend time together as a family, as well as helping to teach them useful skills (e.g. how things work).

Check Out Old Photo Albums

Many families probably have photo albums gathering dust somewhere – some may only be from vacations or days out when their children were younger, while others may be from grandparents or even older.

So, dig one of these out (or borrow one from a relative if you can) and show your children a bit about their family history.

Not only do they get to learn more about their relatives, but you can also use these old photos to teach your children about what life was life back then (e.g. before television and computer and mobile phone).

Craft Day

Colouring, collages, painting, slime making, etc. are all examples of super fun crafts you can do with your family.

Art is something that can be therapeutic, so make sure this is a positive experience with no bad ideas or critiques.

Art styles are all different, and there is no wrong way to be creative.

The only requirement is that you have fun!

And if you need inspiration, you’ll find plenty of ideas on sites such as Pinterest.

Create A Documentary

Using your smartphones (or a camcorder if you have one), record what a day in the life of your family is like.

You could designate one person to be the videographer, or rotate around so that everybody gets a chance to be in the documentary.

If you want to take it a step further, you could also edit it (e.g. cut out scenes you don’t like, add music and special effects, create a title and/or list of credits).

Either way, it will be a fun way to look back in later years.

Dance Party

Start by having each person contribute to a playlist, so that everybody has some of their favourite songs / music included, and then have a big dance party!

Go crazy and have fun just shaking out all your troubles – and it’s also a great way to get your body moving and exercise.

And as with the previous suggestion, you could record it for posterity and/or award fun prizes.

Fashion Show

Let your children try on some old clothes from your closet and try to make the craziest outfits they can think of.

Then, you and your partner (if you have one, of course), can pretend to be fashion show judges and score everybody’s costumes.

For extra fun, the judges can even wear their own eccentric outfits!

Follow An Online Tutorial

The options here are almost endless, but to give you a few ideas to start off, there’s:

• Cake decorating
• Drawing
• Knitting (e.g. a scarf)
• Macramé
• Origami
• Painting
• Wreath making

If you look online (e.g. on YouTube or sites that specialize in online learning such as Udemy), you can find almost anything.

Ideally, you want to find a course or tutorial designed for beginners, and where you have the necessary supplies to hand already.

You can either choose a project as a family, or let each person choose their own, or each family member could create their own version of the same project (e.g. drawing a dog).

Again, for your children, make sure they are safe and that they cannot wreak havoc in your home (e.g. by painting on the walls).

Gardening

Gardening is a very useful skill, and can be a lot of fun to get into.

You can start a little vegetable, herb, or flower garden, depending on the space you have. Even if you live in an apartment, you still have the option of a window box, for example.

And if you have a lot of space, everybody can have their own little plot where they can grow what they want as well!

Gardening is a great way to show your kids how hard work and patience can pay off in big ways!

Gentle Exercise

By this, I’m talking about activities such as pilates, tai chi, or yoga.

All of these are somewhat on the gentle side, can be done by almost anybody, and are great for developing flexibility and fitness.

You should, of course, start with beginner positions, and then practise daily (or, at least, once a week), until everybody is comfortable with learning gradually more complex positions.

Just remember to take it slow and steady, and to have fun.

Karaoke

Karaoke is a lot of fun for many people (but not me – it would be a living hell and I’d have to pay people to hear me sing), and making it a family affair is sure to get lots of laughs.

You can even hold a contest for the silliest song / voice combo – with bonus points for interpretive dance!

Learn Sign Language

A friend and I used to use a primitive form of it in the school dormitory to “talk” after lights out.

But more seriously, sign language is a very useful language to know, because you never know when it might come in handy, and it is actually a lot of fun to learn.

There are various ways to learn this, including books and online tutorials / courses.

And if you learn it as a family, you can help each other practise and that will make it easier, and more fun, to learn.

Just remember that different countries may have their own version of sign language, so choose one that’s appropriate to your country, language, or culture.

Learn To Sew

Sewing is a skill that always comes in handy at one time or another – regardless of your gender!

When I was at boarding school, my mum taught me how to sew a button on (e.g. to a shirt) – it wasn’t much, but it was useful on a few occasions.

Whether you teach them how to sew by hand, using needle and thread, or you use a sewing machine, remember safety first at all times!

Life-Sized Drawings

For this one, you will need to get a large piece of poster board and have somebody lay down on it.

Then, you can trace around their body so you have a template.

And once that is done, everybody can work together to fill in the template and make a life-sized drawing of the family member!

Look For Four Leaf Clovers

Clovers with four or more leaves are actually very rare – which is one reason they are considered lucky – so looking for some in your garden can pass a lot of time!

If you want to broaden the scope of this game, you can look for other items too, such as mole hills or spider webs.

Make Cards / Write Letters

Writing cards or letters by hand is definitely a dying art, which for most people is a shame. (I say most people because I have always disliked handwriting – I’m left-handed, and being forced to learn with an old-fashioned dip pen made it torture.)

So, you have several options here, including:

• Writing to residents in local nursing homes, who may have nobody who visits them.
• Writing to members of the military who are stationed away from home (e.g. overseas).
• Writing to each other (e.g. what you love about them).

You can make your own cards (e.g. on your computer’s printer, or by cutting out things from magazines and pasting them onto plain cardboard), or simply write your message or letter by hand on regular paper.

The important thing is that, even if you print the card with whatever design you come up with, the message should be handwritten, because this shows you are truly thinking about them.

This is a wonderful way to boost morale and spread love to people who may be lonely and discouraged.

In the USA, you can use sites such as Support Our Troops and Operation Gratitude to send letters and messages to the military, but you may find similar organizations in your own country if you live elsewhere.

Movie Marathon

If you feel like having a really lazy day, especially if it’s cold outside, then you can’t beat a movie marathon.

You could let each family member choose one movie each, you could agree on a series (e.g. all of the Harry Potter movies), or you could choose one each from different genres – whatever works for you provided that nobody feels left out.

Don’t forget to have plenty of snacks on hand – preferably healthy but sometimes you just need your comfort food – and if you want to be cozy, make it a pajama party too.

Paint Rocks

To begin, have everybody find a cool rock outside.

Then, you all can use your imaginations to see a shape of something specific in that rock, and once you have figured out what your rock looks like, you can paint it so it becomes that thing.

For example, a lumpy rock might look like a toad; so you can paint legs and eyes and spots on it to make it look like a real toad!

Again, you will find inspiration online if you do a few quick searches.

Picnic

While people usually associate picnics with days out (e.g. to the beach or the park), they can be held anywhere, including in your car (something I’ve done many times), in your back garden, and even indoors – because what makes a picnic special is not necessarily the location (which isn’t to say that eating in a beautiful setting isn’t nice) but the food and the company.

So, pack up some food, drinks, snacks, pillows, and blankets. And then set up a nice little picnic spot in your house or backyard!

If it’s practical, you can also pack up a game or two to play.

Picnics are always a lot of fun and much more relaxing than a typical formal meal at a table.

Pillow Fort

While one person can make a pretty awesome pillow fort, just imagine how awesome a pillow castle could be if the entire family gets involved!

You can use blankets, cardboard boxes, couch cushions, pillows, sheets, sleeping bags, and more to create a huge pillow fort to hang out in. (When I was young, I used to build my fort by draping sheets over the back of the settee and over a clothes horse.)

Pizza Night

All you need is dough (which can be store-bought or home-made), toppings, sauce, and an oven to have your very own family pizzeria!

Everybody gets enough dough for a personal-sized pizza, and they can top it in whichever way they want.

Then, you just bake and enjoy!

This makes personal pizzas truly personal, and makes for great bonding time with food and fun!

Play In The Rain

Rain is usually an excuse to stay indoors, but there’s no reason why you can’t have a lot of fun stomping in puddles and playing in the mud.

Just make sure it is not too cold out, not too slippery, and that there is not any lightning nearby.

Quiet Time

Not only is silence good for you, it’s an opportunity for your children to think, play by themselves, do puzzles, or read, and give mom and dad a break! 


Scavenger Hunt

Scavenger hunts are really awesome ways to get the brain and body moving.

There are also lots of ways to set up a scavenger hunt. For example, you can theme it by colour, room, size, and more!

Set a time limit if you have older children, and make sure if you have younger kids, that they can have fun without feeling too pressured to “win”, because family days and activities should be all about fun!

Scrapbooking

Although this may not be as popular as it once was, it’s still a great way to create and preserve memories.

Once you have your blank scrapbooks, you can fill them with all sort of items, including:

• Photos you’ve taken
• Souvenirs (e.g. ticket stubs for concerts or days out)
• Pressed flowers
• Handwritten notes
• Birthday cards

You can either let each person have their own, or you can create a family scrapbook where each person takes it in turn to complete a page (or double-spread).

Story Time

To get the whole family involved in a favourite story, try acting it out instead of just reading it!

Everybody will become part of the story, and you will all have an amazing memory to look back on forever. You could even try recording it (either on video or audio).

And bonus points for going all in with costumes, funny voices, and homemade props!

Tie Dye

Tie dye, which was very popular in the 1960s (i.e. the hippy era) is a lot of fun, and is also a great outlet for creativity!

You can tie dye just about any article of clothing (e.g. t-shirts, jeans), and there are a million ways to tie and dye them!

Once they are all finished, you will have a great memory every time you wear whatever you made!

Here’s one short video I found that shows you how to do this, but there are plenty more on YouTube:

Video Games

Many modern video games and systems have fantastic multiplayer options that make family fun super-easy!

The Wii in particular has some of the best games and features for this, but you can use any system if you take turns playing one single player game.

Make sure you keep things pressure-free and have fun – because games are meant to be played to have FUN, not only to win.

Write

This can be done in a lot of ways:

• You can use a whiteboard or chalkboard to add words while everybody takes turns adding one word or one sentence at a time.
• You can write one story all together and put it on paper, which you can later bind together into a homemade book.
• You can write a short poem (haiku is really short!), and again, each person can write their own poem, or you can all contribute one line or one verse.
• You can do some free-writing, which is a personal favourite of mine.
• You can create a new superhero, where each person lists what power(s) they have and any special gadgets they use. Bonus points for drawing their costume too.

Conclusion

Family activities are wonderful opportunities to bond and create amazing memories with your kids.

Remember to make sure that everybody:

1. Can enjoy themselves without feeling it’s all a competition.
2. Has the chance to participate because you don’t want anybody feeling left out.
3. Stays safe.

So, be creative, have fun with it, and it will be a wonderful thirty (or more) days of family activities that the whole family will love.

Additional Resources

These are suggestions for those who wish to delve deeper into any of the above:

1. AirFix Models
2. Backgammon Set
3. Board Games
4. Gardening For Kids
5. Harry Potter Movies
6. Jigsaw Puzzles
7. Karaoke Machine
8. Lego
9. Ludo / Snakes & Ladders
10. Mahjong
11. Meccano
12. Monopoly
13. Pilates Book For Beginners
14. Scrabble
15. Scrapbooks
16. Wii