Family Night
Do you spend your evenings jumping in and out of the car ferrying children to dance classes, swimming lessons, karate or football practice? Do you often opt for a microwave meal or a takeaway because it is getting late and everyone is hungry? Do the children disappear to their rooms once they have eaten to play computer games, listen to music or run up the phone bill chatting to their friends? Do you feel that family life isn't what you expected and want it to be?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, holding regular family nights could be just what you need to increase closeness and communication, disperse a little stress and anxiety and most of all relax and have some fun together.
So what happens on a family night? The answer to this is, anything that you want to happen. Some families go out as a group, some quite definitely stay in. Some families include grandparents, aunts, uncles and friends, some families like to keep the night for immediate family only. Some families decide that on this one night, for two or three hours, there is no television, no telephone calls etc. yet for others family night is a video and popcorn. It all depends on what you can all enjoy doing together that will store up happy memories for the future too.
One of the best ways to start family night is to all join in making the evening meal or making a treat to enjoy after the meal. This could be something simple like everyone helping to make cookies, with even the smallest family member stirring in the choc chips and Dad wearing a funny apron while he washes up, or something unusual for your family like creating a complete Chinese or Mexican meal with all the trimmings.
Some people like to have a complete agenda for the evening including a Family Business time when everyone's committments are noted on a calendar and any time clashes sorted out. It can also be a time to discuss any problems a family member is having, suggest ways to help, or just let the person know that you are all there for them.
Next comes the best part of the evening - having fun together! This is very much going to depend on the ages of your children and what they like to do. Ask them for input and don't worry if you can't fit it all in the first time, you're going to be doing this every week remember.
Very young children would probably love singing songs, making paper dolls or junk models, using finger puppets and looking at story books with you. Older children and teens would enjoy board games, jigsaw puzzles, crafts, telling jokes or learning magic tricks and putting on a show.
The main thing is that you are all together and enjoying it. Have a great family night!
Below are some ideas for games and activities suitable for family night:
Articulate
This game is absolutely hilarious as one person has to describe a word to his or her team, getting increasingly frustrated when they can't guess it! The describer can talk, mime or act but can't use rhyming clues, or sounds like, or tell you how many letters or which letter the word begins with. This game really is lots of fun and will probably make you cry with laughter, the only problem is that nobody will want to stop playing and go to bed!
Extreme Rock Climbers
This is a great game for kids who don't like board games, as the 'board' is a two foot high mountain that your climber clings on to as you manoeuvre him with magnets on the end of your fingers. The game is suitable for two players aged 7 upwards, the object of the game being to conquer the mountain three times and get the most points. Exciting, competitive game that captures the imagination with it's unusual look and game play.
Absolute Balderdash
If you've ever watched Call My Bluff you will have a good idea of what this game is all about. Each player has to make up the meaning of an unusual word. The meaning can be as normal or as bizarre as you like especially as the true meanings often turn out to be pretty bizarrre anyway. The false meanings are then mixed up with the real meaning and if your false definition is chosen as the real one, you get points and move along the board. Game pieces are provided for up to eight players but more can play if you use something else to mark their places on the board. This game can get very silly as people try to outdo each other with strange definitions but it is lots of fun for older children, teens and adults.
Dominic Wood's Magic Box
This is a superb family night activity. A wonderful collection of 150 magic tricks chosen by TV magician Dominic Wood. The first thing that strikes you when you open the box is the quality of the props provided, they are ten times better than you expect! Then you can learn how to perform the Magic Crystal Glass trick, amaze the family with the Ever Full Bottle, The Magic Ring Box, The Transforming Dice Tunnel, The Impossible Steel Tunnel and many more amazing tricks some of them unique to the set. Suitable for children aged 7 and over but I suspect they may have trouble getting it away from Dad!
Falcon Jigsaw Puzzles
Jigsaw puzzles have come a very long way from the days when the choice was either a harbour or a cat on a cushion. There are literally hundreds of interesting and educational puzzles to choose from in the Falcon range, just a few of them are shown here around the edge of the page. Jigsaws are ideal as a family night activity as everyone can do a different part of the puzzle and then join them up at the end, or little ones can sort out all the edge pieces or all the blue pieces or all the bits with pink flowers on them etc.
Portapuzzle
If you've ever put off starting a jigsaw puzzle because you knew you wouldn't have time to finish it and didn't want it left on the dining room table, the Portapuzzle puzzle carrier and storage case solves that problem and provides a rigid work surface too. It's a fabulous invention that means you can store away uncompleted puzzles and get them out again to work on in minutes, due to the special non slip felt lining which holds the puzzle pieces safely until you have time to finish them off. Available in sizes that hold 500, 1,000, 1,500 or 2,000 pieces, you will wonder how you ever managed without it. Great for invalids, children, car travel and makes a wonderful gift too.
Articulate, Absolute Balderdash, Extreme Rock Climbers and Dominic Wood's Magic Box from Drumond Park Games www.drumondpark.com, good toy shops and department stores everywhere.
Portapuzzle and all jigsaw puzzles from Falcon Games available from www.jigsawgallery.com, good toy shops and department stores everywhere.
Potting Season
Jigsaw Puzzle
Christmas Carol
Jigsaw Puzzle©Colleen Moulding 2002
http://www.allthatwomenwant.com
Articulate
Extreme Rock Climbers
Absolute Balderdash
Dominic Wood's Magic Box
Garden Blooms Jigsaw Puzzle
HM Queen Elizabeth
The Queen Mother
Jigsaw Puzzle
Portapuzzle
Vincent Van Gogh
Jigsaw Puzzle
All That Women Want It was made for you!
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