In our home, we have at least one, if not two nights a week that are exclusively reserved for Family Night. These nights are not extensively planned or complicated. Instead, they are simplistic in focus, yet surprisingly rich in enjoyment. I’m a pretty easy-going person and I enjoy NOT planning! Most of my work life is built around structure, deadlines, and planning. The last thing I want to do is overthink our weekly family fun nights. Occasionally we do go all out to plan a fun adventure or special outing, but on a weekly basis, the focus is on togetherness, and simplicity for kids and adults. However, I do have a consistent goal, delivering fun to the kids while simultaneously causing as little work as possible for Christy and me!

1. Pizza Family Night

Yes, it’s a little cliché… but it checks all the boxes. Rarely will you see more joy on my children’s faces than when I bring home hot pizza for dinner! Not because my wife isn’t a good cook, she is an incredible cook and can make a mean homemade pizza, but bringing home pizza is one of the easiest ways to meet my goal. The kids are going to have fun (probably because pizza night usually involves a movie, see below) and Christy doesn’t have to cook or clean. It’s a win-win for all!

One potential issue with pizza night is that it can be expensive. But it doesn’t have to be. For us, we lean towards Domino’s pizza because they have had a large pizza for $8 all year. Or one of my children loves Little Caesars (I know…) $5 pizza. Either choice is better than the price you pay in a store and it’s already cooked. If you have the finances and their pizza is good we would always suggest you support a local pizzeria when possible. Places like Joe’s Pizza in Mesquite Texas or Strongs Brick Oven in Newport Kentucky (Yes I know they aren’t even close to each other, but I don’t know where you live or where you’re traveling). No matter how you get your pizza the key is to make sure it’s tasty and it’s easy.

2. Movie Night

Movie Night is a classic. Cliché again? Perhaps, but highly effective. During the week our family strives not to watch movies or TV shows at night. So when the weekend comes around everyone is excited and ready to simply sit, cuddle, and watch a movie. On movie nights our children gather the nuggets and lay them out into a massive pallet in front of the couch. Then they get every pillow and blanket they can find and pile them on. Once the couch is made up we all pile on, usually with Christy and me in the center and the kids on and around us.

Our movie selection can vary from the newest Disney film, like Onward, or a classic like Singing in the Rain! Whatever your taste is in movies try to make it enjoyable for all while remembering that children can enjoy many different types of film. We are currently working our way through Musicals. You don’t always have to choose an animated film, extend their minds with other genres of films as well. This may take a while for them to enjoy, but start with more recent films and work your way back into the classics. There is a good post over on SilverScenes about this exact topic, go check them out for some good film suggestions.

3. Board Game Family Night

When it comes to board game night a lot of families stick with the classics like Monopoly or Trouble. And though those games have a rightful place in the pantheon of games, they are pretty low on our personal list. Instead, when we play games with the kids we are playing more modern strategy games. We started the kids on games like King Domino and King of Tokyo and have slowly moved them into more complicated games like Rise of Tribes and Dominion. Our all-time favorite being 7 Wonders and its myriad of expansions. Whatever your game preference, make sure you do the following to make it fun for the whole family and easy on you. When we have had a couple of babies or toddlers they have had something fun to play with besides the game-playing family members. Possibly extra game pieces, a pile of blocks or Legos, a special coloring book, or Play-Doh. The littlest ones move from their special project to team-playing to having their own place in the game as they show aptitude and desire. This happens quicker than you would think! A couple of years of watching and observing make for some mighty opponents in your five, six, and seven-year-olds!

• Make sure you know the rules before playing
• Have the kids set up the game so they are mentally preparing and getting excited
• Have simple snacks like popcorn, chips, or healthier alternatives
• Don’t start too late
• Don’t drag the game out
• For younger children make sure the game is age-appropriate
• For older children make sure the game is challenging
• Do your best to complete the game-make sure all who start finish!

4. Video Game Family Night

This one may not be for every family. For those of us who grew up playing video games, this is a great family night. The only complication being that most games only support two players or a maximum of four. So it can be hard to find a game to play. There are options that exist, especially on the Nintendo Switch. Games like Super Mario Party or Super Smash Brothers are good fun competitive games that families can take turns playing.

The key to a fun video game night is figuring out the game ahead of time (Don’t let the kids argue over what’s going to be played) and not forcing anyone to play. Maybe not everyone in the family enjoys playing. So make them the cheerleader, snack coordinator, or get them a fun book to read beside the group.

5. Reading Family Night

This is my wife’s favorite family night. Where the others are focused on interaction and laughter and fun, this Family Night emphasizes silence, close proximity, and relaxation. For us, these nights happen mostly in winter and in front of a blazing fire. No tricks to this one. Just have everyone find their favorite book, a blanket, and a cup of tea then find a place to sit, cuddle and enjoy a great read. Sometimes my wife starts out with one of the Read-Alouds in her rotation and then we move to individual books as the night goes on. Often these nights end in a lively discussion on one or more of the books being read. Occasionally, we even put on an audiobook for the whole family and just cuddle while drinking hot tea or chocolate.

6. No-Media Night

This Family Night is one of our favorites and it’s simple enough but often harder to execute than you would think. The emphasis is on no electronics, media, or screens, for the whole family. This means parents putting away their phones, turning off the TV, and focusing on conversations. I remember growing up and even after becoming an adult how often my family would sit around and talk. Now for us, we lived in Colorado and so settling in front of the fireplace to talk was natural during the winter. Now that technology is increasing we have found how important it is to make time to talk. The hard part is starting the conversation without being awkward. Hence why you need some really simple ice breakers. As an example try…

• Where would you fly if you had wings?
• If you could eat one food right now what would it be?
• How would you describe your mom in three words?
• How would you describe your dad in three words?
• What book are you reading (Why?)
• If you could speak any language, what would it be?
• Name one quality you love about each family member etc…

We discovered that we really like the nights where we focus on connecting with the kids. We want them to grow and become people who can engage with others easily in conversations. If you have never done this we would highly suggest you try as soon as possible. You will be surprised how much your children and spouse have to say when you turn off the cell phones and other distracting technology,

Outdoor Opportunities

We really enjoy family night, but we know how important it is to get your family outside and exploring the world around them. If you would like to read about an incredible way to Discover Curiosity in your own backyard I encourage you to check out the article below by the Social Clownfish.

Family Night Wrap Up

What are some things you do on your family nights? What ideas can you share with us that we can try?

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