It’s amazing how much a global pandemic, cost of living crisis, and general sense of global upheaval can shift the parameters of what ‘family time’ entails. After two years of living within touching distance, under each other’s feet and very much on each other’s nerves, new friendship and feuds were inevitably formed within the family unit.
The pressures, stresses and strains of such a fast changing world shouldn’t simply be ignored. Instead, families can take several proactive steps to nurture an atmosphere of understanding and support within the home.
Where spending time together is concerned, quality and quantity needn’t be two warring, disparate factions. If you’re keen to look after your family’s health and happiness whilst spending quality time together, then read on; here are 7 fun group activities IDEAL for looking after the wellness of your family.
Grow, Forage Or Pick Food Together
Did you know that children are five times more likely to eat salad when they have grown it themselves? Yep, research carried out by Ohio State University and Cornell University in New York found that children who learn to grow vegetables are more likely to eat healthily.
Moreover, for parents concerned about their child’s diets, the benefits of growing your own produce at home are myriad. You can exercise control over the pesticides, growth hormones and other chemicals used in crop production.
What’s more, you can eliminate plastic use by simply strolling into your back garden and picking what you need with your hands. Oh, and did we mention that with a back garden plot as small as 4ft x 4ft (1.2m x 1.2m) you could potentially (with a lot of time, effort) supply vegetables all year round for as little as £50.
If you don’t have enough space to grow your now produce and can’t get access to an allotment, consider picking your veg instead. There are lots of places where you can go as a family to pick your own veg in the UK.
Build Things Together
Engaging in building projects as a family can be an incredibly rewarding experience, fostering creativity, teamwork, and a sense of accomplishment. It could be something as small as movie themed LEGO sets or as comprehensive as erecting a treehouse in the garden, but the key is to work together towards a common goal.
Building activities can range from simple DIY crafts to more complex projects like assembling furniture or constructing a birdhouse. These tasks not only teach valuable skills such as problem-solving, planning, and manual dexterity but also provide a platform for family members to communicate and collaborate effectively.
For younger children, starting with something manageable like a Lego set or a model kit can be a great introduction to the joys of building. As they grow older and more confident, you can tackle more ambitious projects together. Imagine the pride and joy of completing a treehouse, a garden shed, or even a piece of furniture that the whole family contributed to.
Moreover, these building projects can be a fantastic way to spend quality time together, away from screens and daily distractions. They offer a chance to bond over shared achievements and create lasting memories. Plus, the finished product serves as a tangible reminder of your collective effort and time spent together.
Get A Group Gym Or Sports Club Membership
If you are looking for a way to boost everyone’s physical health, keep family members active and provide your clan with an excuse to get out of the house, then have you considered a group gym membership?
Plenty of gyms out there offer group rates and discounts if multiple people sign up, with some specifically offering family memberships at vastly reduced rates and applicable to the wide variety of activities which leisure centres, swimming pools and gyms offer.
Finding the motivation to go to the gym by yourself can be tough, but heading there with the family provides the incentive for everyone to keep fit and have some fun, too! As we all know, regular exercise has, time and time again, been shown to be fantastic for the mental health and wellbeing of adults and children alike.
Where the latter is concerned, a study published by the Lancet Journal last year and reported on in the New York Times suggested that ‘’even light activity — and a corresponding decrease in the amount of time that kids spent being sedentary — was linked to better mental health as they got older.’’
What’s more, exercising together, whether it’s in the gym or playing as a family football team, can strengthen your bond as a family unit, further improving wellness. You could even all buy matching jerseys to really cement that bond. Result!
The Family That Cooks Together, Stays Together
Planning, preparing and cooking family meals together can be a hugely bonding experience for parents and children alike. Not only can this shared process help bring families closer together, but it can also nurture an appreciation of healthy eating, a better understanding of ingredients, and of course, teach the little ones some life skills, too!
Not to mention, if you plan your meals together as a family, you can teach your children about budgeting and foresight in an approachable, easy to understand way!
Instead of having everyone go their own way once the food has been made, have the family sit together at the table, screen and worry free, and simply converse. Sure, the ‘’how was your day?’’ questions might get a little tired when every damn day is the same right now, but this chance to appreciate the food you cooked together and the process which led up to it can provide fresh conversation pieces each and every day.
Volunteer Together
Though volunteering to improve your own wellbeing isn’t exactly the definition of altruism, lending a helping hand in the community as a family is a great way to give back and to bond as a unit.
Indeed, there have been a number of studies which suggest life satisfaction and overall well being may be improved through volunteering, with many charities and community organisations offering the option for families to do so in a group.
Some of those include the National Trust, The Conservation Volunteers, and the RSPB, although local groups offer a wider scope of opportunities.
In doing so, your children will cultivate compassion and kindness, and the family as a whole will have the opportunity for new, stimulating projects to participate in together.
Speaking of cultivating kindness…
Cultivate A Culture Of Kindness
If there’s one key skill to instil in your children during family time, it’s kindness. Teaching your children to be kind—not just to others, but to themselves—is something that will serve them well beyond your family, and later in life, and is certain to improve the wellness of your family as a whole.
You can communicate these values through family-time activities like volunteering, baking for the homeless, sorting through old toys to donate to charity, and other actions which are altruistic and beneficial to the community.
In recent years it’s become ever more pressing to educate your children about climate change, too. Endeavour to make this a shared family activity through trips to botanical gardens, inner city farms and conservation areas. The ultimate fusing of education, the great outdoors, and family fun, we think.
Schedule Regular Family Date Nights
We all know the importance of couples having date nights. However, the same concept – of making a concerted effort to spend more quality time together – might be applied to families, too. Enter the family date night.
The best family date night includes something that everyone likes to do. Don’t alienate one member of the family by doing something that they don’t like to do – remember the point is to have fun together. Keep tabs on seasonal and special events in your area to maintain intrigue and excitement, and let different family members alternate in choosing the theme, place or event for the next night.
Setting designated family time and doing the same activities together can be a great bonding experience. Some activity ideas include:
- Watching a movie together
- A trip to the museum
- Playing a board game
- A new activity like rock wall climbing or biking
- Going to the fair or a theme park
- Having a picnic
- Taking a scenic drive
Really, any activity that’s designed to bring you together and have fun, without any motive other than enjoying each other’s company, is suitable. The key here is to ensure this time is free from distractions like mobile phones, so you can genuinely connect.
Read: How to improve your bond with friends and family
The Bottom Line
Though times have been tough for the family unit lately, it looks like there’s going to be some positivity emerging in the months ahead, with outdoor activities and community engagement set to get going once again after a protracted period of downtime. Why not embrace the lifting of restrictions by using the time to improve the wellness of your family in the fun and active ways we mentioned above. Good luck!
*This article is not intended to replace medical advice, diagnosis or treatment given by a qualified health professional. Instead, this article only provides information, not advice. For any medical enquiries, always consult your GP first*
