The colder winter months are traditionally a time for getting comfortable indoors and relaxing in the home environment. As New Year steadily approaches, it is also a time for families and close friends to come together and look back over 2023 whilst celebrating and planning for the future. At present, families will be enjoying well-earned time off from both work and school and looking forward to unwinding together.
In the coming weeks, you may find that your family schedules are far less busy, especially once the New Year starts and all the celebrations have finished. This period can be the perfect opportunity to plan for some weekend activities that will bring fun and enjoyment to all family members. This article outlines four fantastic weekend activities that are suitable for both adults and children of all ages. Most of these activities can be enjoyed at home, which is ideal if freezing temperatures make venturing out less enticing during the winter period.
1. Enjoy a traditional American game
If you have a family with younger children or teenagers, you will know how hard it can be to take them away from their computers and tech devices. According to a recent study, approximately 91% of children play video games regularly. Whilst this is generally harmless fun and can even help to improve a child’s hand-to-eye coordination, spending extended periods playing nothing but video games is not ideal for a child’s overall development. During the weekend, it can be beneficial to indulge in family games that do not require sitting still, being glued to a monitor for hours every day.
One perfect family game that can be enjoyed by all ages is cornball. You can buy all the equipment needed to play this fun pastime at sites such as https://www.cornholeworldwide.com/products/cornhole-boards/flag-cornhole-boards/country-flag-cornhole-games/american-flag-cornhole-game/. The rules are simple: players simply compete to see who can throw their bean bags into the hole at the top of the cornball table. Points are awarded for each successful attempt and the overall winner is the person with the most points. This traditional and simple form of family fun can bring a few hours of joy and entertainment to any weekend and is an ideal way to get your kids to take a break from their tech devices.
2. Photography competition
Most family members will own smartphones in 2023 and these devices typically have good-quality cameras in them as standard. Use this tech as a basis for an interesting and exciting family activity by holding a photography competition. If the weather is pleasant during the weekend, consider taking everyone out into nature to enjoy a long walk.
By making the walk the basis for a family photography competition, you can encourage everyone to enjoy the walk whilst looking for interesting subjects or landscapes to take shots of. Give a small prize for the overall best shot and encourage everyone to vote for what they think is the best picture that was taken by other participants, with reasons why they chose this.
3. Cook together
In an age where convenience foods and ready meals are commonplace, it is important to remember that cooking together as a family can be fun and helps to promote a healthy diet. Cooking fresh is generally healthier than relying on ready meals and processed foods. Fresh ingredients typically contain lower levels of salt and higher nutritional content, which can help you to enjoy a balanced and nutritious diet that is low in saturated fats.
You can find a wide range of healthy and nutritious family meals that do not require long preparation times to create. Give younger children simple food preparation tasks such as washing the vegetables and be sure to supervise them in the kitchen environment. As their skills develop and they grow older, more complex tasks can be given to them. As well as enjoying healthy meals together, you will be teaching children a valuable life skill which will be incredibly useful to them when they become young adults.
4. Family film marathon
During the cold winter evenings, an ideal way to have fun with all the family is by holding a family film marathon. Pick timeless family favorites such as the Indiana Jones series of action and adventure films and settle down together to enjoy an enjoyable family evening. Make sure to buy some microwaveable popcorn, a few snacks and treats, and some soft drinks so that you can recreate a truly authentic cinema experience from the comfort of your own home.
To sum up
Enjoying traditional family games such as cornhole can be the perfect way to make your children take a break from video games and other screen tech. A walk in nature can be made more interesting by holding a family photography competition whilst enjoying fresh air and gentle exercise. Cooking as a family can be enjoyable and will help you to eat well and teach your children a valuable life skill. On cold winter evenings, a family film night can be the ideal way to relax and unwind together.
