It can be difficult to set aside time to spend together as a family. But, a traditional family game night might be just what you need! Regularly spending time together can help improve communication with your kids, in addition to fostering a positive environment. Here are a few tips for making family game night fun for everyone involved.
Pick an evening that works for everyone.
This is probably going to be the toughest step for some families. It can be difficult to try to coordinate your teenager’s part-time job schedule with your or your spouse’s work schedule. And that doesn’t even take hobbies and the like into account. So, put it on the calendar far in advance and stick to it.
Tell everyone to pick a game.
It is important that all family members are involved in this step. Each week you can play a different game that a different family member suggested. That way, there is plenty of variety and each person’s preferences will be included.
Add food.
Every family event is better with food! Similar to choosing games, have every family member pick a favorite snack. Write all of the recipes on pieces of paper and draw one each week to make.
Include prizes.
Other than bragging rights (which can often be enough), consider creating unique prizes for non-first-place winners. Maybe someone could get a Good Sport prize or a Most Helpful Player award.
Get rid of cell phones.
While the first step may be the toughest, this step is probably the most important. Make sure that your family is actually spending time together by putting those cell phones away!
Start a new tradition in your home this week! Pick a family game night and get your kids involved in the planning process. It may be difficult to get everyone on the same page at first, but the effort will be well worth it in the long run.
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