Family Fun magazine featured an article entitled, “7 Secrets of Fun Families”——and who wouldn’t want to know the secrets? We all want to have fun—simple, silly, savoring moments that can help us make everyday meaningful. Here’s their list of seven secrets—and a few ideas from Family Fun & me to encourage fun-tastic events to encircle your lives/homes:
1. They plan together for adventure.
a. Encourage outings. Make a list of can’t miss destinations (via articles in magazines, commercials, etc.). Additionally, mark your calendar for family time at local parks, festivals, and more.
b. Seasonal Must-Dos. Month-by-Month planning is important: planting flowers, going on a scavenger hunt, exploring unfamiliar parks, etc.
c. Letting change decide. Scheduling something out of the ordinary that the family doesn’t normally do—when free time and funds allow!
2. They turn their homes into fun zones.
a. Allow areas of your home to be DIY zones: Painting, creating, murals, mosaics, etc.
b. Encourage outdoor child friendly zones: Garden, flower pots, playhouses, small rakes, bags for outdoor clean up, etc.
3. They celebrate the little things.
a. Look for excuses to celebrate. National ice-cream day, Watermelon Day, Fairy Day, Talk like a Pirate Day, etc. Use the Internet to make a list of days and activities you’d think your family would enjoy celebrating together. Then, let the parties begin—big or small, you decide.
b. Use special rooms in your home to host events: Dining room for a tea party, the breakfast table for brunch for a BUNCH of good grades to reading adventure…
4. They narrow the gap between playing and learning.
a. Create a Family Book Club. Create treats for books you read together as a family. Reward children for charting various titles they read. Have movie nights based on books’ themes.
b. Alphabet Party. Choose a letter to have mini celebrations. P is for pink. Think pink clothes, pink cupcakes, popcorn, & more. Past preschool have theme parties and include different subjects to help you celebrate.
c. Messy exploration. Give children the freedom to make a mess—creating a learning environment. Backyard science labs are perfect experiment stations for messes and learning to occur.
5. They fill their lives with sweet surprises.
a. Change routines. Kids thrive on routines, but it’s often the unexpected joys that they truly treasure. Tell the child(ren) what they need to bring along but don’t tell them where you’re going until you all arrive there.
b. Traveling out of town without the child(ren). Bring delightful treats…cupcakes from a bakery, special pictures snapped on smartphones, etc.
6. 
T They find the silver lining.
a. Banish the blues. When something falls through or a disappointment arises, look for ways to make it fun. Recently, we had a plumbing issue at home. When the yard had to be dug up, we pretended it was a swimming pool on the wrong side of the house. We joked about it for days—creating silly oral stories.
b. Distract with Delights. Have desert first. Pack dinner and have a picnic.
7. They make work feel like play.
a. Chores are bores until they are playful. Skip the nagging and make your home’s chores playful—add timers, official coach of certain rooms, etc. Make it fun to get the jobs done. Then, everyone can play.
How do you keep the fun in your family? When something is functional isn’t always FUN-ctional?
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[…] festival in October……..one late fall vacation…….Family fun is as important as watching the family funds as you and I (Litsa) plan these events for our families! Thus, I […]