Learning About Family

I started a very simple game for my daughters last summer to help them learn more about their extended family members.The game is similar to “I Spy” or “I’m thinking of an animal…” except it is about family members and their interests, life experiences, or qualities.

The game works like this. I say, “I’m thinking of a family member…and this person loves to go bowling.” Or, “I’m thinking of a family member, and this person used to own a car wash.” Then my girls proceed to guess family members names until they discover the right one.

This is fun for my children because they are learning things about relatives that fascinate, impress, and excite them. They are also learning things that have more to do with the character and personality of our family members. They can discover common interests and can feel internally closer to members who don’t live nearby or those that they can’t see quite as often.

It’s a great way to pass the time in the car or while you are waiting for appointments too.Try it out and allow your children to truly discover the full dynamics of the family they are a part of.

Alternative Dining

OK ladies! Let’s spruce up our mealtime! Our children are always ready for us to add some fun to normal, everyday events. When we do, most of us find that we were ready to be spiced up as well!

Routine is important for security and stability. But face it – sometimes it can just get downright boring.

Here are some fun and fresh ideas to add a little pizzazz to your family’s mealtime.

*Have a picnic on the floor. Pull out a blanket, get out the paper plates and add the food!

*Eat out on your deck or back porch. Use either a picnic table, or set up a card table and enjoy the fresh air.

*Put a spin on eating outdoors by setting up a tent and lantern. Eat after it gets dark inside the tent. FUN!

*Have festive napkins, glasses or fancy straws.

*Allow your family to use chopsticks only instead of silverware.

*Make a rule that no utensils can be used at all! Only hands. Have finger foods, drink soup out of the bowl, etc.

*Have everyone grab a TV tray and pick out a family movie to watch while eating dinner.

*Switch places at the table. Everyone needs to sit somewhere other than their normal seat.

*Make normal foods fun. Add green food coloring to water, stick a Hershey’s kiss inside of spaghetti, etc.

Serve dessert FIRST for a change!

Growth Wall

Most families enjoy charting their child's growth on a chart attached to the wall. It is fun for both parents and children to see the progress and growth.

You can put a fun spin on that idea....make a growth wall for everyone in your family. Put it either in the garage or somewhere where you don't mind marking up the wall. Keep track of everyone's growth -- grandma, grandpa, aunts, uncles, cousins etc. and do it for both sides of your family.

Children love to see progress and it will also be fun for them tocompare their height with that of a beloved family member. Have fun with it too. Use different color markers or stickers to mark places on the wall and enjoy it for many many years.

God Stops

A mom can spend quite a bit of time in the car with her kids. And I believe that “car time” can become “bonding time” if you utilize it correctly.

My girls and I rotate a variety of activities, conversations, and games while in the car - that are special and unique just to us.

One of these activities is what I call “God Stops.” I found that my girls could easily immerse themselves in books, or other activities inside of the car and forget to look outside the windows. So we started searching for “God Stops.”

A God Stop is something you see that either reminds you of the Lord, or shows you that God is behind it. It can be anything from a hot air balloon that can fly in the sky, seeing someone doing an “act of kindness” for someone else, a church sign, a bird’s nest, or the sun rays coming through the clouds.

It really gets my girls looking out the car windows and seeing the world in a different way. They are looking for God in the world we live in – a world that can so often overlook His daily presence in our lives.

Give it a try with your kids and see what kind of “God Stops” they come up with. Learn, grow, and be inspired together as you are reminded that God is always with us.