How to Create a "Family Time" Activities Jar

I love this little craft.  It's easy and fun!  And it will use supplies you have on hand.  And the kids will love it!  Almost any age can help.  My daughter Brooklynn (4 years old) loved choosing the colour of the paper and helping to cut it.  Also, this craft took up an evening's worth of Family Time in our house (which we try to have around 6-7 pm each night).  We had so much fun!  Lots of laughing and silliness.  And that, to me, is what Family Time is all about. *smile*

Supplies

Paper (colourful construction paper is best but any paper will do)

Scissors

Pen/marker

Jar or other container

Lid (optional)

Brooklynn loves crafts!

How To

1. Cut the paper into pieces large enough to write a few words on.  Size is not as important as having fun cutting the paper!

2.  Take turns deciding on a fun activity you could all do, and enjoy doing, as a family.  Write one activity on each paper.

3.  Fold the papers and place them in the jar.

4.  Optional: Decorate a lid for the jar or create a lid with scrap fabric (this method makes it easier for my kids to take the lid on and off without help).  You can also leave the jar lid-free so the kiddos have easy access.

Activities To Do

We chose activities we could do at home indoors (it's currently winter here) and some we could do outdoors (again it's winter here).

If you need help thinking up ideas for your family jar, here are the ones we thought of:

Indoors...

*Watch a movie

*Make/play with play dough

*Read stories

*Do puzzles

*Tell jokes

*Act our a story

*Play board games

*Do a craft

*Lego night

*Play bingo (Our kids love this!)

*Sing songs

*Dance

*Go on an adventure (This means pretending we're going on a safari around our house.  We're looking for animals/mountains/jungles etc.  It's a fun evening of imagination for our family!)

*Play chase

*Play hide and seek

*Finger paint

*Play soccer

*Play balloon volleyball

*Play "Can you do this?"

*Tickle fight

*Pillow fight

*Wrestling

*Play video games

*Sword fight

*Play tag

*Play red light-green light

Outdoors....

*Go skating

*Make a snowman

*Build a snow fort

*Go sledding

*Make a snow maze

*Make a snow tunnel

*Paint snow (using food colouring, water and a spray bottle)

*Cross-country skiing (we own skis)

*Build an igloo

*Try dog-sledding (we own a dog)

*Make snow angels

*Climb a snow mountain

*Go for a snow hike

...what there activities did you come up with?

When you draw out a paper with an activity, be sure to put it back into the jar. Shake up the jar or stir it a bit so you get a fun new activity each night.  And should you draw out an activity the family is not keen on, put it back in and draw a new one.  Or write out new ones and add them in.  In the spring we will be creating a new list of Family Time activities.  Each season lends to different activities that we can have fun doing as a family.  I love it!

What is your family doing for Family Time today?

Jackson, Brooklynn and Jon having fun as a family!

I hope you enjoy making this craft with your family as much as I did with mine.

Happy thoughts,

Andrea

Please leave any questions/comments below or on my Facebook page found here.