I admire LDS Monday night Family Home Evenings. As a church they set aside that night to plan a speical worship and family activities in their homes. Whatever you may think of their religious beliefs, when you meet an LDS youth, you can expect them to be modest, clean living, and have a close family bond. I’ve allowed my evenings to be over committed. One day Darren and I sat down and found we only had one day at home as a family, Wednesday night. And that night we really should be at church! I’m searching for ways to lighten our schedule and dreaming of a weekly family night.
Setting apart one special night a week to play together and learn together is a fantastic way to pass on your values and build a close bond with as a family. Here are some ideas for things to do on family night:
1. Learn a new skill such as how to set up a tent, cook a special dish, or do a craft.
2. Watch a family friendly movie and talk about it together.
3. Play board games
4. Have a family olympics with crazy games
5. Have a water fight
6. Have a paper airplane contest
7. Visit a park
8. Have a bubble gum blowing contest
9. Plant a flower bed together
10. Visit an elderly person and take a treat to share
There are only a few rules for family night: Plan an activity that everyone can participate in, then insist that everyone does! Be sure to end the activity while everyone is still having fun.
It is actually on Monday night, and as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, I have enjoyed having Family Home Evening. It isn’t always perfect, and my kids sometimes struggle to listen, but it has really strengthened our family. The Church has activities many other nights, but never on Monday. I would encourage any family to set aside one night each week as well. The blessings are amazing and worth the effort of pushing back at the busy schedules of the world to focus on the gospel in our home.
Thanks Carrie. I’ll fix the day in the post!
What a great idea!!
This is so important. Especially when they get to be teenagers, they know that they still have to dedicate at least one evening to the whole family. Our family day is usually Friday or Sunday. We don’t do anything too special, usually watch a move and play some games, but at least we are together. I want to start making it more of a big deal though.
Thanks so much for the positive comments about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. As a devout member, I really appreciate it. I’ve felt like if you just got to know some of us, you’d know we don’t believe the garbage some people claim. Most of us try very hard to be good Christian neighbors. I’ve followed your blog for sometime now and appreciated your posts about keeping kids happy at church and such. We can all use it, no matter our faith! I love our family nights. We hold it on Sunday night, because that’s the night that works best with my husband’s work schedule. It is my favorite night of the week. And though its not always perfect, it DOES bring our family closer together, strengthens our marriage and increases our love for the Lord. Thanks again!