new restaurant/cuisine

Trying a new restaurant or a new cuisine together can be a fun family outing. If you have never tried Greek, or French, or Chinese food, why not make it a fun family affair. And if everyone orders something different, you can try each others, expanding the experience. If you go for Chinese, be sure to try using chopsticks and reading the fortune cookies. Talk about what it might be like to visit the country whose food you are tasting. Eating new foods together can be a great bonding experience for families.

family stories

My dad loves to tell family stories. I too think they are important. You can learn a lot about your relatives, your heritage and some of your own experiences when you were younger. Kids love to hear these stories being told, especially if they are told in a fun way. Finding out about your past helps you to better know who are and how you got to be who you are. It's fun to find out that you are like your grandparent or that you met somebody famous when you were too young to remember. If you can add pictures to these stories, it adds a new element to the fun of sharing family stories.

library

Going to the library has long been a favorite of my family. I started taking my son when he was still in a stroller. It is a cheap and easy way for families to find entertainment. There are of course tons of books from which to choose. It's fun to share your childhood favorites with your own kids. Reading a book aloud is a great bonding activity for families. Libraries also offer movies and CDs to borrow. Often libraries offer family activities ranging from story time and movies to crafts and karaoke. Check out your local library for an assortment of family activities.

walk to the mailbox

Making time for families in simple ways is important. Tonight, we simply walked together as a family down to our mailbox at the corner. It was the kids' idea! Just a simple act of taking a short walk together allows time to be together in a casual way, expressing affection and building bonds. It allows for a fresh perspective, some fresh air and change of scenery. Doing the day to day routine acts together is an easy way to bond closer as a family.

Superbowl

I know many families will be watching the Superbowl together tonight. It is a great opportunity to spend time together as a family, even if you don't care much about football. When my kids were small, we would watch part of it together, including the half-time show (though that has since become a questionable family activity, thanks to Janet Jackson!) It gives you things to discuss together, from learning the game, to the personal lives of some of the players, to things in the commercials. It provides a time to be able to teach some of your personal values in a non-threatening approach. And sometimes the commercials can even be fun! It gives a time to relax together and something which to bring up in conversation with those outside the family in the upcoming days.