hiking

Family hikes together do not have to be some big expedition. My nephews and I have had a good time hiking each weekend at local parks and even a field out near our house. Some of our parks have trails which give it a feel of a "hike" more but even walking out in the field took a good long time. Just find somewhere to explore together and take a hike!

family meals

In spite of all the flak kids give parents about so many things, including sitting down together for family meals, today I was reassured by a mental health professional that it is very important for families to do this, ideally once a day. It allows time for reconnection, communication, involvement, a feeling of belonging and a chance to model and observe appropriate behaviors. Even though our kids would at times only come to the table begrudgingly, I am glad to hear that this ideal is still endorsed by professionals!

conservation

Teaching kids to conserve energy is a great way to start learning how to be better about it ourselves. It is important to model the behavior and to show ways we can conserve. Working together as a family is a great way to help save our earth today and for the future. This guest article by Antone Medina gives a good idea on one way to start conserving together:

I Rode On One Of Baltimore, Maryland's New Green Technologies

Thanks for the article from Antone Medina

I've begun thinking about green technology since I rode on the Maryland Transit Authority's new buses. I had to journey to Walmart to pick up a prescription, so I thought I'd catch the bus. I was impressed. The ride is much smoother than the bus used to be. There was no sound of air brakes swooshing, either at the bus stop or when I was riding. There was no sign of emissions from the bus when I watched it stop at the bus stop. That impressed me as well, because you know what a choking diesel cloud usually arises when the bus takes off. That was nice, not to smell it.
Think of the gas saved by using hybrid buses. In the neighborhood of 500,000 gallons per year at roughly 3.50 per gallon, that's going to put a serious cramp in the oil situation. Now if we could do that with cars, this country could stand on its own feet and not be ransomed by the oil producing countries. Suits me. You know, I'd expect to see home energy savings(www.energysavings.com) through green technology, but beginning with vehicles is a good place. God knows, we're in our cars more than we are at home. At any rate, it was a nice ride on a bus using hybrid technology which means cleaner air and less gasoline consumption.

cleaning

I know that kids will not think that cleaning house together is a good idea for a family activity. But in reality, it is. It helps show the team work of family. It helps show the value of a clean and healthy home. It helps show that we take pride in where we live and how we present ourselves. It can be a chore of course, or you can try to add a fun element to this necessary task. Turn up some loud music-you can play your "oldies"! Have a timed contest. Or see who can clean out the most trash/unwanted items. Or have a treat when all the work is done. Working together as a family is always a good family activity!

indoor skydiving

I saw a piece on tv about indoor skydiving. This is basically a wind tunnel driven by a huge fan. Students go through a short training session and then are brought in for about three minutes of "flying" time. This is an activity that is open to all ages and abilities. It sounds like a great activity for families with kids of all ages. It would be a really cool way to spend some family time together and would likely be a great memory for families who try this new activity.

nursing home visit

While spending time as a family we have discovered that one of the most important things we do each week is visit an elderly lady in the nursing home. She is a member of our church and has recently moved into the facility. She is often confused by the days and feels rather lonely. She is glad to see us when we come on Sundays. It helps her remember which day it is. We also read to her from the bible and bring along communion for her to partake. She is very happy for these small things. And we are very blessed to help in such a small way. This has been such a blessing to our family and valuable in letting our kids see us practice what we preach and teach them to help others. They also can see how important it is to the lady that we visit. This has been a valuable way to spend some of our family time together.

Ocean Star Offshore Drilling Rig & Museum Family Days

The jack-up rig "Ocean Star" now serving as a museum and educational facility offers Family Days every second Saturday of each month. Each month a different theme is presented with information presented at the student's level. Word games, coloring and crafts are used to present the information as well as the museum exhibits. Children 18 and under are admitted free on Family Day with a paying adult. This month's theme is "Types of Rigs". Bring your family and learn about these vehicles at sea. You can even make your own piece of offshore artwork!

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 book sale

In our area, several libraries run book sales from time to time. One even does a book sale every month. This is a great way to spend some family time. There are usually books for every age and taste. The sales often have great prices on the books they sell. Here you can find some of your favorite books to bring home and treasure as your own. You might even find some old favorites from childhood to share with your own kids!

nature walk

When my kids were small, we would go on nature walks regularly. They would carry a small bag to collect items in that they could bring home for further study. We might walk around the neighborhood or walk along the ditch in the back. Occasionally, if my husband went with us, we would go to an old sand pit behind our house. The kids loved going out for walks and really loved being able to bring back the things they found on our walks. Be it leaves, grass, flowers, even weeds, they found these items interesting and worthy of more study. It is a good way for kids to learn about the world around them and a great way for families to spend time together.

storm debris clean up

After a storm has passed, families can spend time together cleaning up their own property as well as helping neighbors. It is important to make sure the area is safe for littler members of the family, but young kids can help put things away and clean up twigs, maybe they can sweep and rake, or take care of pets. It is great when clean up is made into a community effort, with several families helping each other. Maybe they can help clean a park, church or community center. Maybe they can donate some of their toys and clothes to those who have lost theirs. Or perhaps they can go shopping with parents to choose new items and/or food to take to shelters and points of distribution. It is good for kids to feel a part of a family and community by pitching in to help where needed. It is also good for kids to help serve their community in ways that they can.

exercise

My husband and I both like to work out. Our son usually does too. But not our daughter. Whenever possible, we like exercise as a family. Family walks, runs and bike rides are our favorites. Or maybe a game of basketball, volleyball, tennis or badminton. Families with younger children can go on walks, bike rides or swims. Making exercise a fun and regular part of family life will make for more happy and healthy families.

all work and no play...

Today was supposed to be spent helping a family move into an apartment. That fell through, so we had a "free" day. The kids were thrilled...til Dad came up with project after project of work that needed to be done around the house...so...

we have dedicated next Saturday to a day of PLAY! We plan to go just spend some time (and blow some money!) at a local amusement area. The kids are looking forward to it already!

I read an article today that mentioned a study done years ago by Gary Smalley. In it he was looking for what held a family together and kept them close as the kids grew into adulthood. He got many answers from the families interviewed, church attendance, service projects, but the one answer that was found on every list was...camping! His point was not to advocate that every family should start camping on a regular basis, but that they should find an activity that they can all enjoy together and do it regularly. All work may help keep a family functioning day to day, but the key to really keeping a family functioning happily it seems is the ability to play together as well.

Chinese New Year

Last night we celebrated Chinese New Year a bit early. It is not officially until next week (so you still have time to celebrate with your family!) We have a Chinese friend with whom we celebrate every year, as she is far from home and this is her biggest holiday. It would be like us missing Christmas and/or birthday. Her sister was here visiting so we were doubley blessed to celebrate early.



It is really great to learn about the traditions associated with the culture, try new foods, and have fun together. We had the traditional fish (well, baked fish minus the head, tail and bones) chicken, rice, stir fry veggies, fruit and fortune cookies.


oranges symbolize wealth and fortune cookies are always fun!


sweets are shared to hope for a "sweet" year! my kids love pocky sticks and the chocolate covered fortune cookies were a sweet treat!


I found gummy rats in honor of the year of the rat!


We kept it very simple this year compared to past years, but still a very nice time together. We also made sure to hand out red envelopes filled with money to all the children.


red packets are given to the kids. It's everybody's birthday!(these were simple to make using library pockets as a pattern and computer generated clip art!)


Learning about another culture together and experiencing some of the customs together is an excellent way to spend family time together. Gong Xi Fa Cai!