International Day of Families occurs every year on May 15 and highlights the importance of families. This special day is a beautiful reminder of the vital role that our families play in our lives and encourages us to celebrate and cherish the love, bond, support, and appreciation we share within our families.
Check out these ten fun and free ideas that you can try with your family to celebrate International Day of Families—or anytime you want to spend quality time together with your family and create lasting memories:
- Cook a meal together. Hand out the aprons and assign everyone a task. Getting everyone involved is a great way to bond and practice valuable life skills.
- Backyard family camping. Set up tents in your backyard to create a fun outdoor experience and do some star gazing in the evening. If you have a fire pit, you can roast marshmallows and make s’mores too!
- Do arts and crafts – Whether you found a cute idea on Pinterest, or your family just loves to create new artwork, gather some supplies around your living space and let the creative juices flow.
- Host a family karaoke and dance night. Take turns choosing songs to sing along with and get ready to dance the night away. This is a great way to get everyone moving and laughing together!
- Organize a family kickball game. Round up additional extended family members to participate in the classic game. Play this game in your backyard or a nearby park with more room to run around. Mix things up and play a game of tee ball or baseball between kickball games.
- Scavenger hunt. Create a list of clues for various items around your house. Then, let the hunting begin!
- Backyard obstacle course. Use items you already have around the house to help you design an obstacle course that everyone can try. This is a creative way for families to get exercise and have fun at the same time.
- Family game night. Dust off your favorite board games, puzzles, and trivia games, or create your own. Choose fun and easy activities that all family members can participate in.
- Share reading time together – For those who may enjoy a more peaceful activity, spend some time reading together. You can read out loud to each other or spend some quiet time reading your own materials and enjoying one another’s presence. Or, if you don’t have any good books on hand, you can make it a family trip to your local library.
- Family volunteering/community service. This is a great way to give back to the community and teach children empathy and the importance of helping others. Some ideas include volunteering at a local soup kitchen to feed those in need, organizing a neighborhood or park clean-up, participating in a charity walk to raise money for a good cause, or donating the family’s gently used clothing to a local closet.
