Fun Activities for Your Family’s Well-Being

How does combining family, self-care and a little fun sound? Here are 50 affordable self-care activities for healthy families that give you all that and more!

Have you ever thought of self-care as a family activity? If not, you should. At it’s core, self-care is the practice of attending to your physical, mental and emotional well-being.

Spending quality, family time together can be a challenge. Coordinating busy schedules for good down time is easier said than done.

Healthy families benefit from connection. These self-care family activities provide an opportunity to strengthen that connection. Also, doing different activities helps with anxiety and provides relaxation.

Self-care is usually something discussed as an individual, personal practice. Whether you’re a busy mom taking time for yourself, or a kid learning about self-care, it’s not usually considered a group activity.

The changing seasons bring you close together indoors. Make the most of your time together. Instead of reverting to your rooms or zoning out on your individual devices, use this time to bring the family together.

But inside, or outside, there’s no better time for investing in your family’s well-being.

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Why is Self-Care Important in Family?

Family is the most important relationship you will have. The best thing you can do for your family is tend to your own self-care. The second best thing is to ensure your family’s well-being is cared for.

As such, you and your family, whatever that may look like, are critical in shaping your kids’ worldview. They are learning what it means to care for their well-being through the activities and behaviors of the people in their lives.

When you’re part of a family, time together should be part of your care routine.

Think of family like a garden that needs to be tended to in order to grow. You need to protect against any toxins or intruders so they don’t take root and destroy your garden.

The same can be said for you and your family. You all need to be armed with the tools to handle stressful situations. For instance, being able to stay calm in high-stress situations.

Family time can lift your spirits and make you happy.

Knowing how to manage your emotions increases confidence and self-awareness. Gaining and maintaining control over how you navigate through the world improves self-assurance.

Further, games teach strategy, team work, sportsmanship and grace. Learning what healthy competition is from you will help your kids be better partners and team mates amongst their peers.

You also open up the path to effective communication with your children. Remember, you may learn more about your older kids when they are immersed in an activity than you might when asking them directly.

Tips

As you look forward to time with your family, here are a few things to keep in mind.

• Make family time a priority

• Get input from everyone

• Plan ahead and add to the family calendar

• Don’t wait for big events, daily touch points have greater impact

• Include spontaneous, unplanned and unexpected events on occasion

If you have other family in the area, don’t wait for the holidays to get together.

Try family night once a month. A potluck brunch or pizza night perhaps. Rotate hosting to different houses so all the burden isn’t on one family.

This allows your kids the chance to develop intergenerational relationships with their extended family. Older family members especially enjoy time with the little ones.

Self-Care Ideas for Families

Family time should be simple and uncomplicated. Remove all obstacles or reasons why you are too busy. Make it a priority. It’s important and good for you and the kids.

Knowledge and understanding are gained from being fully engaged with your family. Your kids will learn problem solving and empathy by watching how you operate. They will learn, first-hand what a healthy relationship or interaction looks like.

You get to model the importance of family time for your kids. It’s important for them to see that you value spending time with them rather than dictating what they need to do with their time.

The ideas shared here are free or inexpensive. They can be customized to fit your family and ensure family members of all ages are included. Most of the ideas can also be done at home, so no travel required.

50 Family Self-Care Activities

Here are some inexpensive ideas that promote togetherness and family fun. Express yourselves and manage stress levels to avoid burnout.

With consistency you will not only learn from your kids, but also about them, in a deeper, more meaningful way.

1. Family Dinner
2. Take a Walk
3. Cycling
4. Movie Night
5. Cook Together
6. Family Game Night (board games)
7. Gaming Night (video games)
8. Family Cooking Competitions (ex. Iron Chef, Chopped, best recipe)
9. Make a Family Cookbook
10. Group Hug
11. Storytime (read a book and oral storytelling)
12. Dress Up (ex. costume party or fancy dinner)
13. Camping (indoor or outdoor)
14. Sports (ex. shoot hoops, play soccer, play catch)
15. Go to a Museum
16. Fly Kites
17. Play Frisbee
18. Make an Obstacle Course (indoor or outdoor)
19. Treasure Hunt
20. Garden
21. Spa Day (ex. foot massages, make your own face masques)
22. Role Play (everyone has a character)
23. Bake
24. Build Something
25. Head to the Farm (ex. corn maze, berry/ apple/ pumpkin picking)
26. Tour Holiday Light Displays (in your neighborhood, town or city)
27. Home Projects (ex. painting, organizing)
28. Floor Picnic
29. Make Homemade Ice Cream
30. Time Capsule
31. DIY Holiday Decorations (ex. ornaments, holiday cards, room décor)
32. 20 questions (submit to box, discuss over dinner)
33. Puzzle
34. Joke Night
35. Build a Blanket Fort/ Maze
36. Meditate
37. Yoga
38. Switch Roles (kid or parent for the day)
39. Family Court (for important or silly disputes)
40. Unplug
41. Peaks & Valleys (highlights and lowlights of the day)
42. Escape Room
43. Music (make a family playlist)
44. Volunteer Together
45. Create a Family Holiday
46. Family Jam Night (created homemade instruments)
47. Trivia Night
48. Karaoke
49. Build a Snowman/ Igloo
50. Miniature Golf

Technology is the friend of distant families. Virtual trivia night, or Sunday dinner with the grandparents over Zoom. Connect with games like, “Words with Friends” and “Pictoword” over the phone.

Be creative! Don’t let a little distance come between your ability to connect.

Concluding Self-Care Activities for Healthy Families

“The family that plays together, stays together.”

Al Scalpone

What will your family gain/ get from doing things together? So much.

1. A better understanding for who you are as individuals
2. A stronger family dynamic
3. The opportunity for the kids to learn healthy competition and how to respond appropriately to disappointment
4. Memories of time spent together because you enjoy each other
5. Knowledge of your value within the family

I know how busy families are these days. There isn’t always a lot of time for fun. But, even in midst of a busy day, you can find a few minutes to connect.

Take your kids on errands with you when you can. Stop for ice cream or the park when you’re done. Even that time in the car, checking in on how they are, is good.

It might be a stretch, but household chores can also be a unifying event.

In the end, it’s not about what activities you do, it’s about doing something. Doing it for you. Do it for them. Just get it done.