As the winter continues to keep us inside our homes, and as the holiday season continues, you may be experiencing some stress. Being stuck at home may feel never-ending. However, there are several ways to spend time with your family that allows everyone to relax and enjoy one another’s company. Here are some ideas to get you started.
1. Have a Painting Night
If you don’t the necessary materials already, purchase some canvases, paintbrushes, and a variety of paint colors. As a family, sit at a newspaper-covered table. With some light background music and perhaps a painting tutorial for the family to watch, get started on painting a sunset, a favorite animal or creature, or each other!
Painting is the most popular media found in collections globally. Compared to collage, drawings, and works on paper taking up 15% of global collection pieces, paintings make up 83%. Painting is a wonderful career for some, and for many, it’s a fun hobby that allows for self-expression and creativity to be free-flowing.
2. Create Coloring Book Masterpieces
Another art night your family can enjoy together is working on coloring books. If you have younger kids that can’t quite handle paint, utilizing colored pencils or crayons to create a coloring book masterpiece may be a better alternative. Similar to a painting night, your family can sit together either at a table or on the couches in your living room. Adding a kids movie or light music to play in the background would be a fun way to enjoy this relaxing activity together.
3. Decorate Cupcakes
While cooking and baking can be stressful with young kids at your feet, decorating can be a fun activity that the entire family can do together that requires minimal materials and skill. Make a batch of cupcakes on your own, and once they’ve cooled, whip up some frosting — with many color options, of course — and get out the sprinkles.
With kid-friendly knives or small spoons, have your family decorate the cupcakes together at the kitchen table. With some fun music in the background, your kids will love getting to choose a frosting color along with the sprinkles they will use to make their own little masterpieces. After decorating is finished, be sure to taste-test the yummy dessert.
4. Have a Spa Night
Did you know that most aestheticians agree that you should get a professional facial once per month? Well, this isn’t a to-do item on everyone’s list, and it isn’t a very feasible luxury everyone can afford. Instead, consider purchasing the necessary materials to have a spa night at your own house. Face masks and cucumbers for the face as well as creams and nail polish for the hands and feet are all affordable and fun items you can buy. Your family will have a great time using these materials on one another. At the end of the night, everyone will surely feel relaxed and happy.
5. Practice Yoga
Have you ever tried yoga? This may be a fun and relaxing activity your family can do together. Yoga is known to de-stress the body as well as improve balance, strength, and flexibility. It can also be helpful in managing one’s mental health. If your family has been under stress, trying a yoga for beginner’s video together may be a great way to connect to one another and feel relaxed as a family unit.
6. Build a Snowman
If you’d like to get your family outside for some fresh air and exercise, spending some time building a snowman and having a snowball fight may be a great way to decompress and have some fun together. To build the perfect snowman, your family will have to work together. This allows for communication skills to be exercised. Since it’s a fun activity, it also allows for some relaxation and de-stressing from other worries.
7. Find a Volunteering Opportunity
As your family enjoys the holiday season together, consider giving back to your community, too. An estimated 50% of adults aged 65 and over participate in volunteer work — and your family can join in these efforts, too. By volunteering in your community, you are teaching your children to appreciate what they have, and this is especially important during the holiday season.
Volunteering may include going through your own clothing and belongings and making donations, helping at a soup kitchen, organizing and/or dropping off food donations to families, or otherwise finding opportunities specific to your community’s needs. Utilize online resources or call a government office in your town or city to find an opportunity that can truly make a difference in your community.
When it comes to family time, the more relaxing the activity, the better. To avoid butting heads and having a stress-free evening together, consider choosing one of these activities that best suits your family’s needs and interests. A fun and relaxing day with your family is at your fingertips.
