Fun Family Night Ideas That Are Better Together

Shila said:  Celebrate the decades! Every 10 years has its distinct culture and style. Get groovy with 70s disco attire, tune into an 80s music playlist, and revisit epic 90s movies. Go all-in back in time and unplug from your cellular devices too! iPhones didn't exist back then. ;)

Shila said:  Take Taco Tuesday to the next level! Transform that idea into an all-out family theme night with additional fixings like a nacho or guacamole bar, delicioso desserts like oven-baked churros with melted chocolate, have a spicy hot sauce eating competition, etc. You can even tie-in easy DIY craft ideas like making a backyard piñata together.

Shila said:  Make your own ice cream sundaes for family night in! Offer a few choices of ice cream flavors, as well as any dessert toppings you have on hand like fruits, jams, candies, melted chocolate, sprinkles, etc. Pick any day of the week for this showstopping theme filled with delicious smiles. How about planning one for next Sunday!?

Kelly R. said:  Dress in your favorite tropical attire, lounge on beach chairs in the living room, and watch your kids beat you at a limbo contest! Create a Beach Boys playlist for the occasion and make sure everyone gets an umbrella in their drink. This is especially fun if it's cold outside - you might just need to turn up the heat!

Shila said:  What's your special talent? Practice and present something to "wow" your couch-viewing audience. Perform a fancy magic trick, a choreographed dance, juggle, recite tongue twisters, tell funny jokes - anything!

Shila said:  Organize a cooking challenge together! Popular shows to take family night ideas from include "Chopped" or "Hell's Kitchen" where you're assigned special ingredients and/or particular entrees to prepare. There can be a sit-out neutral judge (or not) to decide which plate tastes the best!

Shila said:  Have a haunted evening with your family! Family night can include dressing up in old costumes, watching scary (or not-so-scary) Halloween movies for kids, pretend trick-or-treating from bedrooms, and eating candy of course!

Kelly R. said:  My kids love trivia games, and family friendly trivia night is a hit with the whole family! If your kids are old enough, you can let everyone in the family come up with their own category and themed questions to ask so everyone gets a chance to be the host. This would also work really well as a game over Zoom or Facetime played with extended family, where each family comes up with a round of questions together!

Shila said:  Customize your own pizza pie with all the toppings you want spread out on an assembly line. Make-your-own pizza is such a pleasing and easy dinner recipe for kids. Use fresh dough or store bought! Tip: you can even take a frozen cheese pizza and add specialized toppings to that.

Shila said:  Come dressed up for dinner red-carpet ready! Keep up with the award-season theme and hand out "Oscars" to show your kids you love them. Awards can be given out for Best Smile, Hardest Worker, Most Positive Attitude, Least Dramatic, etc.

Shila said:  Spa night can include (but is not limited to!) wearing pajamas, applying facials, giving each other manicures, braiding hair, listening to soothing music, drinking caffeine-free lemon tea, etc. Finish the evening off refreshed and fall asleep relaxed!

Kelly R. said:  Spend the evening working together on a charitable project that will give back, and teach your kids the importance of performing good deeds for others. You can find a variety of volunteer opportunities for kids that you can do right at home, from creating blankets for people in need to writing letters of thanks to our troops.

Shila said:  Take a trip around the world with your family - at home! Every month or so, spend an evening learning about a different country...this will give you plenty of family night ideas for the future. Check out books at the library, virtually tour landmarks via Google Maps, and acquire easy recipes online to prepare at home. Ingredients for worldly cuisines are likely sold in stores near you (i.e., Chinese, Greek, Indian, Vietnamese, Italian, etc.). You can always order-in delivery, too!

Shila said:  Collect some of the best family night games and play together! From classic card games like Uno to newer and more interactive laugh-out-loud games like Hedbanz, your family's evening can be filled with friendly competition and no-pressure fun. Local libraries may offer board game rentals, too.

Shila said:  Pitch a tent in your backyard on any warm night - or inside your home! Bring along a sleeping bag, flashlights, a favorite campfire recipe, a couple comic books, and maybe a deck of cards to play a few card games. On a clear night too, you'll catch amazing stargazing opportunities!

Kelly R. said:  Create your own Olympic games for family night, and see who claims the glory (and the homemade Olympic medals)! Everyone can choose a different country to represent, and the family can fuel up for the event by enjoying some dishes inspired by each one. Coming up with cool ideas for the games is part of the fun, so let the kids get involved in that. You could try NERF archery, long jump, and rhythmic gymnastics...you know you want to see dad's floor routine!

Kristy Pepping said:  Just because the sun goes down doesn't mean the fun has to stop! On one weekend where the kids can stay up a bit later, head outdoors and explore the night sky together. You can blow up balloons that glow, wear glow bracelets and catch and release lighting bugs. Or lay down on a blanket and stargaze if it's a clear night. And this can always be done inside a dark room if you have younger kids that can't make it until it's dark outside. It creates a fun dance party when everyone is glowing!

Alexandra F. said:  If your kids love a good mystery story, bring the story to life by hosting your very own mystery dinner theatre for an epic family theme night. You can purchase a mystery game template that is ready to use, find free ones online, or even make up your own if you really want to go all out. Create characters, outline the basic plot, write out clues and give everyone a role, and see who can solve the mystery first!

Kelly R. said:  Roll out an extra large paper across the dining room table and set out a bunch of art supplies. Everyone can sit around the table and spend a fun family night in working together to create a big mural. Come up with a theme (like under the sea or favorite storybooks) and everyone can draw and color their own piece of the big picture. We like doing art projects like this while listening to a family audiobook or playlist.

Shila said:  Everybody dresses up as a favorite Disney character. Get creative! Your outfit does not have to be elaborate - just have fun and make each other laugh. Think about using paper crowns, leis, Mickey ears, pirate hats, mermaid tails, etc. Finish off the fun family night by popping in one of your favorite Disney movies and watching together.

Alexandra F. said:  We love karaoke nights at our house, and whether we’re singing Moana’s greatest hits, groovin’ to Taylor Swift, or belting out our favorite show tunes, everyone including toddler, teen, mom and dad loves taking their turn with the microphone. Though it’s definitely a splurge we are big fans of our Singtrix system, which doesn’t require any special song tracks and syncs with any smart device to allow you to browse YouTube or anywhere online to find your perfect song. It's a great family gift idea!

Kristy Pepping said:  Who doesn't love to dance and move? So why not get the entire family involved for a night of dancing? You could even choose to don your favorite formalwear, plan a special dinner and then let each family member play their favorite songs. Plus, the kids might enjoy a few of your favorite throwback tunes!

Kelly R. said:  Did you know that filmed versions of some live Broadway shows are available for streaming? Enjoy a fancy dinner at home, then pop some popcorn, pull out the opera glasses (binoculars?) and check out a real Broadway show from your couch for a fraction of the price of a night out on the town. For kid-friendly picks, you can find Shrek the Musical on Netflix and Newsies the Broadway Musical on Disney+.

Alexandra F. said:  These popular problem-solving game rooms are popping up all over the country, but they can be an equally fun way to spend a family night at home! There are escape room games available for purchase, or you can check out any of the free virtual escape rooms for kids that have been created by local libraries (and others!) around the country, including popular themed ones like Harry Potter, The Mandalorian, or Avengers. This is an especially fun family night idea to enjoy with older kids, tweens and teens!

Kelly R. said:  Have fun taste testing a bunch of different brands or flavors of a certain type of food! Each family member can try them all and rate each one from 1-10. Remove everything from its original container for a blind taste test. Pick a fun food that the parents and kids will enjoy to make this family night fun for everyone. You could try different brands of salsas, pickles or jelly beans, or different flavors of Doritos.