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.