Families are pulled in many directions during the course of a month. In many families, both parents work and school-age children are involved in school, sports and recreational activities. Spending quality time together as a family is essential to staying connected and maintaining open lines of communication. With some time, effort and imagination, you can plan a family weekend that all family members will enjoy and remember.
Budget on a Shoestring
Quality time together does not have to be expensive, but it does require some planning. Board games and card games are an entertaining and inexpensive way to have a lot of laughs and bond together as a family. You could host an all-day movie marathon. Many of your favorite movies probably have sequels or are parts of series. Just be sure you have plenty of popcorn, snacks and beverages on hand. For outside-of-the-home fun, you could visit museums, art galleries, quaint old churches, the zoo or a local produce market where you can enjoy a good lunch together and visit the stalls. Many cities have trails where you can bike, in-line skate or walk together.
Middle-of-the-Road Budget
Many cities are positioned near a lake or, better yet, the ocean. Fill the gas tank, pack a picnic basket, beach blankets and towels, sunscreen, a deck of cards, plastic toy shovels and buckets, and hit the road. Leave early and stay late to enjoy a full weekend of fun together. Often, there are economy motels, hotels and bed and breakfasts near the beach. If you are not close to a beach, you could spend a weekend visiting a water park and riding the different slides and playing in the wave pool. If water is not your thing, you could have a theme weekend enjoying the thrilling rides of an amusement park or have a sports weekend taking in either college or professional games.
High-End Getaways
You could go on a family ski weekend and stay in a chalet, tube down or traverse snow-covered slopes, cross-country ski, sip hot chocolate near a blazing fire and swim in the indoor pool. Another option is to travel to a city and have a historical weekend visiting famous gardens, estates, buildings, theme parks, museums, national parks, forests, monuments and other sites. You get to experience history together as a family. Lastly, you could travel to a metropolitan area, stay in a luxurious hotel, see live stage plays, enjoy that city's seasonal activities, visit historical sites and dine in fine restaurants.
