Family traditions are things every family should create. They help build family bonds and build generational experiences. I, unfortunately, didn’t grow up with family traditions outside the normal ones such as Thanksgiving or Christmas dinners. I’m a very sentimental person and knew that I’d want to create family traditions with my family as an adult. Life has been busy and kept me from being consistent in creating new experiences. I’m tough on myself about that fact but am vowing to find new things to get into with my family.
Covid-19 has proven that there isn’t always time to accomplish something. We have to rid ourselves of that “it can be done later” mentality and just do it now. We short ourselves sometimes in waiting til tomorrow what can be done today. One thing we know is that we aren’t promised tomorrow and life can be too short. One thing I’m working on is teaching my children to cherish experiences and memories over materialistic things. One way to do this is by having regular traditions.
The current state of the world has the majority spending a lot of time at home. Now is a great time, in addition to creating your family mission statement, to plan some traditions to do as a family. I have included 7 family tradition ideas that I’d like to start with my own family. Feel free to take them for your own if they suit your family too. I wanted to make sure that I created a list of family traditions that would bring something new to our household.
Summer Backyard Movies
I’ve always wanted to use a projector and have a movie night in the backyard on a summer night. I mean seriously, what could be better than watching a movie under the stars with your family? You can even increase your seating size and invite a few neighbors. A few things needed to pull off a movie night include an outdoor movie screen, a projector, seating, movie snacks, and the movie. Set up your favorite snacks either inside or outside and go for it.
Family Talent Show Night
A family talent show night, no matter the frequency, allows each member of the household to tap into their talents. Spice it up by choosing a different talent every show or create a talent show theme. You never know but you might uncover a hidden talent in one of your family members. At the very least, each family member will get to practice their public speaking skills and learn to be confident when standing in front of an audience.
Exchanging Family Letters
Remember when I said I was sentimental? I still have letters my mother wrote me when she went into the military while I stayed with my dad. I saw the cutest idea on Pinterest of having individual mailboxes in each child’s room. The purpose is for you both to exchange letters back and forth. Now this may not work unless you have older children able to write unassisted. Even in the younger children, I’m sure they’d appreciate listening to you read their letters. You can plan to save some of the letters to review one day when the child(ren) is much older.
Bi-Monthly Family Meetings
Recently, I discussed having monthly business meetings with my husband to discuss things such as household operations and finances. What better way to involve the children than by having bi-monthly (or monthly) family meetings? This creates the comfort of conversation and allows the children to learn to be vocal and expressive in their feelings. When children are comfortable communicating with their parents it makes the relationship less complicated. That counts during the teenage years.
Create a Family Time Capsule
My husband has been suggesting doing a family time capsule for a few months. It was the perfect family tradition to add to the list even though once it’s placed it’s left for 10 to 20 years unless you change locations. In that case you’d dig it up and transfer it to the new home. You fill a time capsule with things specific to the current period of time. Then patiently wait for the time you can dig it up, open it, and reminisce about its contents.
Annual Family Camping Trip
I’ve always wanted to go camping but the fear on encounters with wildlife have been a deterrent. I know several people that love camping and do it frequently. I believe that an annual family camping trip could be a wonderful bonding experience and a way for any family to unplug from the busyness of everyday life. There are established campsites more glamorous than traditional camping and provide bathrooms and lodging without sacrificing the “camping” experience. I’m willing to give it a try and start a new tradition if it’s a pleasant experience for everyone.
Letterboxing
I discovered letterboxing over a decade ago when my oldest son was much younger. A past coworker introduced me to it and it was great. Letterboxing is a great family bonding experience and one that teaches the children to follow directions. Letterboxing is essentially a treasure hunt. You visit this website, create a trail name, and start searching for boxes near you. Once you find one that’s of interest, you visit that location and follow directions to your box. Read more about letterboxing here. I promise if you’re into adventure, this is the best family pastime and you won’t regret joining.
I hope you were able to find a couple things that you could enjoy with your family. Do you already have some amazing family traditions that you’re willing to share? Please drop them in the comments for others. Family bonding is important and should be prioritized as the memories created will be enjoyed a lifetime.
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