This is the time of year that my family and I start to implement “Friday Family Fun Nights!” It’s the perfect time; it’s getting cooler out, it’s dark 
earlier and the weeks are super busy with the hustling and bustling of shuffling everyone everywhere and being perpetually over booked on every night. Shew….. It makes me wish it was Friday – right now! This week I’ll share with you a few of the fun “family Time” activities that we like to do. Please share with me and the rest of the GLBMoms your favorite family activities you do with your little people @ [email protected].
What We’re Reading:
Clifford’s Family By: Norman Bridwell
My Family By: Mercer Mayer
Who’s In My Family? By: Robie H. Harris
Activities:
.:Make A Family Tree:.
This is a fun activity to create as a family and to make a sweet fall keepsake in the process. Each person will make their own tree with their hands! Their arm and hand will make the tree trunk and branches. The leaves are then made with your fingers!
What You Need:
- Butcher block paper
- Brown, green, yellow, orange and red washable paint
- A family full of hands ready to get messy!
Directions:
- Coat each members fore arm and hand with brown washable paint.
- Add details to the trunk with toothpicks if you’d like.
- Use your fingers to make the leaves. It looks best if you add a variety of colors to your tree.
- Add your last name to the picture or each family members name. Don’t forget to add the date!
- Frame and hang for all to see!
.:Ways to play in November:.
Are you looking for some super fun “ways to play” with your family this weekend? Take a look at this list of 10 activities to do with your family! “Lets Explore” has great family activity lists for each month that you can download and print. I’ll definitely be checking out their lists over Christmas break, Spring Break and this summer! You can never have too many ideas!
http://lets-explore.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/downloads/2011/10/WaystoPlay_November.pdf
.:Photo-Booth Pictures:.
Create your very own Costumes on a Stick! Order them from Uncovet.com for $2.99 a pack or simply make your own! I have found that making them out of a thick card stock works the best! Glue your shape onto a bamboo skewer or dowel rod. Head out to JoAnne Fabrics and buy 2-3 yards of a plain fabric, tape it up in your house (painters tape) and snap away! We LOVE to do this, let the kids get goofy and silly – that’s when you get the best pictures! Check out The Daily Buzz for Christmas photo-booth cut outs! Don’t forget to post your pictures on GLBMoms.com!
https://shop.uncovet.com/costumes-on-a-stick
.:FaMiLy MoViE NiGhT!:.
Don’t forget to invite the hubs and kiddos to your family movie night! Create and experience, complete with movie tickets, special treats and even themes – maybe even costumes! http://sweetdaisydesigns.blogspot.com/2011/08/free-printables-home-movie-theatre.html
SET THE MOOD
Get creative with a few fun (and EASY!) decorations inspired by your feature presentation. Example: for a Star Wars viewing party, turn off all the lights, hang white string lights across the room and scatter some glow-in-the-dark stars around the coffee table to help bring the “galaxy” to life in your own living room. Use a little silver craft paint to transform a black paper lantern into the “Death Star“, and hang some movie posters and metallic paper stars for the finishing touch.
WHO’S THIRSTY?
Sip creative, themed drinks inspired by the movie of the night, such as “Yoda Soda” (lime sherbet + lemon-lime soda) or “Frozen Jedi Juice” for a screening of Star Wars. To make “Frozen Jedi Juice”, partially freeze your favorite flavor of juice or Kool Aid and serve it “slushy style” from cups embellished with the phrase “May the Freeze be with you.”
RISING STARS
Use a home video camera to make your own “movie magic” starring the best cast of all – your very own family members! Have little ones do re-enactments of their favorite scenes from the movie you just watched, or capture clips of the kids doing a craft activity or a recipe inspired by the movie. These are the “films” that you’ll love to watch over & over again – long after the movie-of-the-night credits roll!
Snack:
.:Consider A Theme:.
If you’re watching “Finding Nemo,” snack on gummy sharks and goldfish crackers and pretzels. “The Jungle Book” lends itself to animal crackers, fruit kabobs and peanuts. Enlist your kids to come up with creative snacks based on the movie.
Here is a list of some of our personal faves!
Animated:
- Monsters, Inc. (PG)
- Toy Story and Toy Story 2 (G)
- Ice Age (PG)
- Shrek and Shrek 2 (PG)
- Shark Tale (PG)
- The Incredibles (PG)
- Finding Nemo (G)
- The Lion King (G)
- Brother Bear (G)
- The Aristocats (G)
Classics:
- Mary Poppins (G)
- The Sound of Music (G)
- The Apple Dumpling Gang (G)
- The Love Bug series (G)
- That Darn Cat – 1965 (G)
- The Shaggy Dog – 1959 (G)
- The Absent-Minded Professor (G)
- The Parent Trap – 1961 (G)
Action & Intrigue:
- The Harry Potter Series (PG)
- Star Wars/The Empire Strikes Back/Return of the Jedi (PG)
- Back to the Future (PG)
- E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (PG)
- National Treasure (PG)
Heart-Warmers:
- The Rookie (G)
- The Princess Diaries I and II (G)
- Stuart Little and Stuart Little 2 (PG)
- Cheaper By the Dozen – 2003 (PG)
- Daddy Day Care (PG)
- Because of Winn-Dixie (PG)
- Babe (G)