Ah, winter. A time of gifts and carols. Of snowfalls and snowballs. Of ice-covered trees and frosted windowpanes.
A time to curl up on the couch and lose precious brain cells while staring at a large, flickering screen filled with images that do absolutely nothing to help you improve your marriage, bond with your kids, or fulfill your purpose in life.
Now, before you start throwing snowballs at me, let me tell you that I used to be a T.V. addict, spring, summer, winter and fall. And I understand that some evenings you just don’t feel like doing anything else other than to veg in front of the T.V.
Doing so once in a while is fine. But doing it every night is good for neither your health nor your relationships. So before we get too deep into the winter season, I would like to offer you a few activities you can do with your family during the chilly evenings, instead of T.V.
1. Read.
If you have preschool and younger children, read together. If not, you can read individually, then after a set time come back together as a family and share what you have read. This page is a good start to finding age-appropriate books for your children.
2. Be musical.
Put on a CD and dance, or sing along. Eric Herman is amusing for kids of all ages. 100 Singalong Songs for Kids
is a treasure trove of children’s songs.
You might also sing songs your entire family knows a cappella. Experiment with musical instruments. Etc.
3. Play age-appropriate board games.
Sorry and Candyland will do, as well as Chinese Checkers and plain old checkers. But how about trying a spin on an old favorite? Bug-Opoly
4. Do an art activity.
Paint with watercolors or tempera, or make a craft together.
5. Play indoor sports
Push the furniture against the wall, lay out some rules, and play a game of soccer with a light ball. Or make basketballs out of waste paper and shoot “baskets” into a trash receptacle.
Pick one of these activities and try it tonight. I guarantee it will bring a lot more fun and comradery to your family than watching T.V.
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
This is so true. I would think 3 nights a week would be enough for me, now would you please email this to my husband!
LOL, Tess, feel free to just send him to this post!