We love quick and easy family nights. Family nights allow our family more time to teach and learn together. Each week we set aside time to be together. There is no ‘right’ way to have family night. I would love to tell you how our family runs our family nights. We love to use this time to teach principals and grow closer together. We have an opening prayer. And we sing a hymn together. Next we have a short lesson and (sometimes a game) & close with a prayer. And probably the most important element is the treat right after. Be sure not to over look the treat.
Why Should I have Family Night?
When we hold consistent family nights we are blessed with increased family love and obedience to family rules. I’m not saying your kids will always want to be there or that they will behave. But when we are intentional about spending time together and strive to strengthen our relationships we will grow closer. When we take time to nourish our family relationships it tells our children that we love them and we are here for them. Building strong family ties will help everyone. It will give our kids confidence and help increase their self worth. And they will know that they are important and loved. Something our teenagers especially need to know.
And I love the chance I get to teach my children things that are important to our family. And the lesson doesn’t need to be longer that 5-10 minutes. Especially with young children, it’s best to keep it short and sweet. And now that we have a pre-tween we like to have him teach once a month. It’s a great chance for teens to be involved and give them opportunities to lead. Family night also helps you have time to talk and laugh together over dessert. And it’s always easier to laugh and talk over dessert.
When Should I have Family Night?
We like to hold our Family Night on Monday night. I know lots of family’s like to have it on Sunday night. Pick a night that works best for you and keep with it. This will help your family know what to expect and will help you follow through. My kids always cheer on Monday night because they know they will get dessert that night.
Do I have to Teach a Lesson?
No. You can do what’s best for your family. Even if you just play board games or the WII together you will grow closer together. Personally I love feeling the spirit with my children and teaching things that are close to my heart. And if your family isn’t religious you can still teach values and ideas. There is no wrong way to have a family night. Remember the lesson don’t have to be formal. You can talk about what’s happening in the world or share your favorite books.
Where can I find Family Night Lessons?
There are so many great ideas online. My Pinterest board is full of them. And I have a family night tag where I share family night lessons that I have planned. And to help you get started I have a free printable with ideas for quick and easy family night ideas. These ideas take basically no prep. You can cut them into strips and throw them in a jar. Personally I recommend a Kerr Jar. Just pull one out and have a family discussion. This will help you get started so you can see the benefits that come from weekly family nights. My challenge is to try this every week and see the blessings of having a family night.
Should I plan my Family Night Lessons?
When I plan my monthly menus I like to plan a tentative lesson plan for the month. This gives me a chance to plan for the needs of my family. It also helps me to switch up our lessons. I enjoy having a series for some lessons. For awhile we would have a prophet lesson once a month. I found this whole list of latter day prophets (leaders for my church) and we would learn lessons about them.
When we finished that series we started a FHE Scripture Study of Old Testament Stories. We had finished reading the New Testament and I found myself not wanting to read the Old Testament with my kids because of some of the language. (Milk before meat) But I wanted them to know the stories. So we decided to act them out and it’s my kids favorite. I know acting things out really helps me to remember things. This way we are learning the scriptures but the kids are getting hands on learning. And I can abridge the story in case the stories aren’t appropriate.
And now that we have teenager (well, almost) we like to have mini lessons from our church’s youth standard pamphlet. This is what I have my son teach from each month. He will use his scout book for additional references. He is able to give lessons on honesty, working hard, being physically fit, and entertainment and media.
You could do a monthly series on important leaders in history or books that teach kindness. You could have a service night or an extended family game night. Sometimes it helps to have some order or structure to your family nights. Maybe you can have a game night the first Monday of the month. Or maybe you can work on scout requirements or let kids share their book reports or perform a new piano piece. You don’t have to have a series for your lessons, it’s just something I like to do.
Remember there are lots of different ways to have a family night. You can decided what works best for your family. Make it a priority and stick with it. It’s okay to have a short lesson or just play a game. Or if you don’t plan them out and just use printables I’ve provided that works great too. I promise spending time with your family will strengthen your family relationships.
I would LOVE to hear what your family does for family night. Or let me know how things go after you can it a try. You can always email me with questions if you need some extra help or encouragement. It’s normal to wonder if your kids are really listening sometimes. But I promise you they are. And more important than maybe that one lesson they will learn that you are trying to build a stronger relationship with them. And that you care deeply. With our families being our most important treasure we should set time aside for the people that matter most.
Good Luck! I can’t wait to hear how family nights are helping your family have more love at home. Share your favorite family night ideas in the comments. And give this post a pin to help share this easy idea to help build families.
Religious Family Night Ideas Notes and Links To Videos and Scriptures:
Repentance: Paul’s conversion story
Baptism: Read Matthew 3, Watch Baptism Video
Baptismal Covenants: Read Mosiah 18:7-10
The 10 Virgins: Read Matthew 25:1-13; Watch Video The 10 Virgins
Parable of the Good Samaritan: Read Luke 10:25-37, Watch The Good Samaritan
Charity: Watch Video Charity Never Faileth and read 1 Corinthians 13
Armor Of God: Watch Video Armor of God, Read Ephesians 6:10-18
Prayer: Hannah’s story
Fasting: Esther’s story
Atonement: Watch Video The Savior Suffers in Gethsemane
The Priesthood: The Priesthood Keys
Sabbath Day: Read Exodus 20: 8-10
