Volunteer

A great way to have fun and teach your children the value of helping others is to volunteer. Find a program that helps others and join in the helping along with your family. Some great programs include Habitat for Humanity, neighborhood cleaning programs, manning a soup kitchen, Animal Shelters, etc...

If you are in the Houma, Louisiana area, we recommend contacting Cajun Catopia to volunteer in one of their programs. www.cajuncatopia.org or email: admin@cajuncatopia.com

Bonfire/Campfire It

In our area of Louisiana, most holidays are celebrated by lighting bonfires. These bonfires can get pretty elaborate and a multitude of families usually work together to build one. You don't have to go with a full blown bonfire, of course, and can make do with a campfire. Invite family, neighbors, friends, strangers, and get out the marshmallows. Sing songs, tell stories, it's a great way to have fun and socialize.

Click here to read about our beautiful Christmas Eve Bonfire History! =)

The Public Park/Playground

Don't forget that most towns have a public park or playground for your kids to have some great outdoor fun in. Around here we have the Airbase which is a hilly area that is great for picnicking and running around. If your as lucky as we are, you'll find plenty of trees to climb!

The Night Sky

How often we forget the wonders of nature. Take the family out one winter evening (summer works too, just don't forget the bug repellent). Show your family the basic constellations and enjoy a view of the wide open night sky. You don't need a telescope to do this or any other expensive equipment.

For added fun, check out the dates of the yearly meteor showers and see who can spot the most!

If you don't know the constellations and want to learn more basic astronomy, check here: Find the Constellations.

Camping Out

Take the family on an old fashioned camping trip. Once you get the initial investment of a tent and some sleeping bags out of the way, camping is a good, cheap, and fun activity to share. Our family loves camping out. The main things to remember is to build a nice campfire (sing some campfire songs or tell some old-fashioned ghost stories), bring easy to cook food (hot dog buns and hot dogs), and check the weather reports.

Also, remember to have a good first aid kit with you. When you're picking up your tent remember to let it dry out before putting it away to prevent mildew.

For the best family camping 101 guide you will ever find, click HERE!

Love Books! Don't Buy Them, Borrow Them!

I love to read. I find the costs of books outrageous. What really gets to me is some people forget that nearly free (uhm, some libraries charge a small free) place to get books: the good old public library! You can't do better than free. Just remember to return them and you'll find your library not only has a good selection of books, but some also have great multimedia sections.

Check them out!

Game Night

Remember playing those games of Monopoly, Clue, or Chutes and Ladders growing up? Think about it. We vividly remember playing these games because they were and still ARE tons of fun. If you don't already, institute a family game night every week. Our family game night is every Tuesday and believe me, the kids will NOT let you forget.

For other great game ideas try here!

Netflix it!

I promise that I will very rarely ever list a company by name. This is one of those rare times. The wife and I are huge movie fans. We have found a company that we absolutely LOVE.

Ah Netflix, savior of cheap family movie and television fun. I have nothing but good things to say about Netflix. You can get unlimited movies both online and offline.

Click here to find out more ***ILH***.

The Great American Picnic

For some reason people have forgotten how to have fun without spending a fortune. Sure it's a blast to take the family to the movies every now and again but the cost does add up. Believe it or not, the simple truth is that your kids want to spend time with you and it doesn't really matter where.

One of the things my wife and I do is pack up a picnic lunch and take the kids to the park. We sit around, chase one another, soak up the fresh air and sunshine. Basically we have fun with EACH OTHER. Grab your family and try it!