We love fun vacations and big, exciting events around here, but let’s face it, our bank accounts, brains, and calendars can only handle so much. Fortunately, creating memories and cherishing time with our families doesn’t have to cost a lot of money or require months of planning. I’m hoping to take even more pressure off by listing some of our favorite low-key family nights so that’s one less thing on your already full plate. Manage your expectations, though; we’re talking easy here, not Disney or the slopes.
Family Game Night
We’re not breaking new ground here, but it’s a classic for a reason! Pull out your favorite games, gather around the table, and get ready to laugh, argue, and maybe flip a board or two. Game nights are so fun because not only do you get to experience new games with your kids, but you also get to pass along traditions and memories from your childhood. How many times do you find yourself telling stories of playing these games as you’re enjoying them in a whole new way with your own kids?
My sister, Julia, was the biggest game night fan in our family and always had us playing new games. When she was in the hospital for chemo treatment and her stem cell transplant, and I was staying with her, she brought card games for us to play together, and I’m holding on so tight to those moments with her. She passed away in January of 2021, and this past December I bought some of the games we played in the hospital (Skip-Bo, Five Crowns, Rack-o, and SKYJO) and was able to play them with my family and talk about Julia. I told my kids, Colleen and Jensen, how their Aunt Juju loved games and would have loved to play with them. These games are now played on repeat in our home, and we all think of Julia every time we play; it’s one of those things that hurts and brings comfort all at the same time.
Below, I’ve listed some of our family’s favorite games for some inspiration for your own family game night. Some are games we used to play when the kids were little, and some are games we play now. Also, if you’re more of a video game family, those can definitely be fun for family game night if everyone is involved; we love playing Mario Kart together, and I know there are other couch games that include lots of players.
- Skip-Bo
- Five Crowns
- SKYJO
- Rack-o
- Ticket to Ride and Ticket to Ride First Journey
- Uno
- Clue
- Taco vs. Burrito
- Sneaky, Snacky Squirrel
- Monopoly and Monopoly Junior
- Life
- Chutes and Ladders
- Candy Land
Movie Night
We can’t pile everyone in the car and go to Blockbuster anymore, but we can still do movie nights! We’ve really enjoyed rewatching some of our favorite movies from when we were kids with Colleen and Jensen. We all get candy, pop some popcorn, and turn off all the lights. If the weather is nice, we’ll watch it on the patio. A few movies that our kids have enjoyed from back in the day are Mighty Ducks, George of the Jungle, Rookie of the Year, Princess Bride, Jurassic Park (Jensen likes more intense movies than Colleen), and Homeward Bound.
Outings
If you want to get out of the house for your family night, you could go see a movie, go bowling, go to a putt-putt center, or when the weather is nice, go to a park or nature preserve to play, hike, and have a picnic. You can have a family swim night either at a neighborhood pool, community pool, or maybe you have one in your own backyard. If you want to have a game night but also get out, you can take your crew to Nerdvana in Frisco; they have food and games!
Find What Works for Your Family
These are family nights we enjoy and are low-pressure for me, but that might look different for your family. Maybe y’all are crafty and want to do a family craft night. Maybe y’all want to cook a meal together. There are great kids’ cookbooks out there! I like dinner to be easy on family nights, so we’ll typically order pizza or make our own pizza. Sometimes we’ll order something else or go out to eat, but low-pressure to me is not cooking. Whatever y’all land on, put the phones and devices away and enjoy your sweet family. Some nights, there might be fighting and complaining, and it’ll seem like such a waste of an evening, but it’s not. Your kids are going to see you taking time away from your phone, chores, and work to just be with them, and that’s going to stick with them. And the next family night might exceed all your expectations and become a family night y’all talk about forever. “Remember that one night . . . !”
Enjoy your family and drop us a comment with your favorite things to do for low-pressure family fun!
