Relatives that are beyond your immediate family are considered extended family members. For example, family members like aunts, uncles, cousins and in-laws are categorised as such. Extended family members play important roles and can offer valuable support, especially if you are raising your own children.
As parents, you may find it difficult to spend time with extended family members due to a busy schedule. It is worth making the effort to meet and spend with your extended family so your children to get to know their family members. We want to explore fun ideas on how you can start hosting and joining events with extended family members so your children can benefit from healthy family time.
12 Fun Ideas to Help You Bond with Extended Family
Spending time with extended family members brings many advantages. Children may feel a stronger sense of connection and belonging to their family while parents can gain additional support, resources and advice to help with raising their children. Here are 12 ideas and tips to help you create fun and meaningful experiences with your extended family.
Vacation Time
Take a vacation together with your extended family and have a blast! Parents can get more rest and relaxation time when there are other trusted family members to babysit during the vacation. It’s also fun to explore a new country or place together with the whole extended family.
Celebrations
Make major celebrations like Christmas, Lunar New Year or Eid a family day. It’s all right if you don’t celebrate the occasion, you can still organise a gathering and spend quality time with extended family members. Parents can take the opportunity to teach their children about important celebrations of other cultures to their children.
Family Interviews
Children can conduct interviews with their grandparents and other older family members to record their life experiences and stories. Learning about our elder’s life experiences can help us feel more connected to the family and grow our appreciation. It’s a beneficial exercise for children to learn about history and important values.
Family Movie Night
Host a movie night for everyone in the family to enjoy. Include movie snacks like popcorn and soda to make the experience authentic. You can also opt for each family member to choose a movie every time this event happens if it becomes a family favourite.
Day Trips
Take day trips to a museum, zoo, theatre or science centre with extended family. Day trips can be fun and educational, a good combination to keep children entertained. It’s always a great way to explore things and places with everyone in the family.
Cookouts
Cookouts are awesome because everyone gets together to enjoy amazing home-cooked food. Whether you are barbequing or cooking a dish, a family meal is always an amazing experience to have. Encourage family members to cook old family recipes or you can also use this occasion to share recipes and cooking advice. Get the children involved by delegating age-appropriate tasks to them.
Family Book Club
A family that reads together, stays together. Create a family book club where each family member is given the chance to pick a book to read and discuss. It’s a fun way to learn about new things and other cultures. The children in the family may also learn to appreciate the wonders of reading. The family can meet up once a month or once in two months to have a book club meeting to discuss the book.
Family Photoshoot
Organise a family photoshoot and to make it extra special, chose a theme! Families tend to opt for wearing the same outfits during a themed photoshoot. This is a great way to capture a happy time with the family with everyone looking their best.
Family Birthdays
Make family birthdays a special occasion to gather your extended family. Some parents prefer to celebrate their children’s birthdays within their nuclear family but this is a good way for the extended family to spend some quality time with you.
Nature Walk
Take a hike with everyone! Nature walks are great for keeping active both for the old and young. You can suggest different hiking areas so the family doesn’t get bored by hiking at the same place each time. Children can learn about their native flora while adults can work out while having conversations with each other.
Dining Out
Try out new restaurants with the whole family, this can be a monthly activity that can gather the family members for eating and catching up. Dining out can also help introduce the whole family to different cuisines and cultures. It’s a fun way to enjoy various dining experiences with family.
Sports Event
Host a sports event, this is a fun way for children to spend all their excess energy! You can choose between indoor and outdoor sports, it depends on what the majority of the family would prefer. Bowling night and indoor wall climbing are good considerations for indoor sports. If your family members are more inclined towards outdoor activities then a football or frisbee toss competition would be fun. The goal is to have fun, stay active and learn the art of teamwork within the family.
The More, The Merrier!
Developing meaningful family relationships takes time and effort. It isn’t enough to just see your extended family for certain occasions a few times a year. Investing your time and showing your children that it’s a worthwhile effort to spend time with extended family can teach them to appreciate familial bonds.
Forming healthy relationships with extended family members can help you and your children to have a happier and well-adjusted family. It is important to also keep healthy boundaries so your time and children will be protected and prioritised.
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