The Essential Element for a Happy, Healthy Family

I know what you’re thinking. Are you kidding me? There isn’t one essential element for a happy, healthy family! Anyone who says there is one essential element is over-simplifying things.

Well, you’re right.

Everyone knows when it comes to families, there are many things that impact our health and happiness. It’s way more complicated than just one thing. However, having fun together as a family can be the catalyst that sets a positive trend in motion, which produces more positive interactions. When we do enjoyable things together, we foster relationships, build communication and strengthen the bonds we have with one another, all while making family memories.

Over the years, our family has made it a priority to take time out for recreation. Getting out and about, experiencing new things and places, and making family memories doesn’t have to be expensive. We have had some of our best family times at places that didn’t cost much more than the gas money we spent getting there.

Here are some ideas for spending quality family time together:

#1 Be a sun-lover. John Denver really did have it right when he sang about the “happy drug” and how it makes us feel. Vitamin D from sunshine improves our mood and relieves stress. Our family has enjoyed lots of days hiking, biking, swimming and just walking through parks together. We love to pack a lunch and snacks, and head off somewhere for a day to experience the great outdoors. We’ve been doing it since our kids were babies and we’re still doing it now that they’re teens and young adults.

#2 Get creative and athletic together. My three girls and I love art. We have done everything from organized painting classes to grabbing some watercolors, paper and brushes and hitting the nearest park for a couple hours of art therapy. Two of our three boys love sports, so my husband will often load the van up with baseballs, footballs, bats and other gear, and spend the day at a park. Our middle son who is into archery will take his bow, arrows and target along, as well. If you have a fellow archer, just make sure it’s in a wide open space where no one can get hurt! Another free activity we’ve enjoyed is playing tennis together. Even when our kids were younger, it was a great way to run off some energy chasing balls everywhere! Now that they’re older, we’ve actually started keeping score. Topping it off with ice cream afterwards makes for a fun summer evening out.

#3 Go berry or apple picking. This is a great seasonal family activity and the fees are usually nominal. Our family recently went to an apple orchard and had the best time on the zip lines and rolling inside giant tires, playing outdoor games and oh yeah, picking apples! We packed a lunch so we could spend a little extra money on raw honey, cider and a good supply of apples for the season. It’s a great way to enjoy the fall foliage and scenery!

#4 Get Gaming. Whether your family likes video games or board games, playing together is a great way to have fun and in some cases, learn new things about each other you never knew. Our family has game night once a month which usually results in laughter and fun (we have a few members who can get a little too competitive at times). If you have a couple of those in your family, be sure and avoid the overly competitive games and keep the focus on having fun! Here are a few of our favorites: Things…, Taboo, Apples to Apples, Telestrations and Scrabble.

What are some fun things your family does together? I would love to hear the ways you strengthen your relationships and make memories! Let me know in the comments below.