As the school year approaches, we find ourselves slipping into familiar routines. The rush of coming home from daily activities, prepping dinner, and getting everyone to bed can feel like a marathon—especially after the leisurely days of summer. 

_{Picture by Narciso Arellano at Unsplash.} 

During this transition, carving out time to relax or enjoy a fun evening together as a family might seem challenging, even disruptive. But it doesn’t have to be. 

Family fun during the week: The antidote to back-to-school stress 

Daily life brings its share of stress—not just for adults, but for kids, regardless of age. Family time is a powerful tool to recharge emotional energies by spending intentional and enjoyable moments together. 

Whether you’re unsure where to start or just looking for new ideas, this article offers suggestions to help you create fun family time for kids and adults during the school week. Summer may be over, but midweek family time can still provide a refreshing boost. 

Why scheduling family time is a must. 

We often assume that fun will happen on its own. And sometimes, it does. 

However, like in long-term relationships, routine can make us forget the importance of intentionally setting aside time to enjoy each other’s company. The same principle applies to family time. 

By planning ahead, you and your family can: 

● Smoothly transition from the freedom of summer to the structure of the school year. ● Bring everyone together and deepen connections through meaningful conversations. ● Create lasting family memories. 

● Sometimes, even reinforce learning processes that are happening at school. Sounds like a win-win, right?

^{Picture by Allen Taylor at Unsplash.} 

3 Steps To Guarantee A Successful Family Night 

Planning for family nights requires time and effort, but is it worth it? Absolutely. 

If you are not sure where to start, here are my recommendations to ensure family time is enjoyable for everyone involved: 

1—Choose a specific weekday for Family Night. Scheduling it makes it more likely to happen, gives family members something to look forward to, and helps build excitement. 

2- Plan dinner in advance (Ordering out counts!). If cooking homemade meals is essential, consider meal prepping the night before so you don’t have to worry about dinner on family night. 

Looking for new meal prep ideas? Here are some of my favorites. 

Alternatively, family night could mean ordering out, and you can even take turns deciding what to eat—or make “choosing dinner” a prize if the night involves a game. 

^{Picture by Daria Shevtsova at Unsplash.} 

3- Decide on an activity and prepare for it (involve the family!). I recommend planning 2-3 days so you have everything ready. 

Encourage family members to help with preparations to build momentum. 

If movie and game nights are the only ideas that come to mind, keep reading for more creative options! 

Bonus tip: Make it sustainable. Consider both your budget and the time required to plan the activities. If two activities seem like a good fit but preparing for them is either too budget or time-consuming, spread them out to make them manageable. 

Remember that family fun can look different every time, and finding what’s optimal for your family dynamics is just a few trials away. 

Now, let’s get to the fun part. 

Ten creative ways to make family time fun during the school week

^{An improvised soccer game can happen anywhere. Give it a try. Picture by Moosa Moseneke at Unsplash.} 

Idea 1: Soccer Night 

● Good for kids and pre-teens 

● High-intensity physical activity 

● Needs outdoor space and a soccer ball 

The great thing about soccer is its adaptability—you only need a ball, a field, and a way to set up goal areas. Set a prize (like extra bedtime or choosing dinner) for the winning team, and you’re ready to go. 

^{Picture by Jyoti Singh at Unsplash.} 

Idea 2: Craft Night 

● Good for all ages 

● Hands-on activity 

● Needs supplies (varies depending on the craft) 

Craft nights can vary depending on your kids’ ages. Explore new materials together, whether you’re making something functional like a kite or artistic like painting a wooden ball. You could even host a family night gallery to showcase your creations. 

^{Picture by Khashayar Kouchpeydeh at Unsplash} 

Idea 3: Magic Show 

● Good for all ages (depending on the entertainer) 

● Social activity 

● Needs some budget 

There are two ways to enjoy a magic show: attend one nearby or, better yet, team up with other families for a pizza and magic night. Consider hiring a magician for a private show that everyone can enjoy.

Level up: If you’re into themes, make it a Harry Potter night with costumes!  

^{Picture by Anna Samoylova at Unsplash.} 

Idea 4: Silly Olympics 

● Good for all ages 

● High-intensity physical activity 

● No specific supplies are needed—just creativity! 

With the Olympics still fresh in your kids’ minds, keep the fun going by improvising goofy competitions like an egg-and-spoon race, sack race, or red light, green light.

^{Picture by Annie Spratt at Unsplash}

Idea 5: Cookie Night

● Good for all ages 

● Hands-on activity 

● Needs supplies 

Depending on your kids’ ages and skills, make this a baking night, a cookie decoration night, or both. The final products can be enjoyed at home or given as gifts to teachers, family, and friends. 

^{Picture by Aedrian Salazar at Unsplash.}

Idea 6: Lego Night 

● Good for kids of all ages 

● Hands-on activity 

● Needs supplies or some budget 

If your kids already have Legos, set a creative challenge like building a fort together. Otherwise, consider investing in a Lego set for older kids and build it together like a puzzle. 

^{Picture by Vitaly Gariev at Unsplash}

Idea 7: Family Console/Wii/Kinect Night 

● Good for kids, pre-teens, and teens 

● Social activity (can be physical, depending on the game) 

● Needs supplies (console and controllers) 

If your kids are into video games, join them! Ask for their suggestions on games the whole family can play. 

If you have a Wii or a Kinect console, I suggest choosing a physical game to make it an active night. 

^{Picture by Surface at Unsplash.} 

Idea 8: Family Fit Night 

● Good for pre-teens and teens 

● High-intensity physical activity 

● No supplies needed 

Pick a YouTube exercise video that suits all ages and work out together. For extra motivation, add some friendly competition, kids vs. parents! 

^{Picture by Hisu Lee at Unsplash.} 

Idea 9: Playdates in the Park 

● Good for toddlers and kids 

● High-intensity physical activity (for kids) 

● No supplies needed 

Kids usually don’t get enough unstructured playtime. Turn this into a family night with a picnic dinner in the houseyard and enjoy some outdoor fun together. 

^{Picture by Vitaly Gariev at Unsplash.} 

Idea 10: A special time for each kid

Brittney and Justin from Home & Kind have found a way to make their four kids feel special by assigning them their family night. Here’s how they do it: 

“We started ‘Special Time’ at our house a few years ago. We assigned each of our four kids a night of the week. 

They stay up 15 minutes later than everyone else on their assigned night. For 15 minutes, the child chooses an activity with mom and dad. The only rules are: 

The activity must be screen-free. 

No interrupting anyone else’s particular time. 

Getting that one-on-one time with each of our kids every week has been a treat. It’s only 15 minutes long and requires no advanced preparation, and surprisingly, the other kids seem to go to bed better because of rule #2.” 

More on Home & Kind’s “Special Time” here. 

^{Picture by Jonathan Borba at Unsplash.} 

Hands-On! 

It’s true that family time might be reduced to a small portion of the day during school days as bedtime regains its usual importance. 

However, it doesn’t have to take a toll on us. With intentionality and a little creativity, we can still make the best of it. I’m sure the reward will be worth it.