• Go on a scavenger hunt at a museum or zoo. Check online and make a list of the exhibits or animals you will see. Have your child try to locate each animal or item on the list.
• Make up a family trivia game. Gather the family for some competitive fun with a family trivia game. Pop up some Orville Redenbacher’s popcorn.  The smell will draw the family together and get them excited to play!  Write questions on the front of index cards and answers on the back.  Stack the cards and let members take turns drawing. If the question is answered correctly, the player keeps the card.
• Help your kids make a “volcano.” Mound dirt 6 to 10 inches high, then clear a hole down the middle of it. Put two teaspoons baking soda in the hole. Pour in some vinegar and watch your “eruption.”
• Watch the stars. Lie on a blanket in the backyard with an astronomy chart and flashlight.
• Plan your snacks in advance. Bring snacks to the park instead of buying expensive concessions—Home-packed bags of Orville Redenbacher’s popcorn are ideal.
• Have a Hula-Hoop contest. Use a stopwatch to see who can keep the hoop spinning the longest.
• Enjoy a family watercolor night.  Have each person paints his or her favorite vacation spot or place the family has gone on an outing.
• Have a contest for the craziest cap creation.  Decorate old baseball caps by gluing on beads, ribbons, sequins, feathers, fabric scraps, pipe cleaners, buttons, artificial flowers, or anything else on hand.
• Change the location.  Instead of expensive private tennis lessons, look into city or county courts that often offer free instruction for kids.  And this year, try a road trip to a nearby state rather than summer flights.
• Making the most of family meals:  Dining in is in the new dining out this year.  Re-create family restaurant favorites such as Italian pasta dishes or hamburgers with everyone’s help.

Quality time at home has emerged as a major silver lining in today’s economic picture. In fact, families are cutting back on out of the home occasions, with 58 percent of Americans citing that they are dining out less and 53 percent spending less on vacations.  This gives Mom the chance again to focus on the true joys that have knit families together for generations, says Kathy Peel, “America’s Family Manager.”

Peel finds that even if finances really get tight, submitting to a “survival mode” mindset can rob the family of life’s joys. “Don’t let that happen! Scale down and make adjustments, but don’t eliminate fun—it’s an absolute necessity for family health.”  Creating simple occasions at home like spending the night playing games over a bowl of popcorn is a great way to reconnect and bring the family together.

Orville Redenbacher’s Gourmet Popping Corn has been uniting families for more than 40 years and partnered with Peel to share ideas that are both fun and frugal. “Quality family-fun time doesn’t have to be expensive or complicated—we’ve all seen the tot who plays more with the box than the toy,” Peel says.

Through her 20 books, Family Manager website, blog and frequent appearances, Peel helps Mom simplify the home and create a strong family team. “Many parents say that although tighter budgets are painful, the upside is an opportunity to change spending routines that had gotten out of hand,” she says.  “Instead of finding joy in splurging, they’re finding joy in spending more time with family and creatively solving how to stretch resources.”

Kathy encourages Mom and Dad to start the summer by holding a family meeting, and discuss the budget so children will have realistic expectations. The aroma and taste of snacks like Orville Redenbacher’s help bring the family together for this meeting.  After that, it’s discovery time!  Make a list of resources in the home.  Look in closets—do you have games, cards, musical instruments, art or craft supplies, hobby or sports gear?  Most families have forgotten about the many things they have squirreled away.  Make another list of resources in your community—parks, farmers markets, museums, the zoo.  Then brainstorm with the family about things you can do if you have 15 minutes, 30 minutes, 1 hour, 2 hours, a half day, a whole day, or a weekend.  It’s remarkable how quickly your time will fill up.

Don’t let budget get you down. These inexpensive options will make for family fun and many memories this summer.

Photo by Kenny Moller and used with permission from Flickr.

#GNO is talking about focusing on the family, specifically as it relates to spending quality at-home time. We have a terrific panel lined up, including author Kathy Peel and parenting bloggers, Marie from Make and Takes and Vanessa from I Never Grew Up among many other fabulous gals. Join the #gno gang here this Tuesday night.

• What: Girl’s Night Out (What’s GNO? Click here to find out!)
• When: Tuesday, June 9, 9-11 p.m. EDT
• Where: Tweet Grid (use #gno hashtag)
  
• Topic: Family activities
  
• Who: @kathypeel, @cgudovic, @makeandtakes, @genamazzeo, @nancy_martira, @inevergrewup, @pamelavl, @ginadstyle
• Party Favors: Remember to enter to win this week’s giveaway sponsored by Orville Redenbacher’s. Click here for details. Twenty lucky winners will be chosen—ten of them during the #gno party!
• RSVP: Enter your twitter URL/ID in the list below (e.g., http://twitter.com/jyl_momIF). If you would like to include your blog, please enter it next to your name. Make sure to include your twitter URL in the URL line. Please do not enter your blog URL there.

Photo used with permission from Flickr.

Enter to win this week’s giveaway here by reading the rules for entry below. You can also enter at these terrific parenting blogs: Make and Takes and I Never Grew Up.

Giveaway Prizes

Four lucky winners from this site will be randomly selected to win a gift package, including:

• A popcorn bowl
• Three boxes of Orville Redenbacher’s popcorn
• Kathy Peel’s most recent book, The Busy Mom’s Guide to a Happy, Organized Home

Entry Requirements

To enter to win, you are required to do the following four things:

1. Take this week’s SOS Challenge to Focus on Family by completing one of the post’s 10 suggestions or by performing one random act of kindness that fits within this week’s theme.
2. Share your experience by leaving a comment on that post.
3. Tweet about this giveaway sponsored by Orville Redenbacher, including this link: http://momitforward.com/giveaway%E2%80%94win-a-popcorn-gift-pack-for-the-perfect-family-night-in.
4. Leave a comment on this post by Sunday, June 14 at midnight EDT, including your e-mail address and information about your extra entries, if applicable.

To receive extra entries (for a total of five extra entries):

• Click here to join the Mom It Forward Facebook group.
• Post about this giveaway on your Facebook wall.
• (For 3 extra entries!) Join and post a picture of your favorite family activity to the Mom It Forward Flickr group.

In the event that you do not win a giveaway, Orville Redenbacher’s would still like you to enjoy family fun with a big bowl of popcorn. Click here to download this coupon for a box of Orville Redenbacher’s popcorn.
The Fine Print
You may enter in all giveaways, but you may only win once. No purchase necessary to enter this giveaway. Winners will be selected randomly through http://random.org. ConAgra employees and Mom It Forward, Make and Takes, and I Never Grew Up family members are ineligible to participate. All entries received after Sunday, June 14 at midnight EDT will not be considered. Entries that do not follow all of the entry requirements will not be considered.