family fun
How to Make Memories with Your Teenagers {Giveaway}
Creating family bonding moments that kids of all ages want to participate in can be tough, especially with teenagers or younger children who act like teens, like my two tween boys, ages 9 and 11. But, unplugging, getting a little messy and spending time indoors or outdoors together helps you make memories that last a lifetime.
Tips for Making Family Memories That Include Your Teens
Olympian and mom, Jennie Finch, on behalf of Shout®, encourages families:
We all have our favorite TV shows, iPad apps and video games that can easily occupy weeknights.
Make a commitment to take at least 30 minutes each day to unplug the whole family from their favorite gadgets and spend some quality time together doing a fun and creative activity.
Below, I have included some great tips from my recent interview with Jennie where she shares ideas for creating fabulous family moments with her children.
- What are your top five tips for having creative family bonding time? (Bonding time that brings out everyone's creativity?) Lighten up and have fun! Make sure everyone is involved and yes, that means parents! Anytime we as parents can try to relate and make it around the kid’s/tween’s/teen's interests, it’s that much easier to get them to indulge in some family fun! Anytime you can include physical activity and being outdoors, it makes it that much more enjoyable for all. Don’t worry about the messes, family time trumps any messes made.
- During the tween years, what are tips for getting kids/tweens to unplug and interact with the family? Games and crafts are always a great way to bring out the creativity in everyone. Let the kids decide and figure out what the plan is for your family fun night. Dinner time can be a fun event, let your teen decide the menu or even do the cooking! Yes! It will require patience and you can count on messes, but Shout® has you covered! Create activities that involve talking. Communication (not through or with technology) is so very important.
- What are your favorite indoor activities to do as a family in the winter time? Go back to their childhood. Engage in classic activities like hide and go seek, fort making, or art projects like cut-out crazy snowflakes and Christmas trees, construction paper chains to countdown until Christmas, or homemade cards. If the weather does not permit outside play, get out a board game, or better yet, make up a brand new game with items around the house. You can write down the rules on a dry erase board as you go and the whole family gets to be inventive and resourceful with playtime! The key to involving teens is to have them help you create the game, the rules, run the show, and be as involved and bought in at the outset as possible.
- What are your favorite outdoor activities to do as a family in the winter time? Encourage the whole family to go outside and get dirty! Fresh air is invigorating and allows children to run freely without the worry of knocking over breakables or bumping into furniture.
- What are the top three criteria you look for when considering family activities (e.g., creativity, physical activity, educational)? Anything outdoors and when the entire family is included equals fun: playing sports together, climbing trees, and riding 4 wheelers. What is most important is creating activities that let your kids' imaginations run, make sure they are moving, and most of all, that ensure everyone is having fun!
What is most important is creating activities that let your kids' imaginations run, make sure they are moving, and most of all, that ensure everyone is having fun!
For more ideas, check out our new eBook: "Get Active: 31 Family Fun Activity Ideas, Small and Simple Ways to Stay Active and Play Together."
How Shout® is Helping Families Bond
To encourage families to take a fresh look at their daily routines, Shout® developed the “Reprogramming America for Fun” App on Facebook.
Upon log-in, the app integrates each user’s name and profile photo into a short, personalized video all about seizing the moment, setting you free to start living out loud and having fun, without the worry of getting a little messy—try using the App once you have taken holiday photos to see how your personalized video changes & highlights all of the fun times you had.
What tips do you have for unplugging and building family memories, especially when teenagers are involved?
Giveaway
Here are a few things you can enter for a chance to win that will help you create meaningful memories over the winter holidays as a family (ARV: $100):
- Shout® trigger and Shout® wipes
- Assortment of family favorite board games
- 2013 Calendar with stickers to mark activities throughout the year ahead
Giveaway Requirements
All entrants much complete both requirements to be qualified for a chance to win this giveaway:
- Go to the Shout' Reprogramming America Facebook app (http://on.fb.me/PIsrLv) and click on the Get Reprogrammed button to create your own custom “Reprogramming America for Fun” video.
- Leave a comment on this blog post answering the question, "What changes will you make to seize the moment (even if it means getting messy) and live life out loud?"
Giveaway Terms
One winner will be chosen using random.org. Giveaway closes at 5 p.m. PT on Monday, January 28, 2013. Click to see the official terms of this giveaway.
Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Shout®, an SC Johnson Company. All opinions, tips, ideas, and information, including information included in the eBook referenced in the post, are my own.
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