Hobbies And Interests
Outdoor Games
Take advantage of the sunshine or snow and take the family outside for a game. Traditional pastimes like hop-scotch, kickball and badminton increase motor skills, teamwork and help keep everyone fit. Adapt favorite games like pin the tail on the donkey to a particular season -- pin the nose on the snowman, for instance -- or play limbo with a water hose that sprays a steady stream of water instead of the typical limbo stick.
Travel Games
Long road trips can be either a headache or an exciting experience if you plan well and provide engaging activities for your kids. Travel games typically work well. Keep a family travel journal where each member draws a picture or writes a passage about a particular event or site she found memorable. Plan a road trip scavenger hunt, giving each family member a list of items to spy for while on the road. Adjust the list according to where you are going. For instance, rural trips might include cows and railroad tracks and city items may include someone talking on a cell phone or a sign in another language. Geographically specific items work well, too, like roadrunners in New Mexico.
Communication Games
Get everyone talking with games based on building communication skills. Play feeling charades by making a deck of cards with different feelings written on them, such as "sad" or "nervous." Each family member tries to act out a given emotion without using words. You can read a story to your children, then stop the book before the ending and make up your own as family, acting it out with puppets or costumes and props.
Rainy Day Games
If it is rainy or cold outside and the family needs some entertainment, partake in some indoor games. Classic board games like checkers and chess emphasize using strategy, while others like Jenga or pick-up sticks rely on motor and building skills. Games like Cranium combine trivia, music and creative pastimes for an interactive game. Most classic boardgames have children's versions to make it accessible to everyone.