Pizza night

So many good traditions revolve around food! It just doesn’tget much better than good food and a happy family.

Having a weekly pizza (ortaco or macaroni and cheese!) night makes meal planning easier.

For even morefun memories, don’t order out! Get the kids in the kitchen and roll out thatdough together! Let everyone add their favorite toppings and enjoy!

Family game night

Scrabble was a staple in my home as a kid. In my currenthome, we have a cabinet filled with classic board games and card games. We alsoenjoy playing random Minute-to-Win-It games and having family tournaments.

Whether you go with the traditional game of Sorry! or get wild by throwing asmany Cheetos as possible on a shaving-cream-covered shower cap before the timerdings, family game night is a fun and easy tradition to uphold.

Now that summer is upon us, there is no better time to kickoff a few fresh family traditions. Whatever new customs you try out with yourfamily, remember to stop worrying about the rest of life, enjoy the presentmoment, and simply be with yourfamily.

Family movie night

Going to the movie theater has gotten fairly expensive, but Netflix and rentals are affordable alternatives once your child is developmentally ready for a little screen time.

Pop a bigbowl of popcorn, grab an extra-large blanket, and snuggle in for a night offamily fun. Here is alist of recommended family movies from Common Sense Media.

Family night on the town

Take one night a week to break up the hum-drum of the usualroutine and head out on the town for some family fun!

Visit a local go-carttrack, skating rink, or museum. If the budget is tight, just go sightseeing orhead to the playground for a picnic. Sometimes even just a drive around theblock for ice cream is enough to restore good moods and peace.

Read aloud night

This is one of my favorite traditions! We are currentlyreading through The Hobbit, which I recommend adding to your list!

Readingaloud isn’t just for young children; it has benefitsfor older kids as well. The benefits of reading aloud include a largervocabulary, improved speech, improved attention spans and listening skills, andthe experience of entering new worlds and meeting new characters.

Family stroll

After dinner on at least one evening a week, go for aleisurely stroll together.

Make a treasure box to house all the interestingthings you find, such as unique rocks or colorful leaves.

You can evenincorporate a scavenger hunt to keep the little ones occupied. Ilike this printable scavenger hunt from Hands On as We Grow.

Family traditions hold a special place in our hearts. It iswithin them that many happy childhood memories are made—memories that will becherished for a lifetime.

The family traditions we create and uphold help usdefine our family culture, and this is so important because it is theatmosphere in which our children live and grow. They are woven into ourstories, providing us with feelings of belonging and security, strengtheningour bonds and defining us as “family.”

Traditions come in all shapes and sizes, from simple mealsaround the dinner table to extravagant summer vacations, but you don’t have tospend a lot of money or time to enjoy the benefits.

Whether you are looking for unique or classic family traditions, this list of inexpensive,fun, and easy weekly customs should get you started!

Saturday morning pancakes

Mmm, pancakes! Nothing says hello weekend quite like this tasty tradition. It has the addedbenefit of gathering everyone at the table!

If you’re feeling extra ambitious,try turning those boring round pancakes into a doggie, a sun, or a just a bigsmiley face.

Star-gazing night

One of the best memories my family has ever made togetherwas lying on our trampoline under the stars with our pillows and blankets towatch a meteor shower.

The thrill of being up way past bedtime coupled withseeing the beauty of meteors flashing by was a night to remember for sure!Lying still and looking up at the stars slows us down, brings us to the presentmoment, and puts life back in perspective.