One Creative Way to Share Family Stories & Quick Tips for a Stronger, Happier Family [Friday’s Fast Five: 5th Edition]

Building a stronger, happier family is at the top of most parents’ list. However, we are busy! These weekly Fast Five ideas and tips are a quick way to brainstorm, check-in, and create the family relationships you really want. Included in today’s ideas are a creative way to share family stories, a printable healthy bodies treasure hunt, and more. Happy Friday!

* These ideas are NOT meant to be a checklist or guilt trip of things we “should do.” Rather, they are intended to inspire you to find what works for YOUR family to learn, laugh, and love together. Remember to stick to the Simple Side of Parenting.

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What is Friday’s Fast Five?

Each Friday, we share five quick and simple ideas for families under the following categories:

1. Something Fun

This is an activity, game, entertainment recommendation, or simple outing for family fun.

2. A Little Lesson

Here you will find a simple lesson to help teach kids important ideas. Examples include life skills or personal qualities like kindness and patience.

3. A Service Idea

Volunteering is good for our mental and physical health. Serving together strengthens relationships with those we serve and those we serve with. Service can be fun and eye-opening. Service is an important way to learn, laugh, and love together.

4. Something Random

This is a random thought, idea, quote, or meme, typically to help you smile. 🙂

5. A Quick Tip

Here you will find a quick parenting or family tip for peaceful parenting or building a stronger, happier family. These come from research, personal experience, or those common sense reminders we all need to hear once in a while.

With that, here is the fifth edition of Friday’s Fast Five. (You can find other editions HERE.)

1. Something Fun: A Creative Way to Share Family Stories

Sharing family stories is fun and a great way to bond. You can create a simple Family Story Jar to help each family member share family stories and memories.

The Importance of Sharing Family Stories

Studies have shown that when we help our children reminisce and also share our own family stories, there are many benefits. For example, discussing everyday events and family history can help a child increase in self-esteem, develop stronger coping skills, and decrease depression and anxiety.

Related: A Small Island, A Young Boy, and the Power of Stories

How to Make and Use a Family Story Jar

To make a Family Story Jar, label a glass jarand fill it will memory prompts. The Family Story Jar Free Printable has some general prompts like “Holiday” or “Vacation” to get you started.

Personalized prompts will make this an even better way to share family stories. So put names of relatives, vacation places, or specific family memories into your jar. You can have everyone pitch in when you’re creating the prompts or keep them a surprise.

Occasionally, at family dinner, before bed, or other times when you are together, have one person draw a prompt from the jar. That person shares whatever memory comes to mind related to the prompt. Others can share their memories after.

Click image for purchasing information.

2. A Little Lesson: Healthy Habits Hunt

Use a fun treasure hunt or scavenger hunt to talk about healthy habits.

Create a scavenger hunt list or treasure hunt clues that take you around the house. At each stop talk about a related healthy choice, like brushing teeth, eating vegetables, or exercising. Older kids could include topics like not watching pornography or getting good sleep.

We did a Healthy Body Scavenger Hunt like this, and I included it in this Pirate Printables Pack, which is available for free for a limited time. You can also get the treasure hunt and other healthy body activities in the X is for X-ray Preschool Lesson Plan Checklist. So you can download and print our rhyming clues if you’d like.

Wondering how to fit Little Lessons into your busy family schedule?

The two main ways to fit important lessons into your busy family schedule are to find spontaneous teaching moments throughout the day and to schedule family learning time each week. These two posts go into detail about these two ways and tips for making it happen with your family.

How Busy Parents Can Teach Important Life Lessons

6 Tips for Family Time that Teaches Life’s Most Important Lessons

3. A Service Idea: Family Secret Service

Just as important as serving our communities is serving our families.

Encourage each family member to do a secret service for someone else in the family this week. They could make a bed, vacuum a floor without being asked, help a younger sibling read, or leave a kind note. You could also draw family names so everyone is serving and being served.

Service is a great way to build a stronger, happier family. If you want more service ideas, request Raising Compassionate Children in a Conceited World, which includes 101 Service Ideas for Families.

4. Something Random: Trivia Question

I recently read a great idea. One mom asks her kids a trivia question in the morning. They aren’t allowed to search the internet, but they can ask teachers, friends, or anyone else to try to figure out the question by the time they get home. Wouldn’t that be a fun way to interact with others?

So here’s a random trivia question for you…

Has anyone been there? Let me know in the comments!

5. A Quick Tip: Kids and Reading

Helping our children enjoy reading for pleasure is a great way to increase academic success and engage in lifelong learning. Reading for pleasure is important even during the school year when our kids are reading for academic reasons too.

Two simple ways to encourage pleasure reading are to model pleasure reading (what book is on your list right now?) and read together for fun.

In case you want some ideas, here is one book or series we’ve read with each of our kids recently.

• The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer (12-year-old)
• The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis (10-year-old)
• Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling (8-year-old)
• Disney Storybook Collection (4-year-old)
• The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter (2-year-old)

Related: New Alphabet Book: Pirates Stuck at “C” [Book Review and Awesome Pirate Preschool Activities]

We are always looking for suggestions too…what are some of your favorite books to read together? Please share in the comments!

And that is Friday’s Fast Five!

You can also see Friday’s Fast Five on Instagram or other editions HERE.

Building a Stronger, Happier Family

It takes time and intention to build a stronger, happier family. I hope Friday’s Fast Five helps you find the ways that work for YOUR family to learn, laugh, and love together.

We will never regret the time we devote to our families and relationships with our kids.

Have a great weekend with your family, know that you’re loved, and keep on lovin’!

Do you have a great idea for a future Friday’s Fast Five? Have a question or parenting struggle you want help with? Share in the comments, shoot me an Email, or schedule a call.

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