Just living with a group of people is not enough to truly get to know them. If you want your family to be less a collection of people and a more cohesive unit, consider engaging your partner and your kids in communication games. With a little enjoyable game play, you can teach your clan how to communicate with each other and facilitate the learning of information about each family member’s likes and dislikes.
Best and Worst Match Up
Turn dinner into game time with a best and worst match up. When your family members come to the dinner table, give them each two index cards and something to write with. Ask each family member to write the best thing that happened to him that day on one card, and the worst thing that happened to him on the other. Create two piles, one for the cards containing the best things, and the other for the cards containing the worst. After all family members have filled out their cards, shuffle the two piles. Pick a family member to do the matching. Read the cards containing the best things to the selected family member and ask him to decide which family member wrote each response. After he has successfully completed the first set of matches, allow him to repeat the procedure to match the worst things, or select another family member who feels up to the challenge. Along with having some dinner-time fun, through the playing of this game your family members will begin to learn about each other.
Silent Ball
Create a connection without saying a word in this activity that encourages eye contact. Purchase a foam ball to use in playing this indoor activity. Gather your family in a circle and tell them that, while playing the game, they must remain silent. Tell your family members that the goal of the game is to toss the ball as many times as possible without missing a catch. Instruct your kids and partner to increase the likelihood that their intended recipient catches the ball by making eye contact with the individual before completing the toss. Keep a count of how many successful throws your family manages to make. Continue to challenge your family members to better their previous record.
Hidden Treasure
Start an ongoing hidden treasure game to keep your family members on their toes. Select a small token that is in some way representative of your family, such as a picture of you and your husband. At dinner, tell your husband and children that you are going to hide the picture somewhere in the house. Explain to them that you will not hide it in an area that is not common space, such as a person’s private bedroom. Tell them that, once they find it, they should bring it to you and you will give them a special treat.
As family members find the token and you reward them with the prize, challenge them to hide it again. As your family members continually quest to find the hidden object, they will compete with each other in the enjoyable challenge.
Photo Credit
- family image by vanda from Fotolia.com
