10 Easy Family Traditions To Share

This month at Equip Family, we’re talking all about creating meaningful family traditions! We believe that spending quality time as a family is key to discipleship.

As we move into the holiday season, here are 10 easy traditions you can try (or share with the families you serve!) to start making family time a priority:

• FAMILY NIGHT: Designate a night during the week (Fridays work great!) to be Family Night. Let family members take turns deciding what you will eat, and then spend time together as a family. Watching classic movies is a great, easy way to start this tradition!
  
• GAMES NIGHT: Once a month, consider hosting a Family Games Night! This is great way to foster healthy competition, collaboration and teamwork skills. This works with preschoolers right up t teenagers. If you want to incorporate faith into the mix, thereare some great Bible-centered games you can find online!
  
• DINNER DEVOTIONS: Spend 10 minutes each night at supper doing devotions together! Choose a Bible passage or devotional to read together, and follow it up with a prayer time. You can choose different prayer styles, have a different family member pray each night, or focus on learning a biblical prayer like “the Lord’s Prayer” together.
  
• BIRTHDAY BREAKFAST: Make sure each member of your family gets treated to a special breakfast on their birthday. It can be at a restaurant, or even better – in bed!
  
• SUNDAY SABBATH: Designate a day of rest and worship for your family. Set up particular habits for that day – worshipping together, eating good food & resting/playing together!
  
• BE A BLESSING: Choose a season and a way to bless a family or cause! Consider collecting food for a local food bank leading up to Thanksgiving, buying toys for a needy family at Christmas or saving up spare change to donate to a cause in the summer.
  
• FAMILY BAKING: During a holiday season (Valentines’, Easter, Back to School, Christmas – or all of the above), take some time to bake a simple cookie, loaf or muffin recipe as a family. Deliver them to families in your neighbourhood or church family that could use a pick-me-up!
  
• NIGHTLY DRIVES: During long winter evenings, grab a cozy blanket and warm cup of coffee for the grownups, and throw everyone in the car. Turn on your favourite worship music or just enjoy a chat.
  
• ADVENT ADVENTURES: Advent (the four weeks leading up to Christmas) is a great way to start a family tradition. Consider doing a specia countdown with your family, reading a devotional each day or lighting a candle every night to count down the day until you celebrate Jesus’ birth.
  
• THANKFUL TREE During the fall, find a branch (or draw a tree!). Have family members place things they’re thankful for on it each day, and then take the time at the end of the season to read all the things your family has been blessed with!

These are simple, straightforward ways to create family traditions that take minimal planning!

If you’d like to get this list as a PDF, make sure you’re a part of our Equip Family e-mail list:

And, if you’re looking for some more in-depth ways to help families create quality time and traditions together, check out some of these resources: