Studies have shown that families who share activities together have stronger emotional ties. Families that do things together tend to adapt more easily and have children with more confidence.
Almost everyone recognizes the importance of family bonding, but there are no set rules on exactly what you have to do during your bonding time.
When you’re looking to involve your whole family in a hobby, things like knitting or pottery might not be the best choices – especially with little ones. So, if your personal hobbies don’t necessarily fit within the scope of your family, consider it a perfect opportunity to try something new!
If you’re ready to spend more time with your whole family and want to make sure everyone can get involved, it’s important to get creative with your hobby ideas. Let’s cover a few interesting options that could end up being family favorites.
1. Home Brewing
If you have kids, the idea of home brewing probably isn’t going to be the first thing that comes to mind. But, it’s become a popular hobby in recent years, especially with people spending more time at home throughout the pandemic. The basics of homebrewing are simple, and you only need a few pieces of equipment, including:
- A fermenter
- Siphon
- Tubing
- Kettle/brew pot
- Airlock
You don’t necessarily have to brew beer! If you want the kids to be involved, consider trying to brew your own kombucha. You can customize it any way you’d like, and your kids can take part in picking out different flavors. No matter what you decide to brew, it’s a great opportunity to create something from scratch while teaching your kids about science in a way they can actually see playing out in front of them.
2. Indoor Gardening
Gardening has many benefits for the whole family. It can improve your physical health, boost self-esteem, and even reduce stress. But, you might not live in a climate conducive to having an outdoor garden. Or, maybe you and your family live in a small home or apartment.
Whatever the case, you can still let your green thumb shine and put together an indoor garden with your family.
With the right lighting, temperature control, and growing medium, you can grow almost anything indoors. Start small with herbs like rosemary and basil, and you can eventually “grow up” to things like peppers, salad greens, and carrots! Your kids will love getting their hands dirty and watching things grow, and you can teach them about the importance of sustainability and healthy eating.
3. Volunteering
Volunteering is a fantastic way to increase your bond as a family. Doing something for someone else or giving back to a cause you’re passionate about will always feel good. Volunteering can be fun and impactful at any age, but it’s an especially good hobby to do with your teenager(s). You can bond over similar passions, and show them a glimpse of how they can make a difference in the real world.
Make your kids/teens part of the volunteering process by asking them which organizations they’re interested in, or what they’re passionate about. If you’re not sure where to get started, some of the most popular avenues for volunteering are:
- Homeless shelters
- Soup kitchens
- Community clean-ups
- Animal shelters
If you don’t want to attend an event or spend a lot of time somewhere, you can volunteer as a family by doing things like donating clothes and belongings to a shelter. Every little bit helps.
4. Hobby Blogging
If you’re enjoying trying out new hobbies with your family or you like the idea of getting creative in your bonding efforts, consider setting up a blog. Writing about your hobbies online is a fantastic way to reach other families. Plus, your blog can be another way for your family to work together.
You can improve your writing and web skills while teaching your kids about everything from proper grammar to web design. Consider taking a class together on how to set up a blog or how to build and design a website from the ground up. Each person in the family can have a different job to do to contribute to the blog. If someone excels in writing, they could write each post. If one of your kids is a budding photographer, they could add pictures and video to each entry.
Whether your blog takes off and becomes popular or not isn’t the point. It’s a unique way to connect with your family (literally) while preserving the interesting hobbies you’ve tried and cementing those memories online forever. If nothing else, you can view your blog as a sort of journal for your family’s endeavors and adventures.
Unique hobbies will bring you and your family closer together, and they can serve to educate you and your kids in a variety of ways. Maybe you’ll learn something new, or see an opportunity to teach your children an important life lesson. Don’t be afraid to think outside of the box when it comes to hobbies for your family – trying something new together is half the fun!
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