This post may contain affiliate links. Read my whole disclosure here.
“To be in your children’s memories tomorrow, you have to be in their lives today.” (Barbara Johnson)
As parents, it’s so easy to get caught up in all the tasks we need to do every day and miss the opportunity to enjoy our kids more.
The most important goal I have this year when it comes to my family is to remind myself every day to slow down, connect with my kids, and make them feel happy and loved.
And I know that the best way to make this happen is to be intentional about spending quality time with my family.
This is why I decided to create a family time calendar to help us connect and bring us closer. And I want to invite you to try it as well!
Short on time? Download the January Family Time Calendar here.
How is this activity calendar different
There are plenty of activity calendars online, but I wanted something different.
For me, complicated activities with a big list of supplies are not a good fit. Although I love discovering awesome activity ideas on Pinterest, I realize that I won’t be able to put them into practice every day.
I don’t want to waste time gathering a lot of materials or preparing activities. So I looked for simple activities that we can make in 30 minutes a day (except the weekly family night), using only items we already have or printables I can easily create.
The main goal of using this calendar is to have something easy to do with my child every day to help us connect and have fun together.
Also, this is not a calendar with activities for kids to do on their own. Every single activity is meant to include the parent as well.
It’s not about inviting the child to build a robot out of LEGOs, it’s about building one together. It’s not about asking the child to draw a family portrait. It’s about the parent drawing one as well.
Every time you do one of these activities with your kids, and you draw, build, read, create something with them, you get the chance to get closer to them and build a strong, loving relationship. And this is what this monthly calendar is all about!
You won’t find here “fancy” activity ideas but you’ll certainly discover simple ways to bring more joy and connection to your family! And I hope you and your kids will enjoy them!
An easy way to plan a month worth of activities for your family
Creating a daily activity calendar for your family doesn’t have to be complicated!
An easy way to do this is to choose a theme for every day of the week. Once you have the themes set up, filling in the activities will be a lot easier.
Here are the themes I chose for our calendar:
Monday: Family sharing time
I was inspired by my son’s weekly sharing time at school, and I decided to create one for us to do at home as well.
Here is how it works: Start by inviting every family member to share the best thing and the most challenging thing about last week. Then invite every family member to share something related to the topic in the calendar (for example: favorite object in the house).
Each participant needs to either bring an object that illustrates the topic or a picture / drawing of it. Every family member has a turn to say a few phrases about the item they chose.
Tuesday: Reading
Every Tuesday, focus on connecting through stories. The calendar includes easy ways to make reading more fun and enjoy books together.
Wednesday: Building
Using things you already have in your home (like LEGOs, magnetic blocks, play dough, paper, etc) build something based on the ideas in the calendar.
Thursday: Creativity
On Thursdays, it’s time to get creative! Using items you already have (crayons, markers, paint, etc) encourage every family member to get creative and put the ideas in the calendar into practice.
Friday: Family night
Start the weekend connecting as a family by planning a family night. This activity takes longer than 30 minutes, so I planned it for Friday evenings when we are more relaxed.
Saturday: Theme of the month
Every Saturday is dedicated to the theme of the month. This brings something new to each month and adds more fun to every week.
For January, the theme is “New Year, New Start”.
Sunday: Outdoor / active
Sundays are dedicated to either outdoor family activities or active activities inside the house.
How to download and use the Family Time Calendar
If you want to use the Family Time Calendar with your kids, here are 3 easy steps to get started:
- Download the printable Family Time Calendar using the link below.
- You’ll receive the printable calendar per email together with a link to a special page where you’ll find all the details about the activities and the printable files you’ll need during the month.
- Display the calendar in your home, and start enjoying happy moments with your kids every day.
⭐ Click here to download the January Family Time Calendar
What is included in the January Family Time Calendar
Activities included in the theme of the month (New Year, New Start):
- New Year interview for kids (printable)
- Create a family video to watch at the end of the year
- Create a family bucket list (printable)
- Create a “Happy Moments” jar to use for the whole year.
Family night ideas for January:
– Movie night with popcorn or snacks (movie recommendations: “Ferdinand”, “Finding Nemo”, “Ice Age: Continental Drift”)
– Game night with short games: Choose games that you can quickly play so you can play them several times during the family night. (game recommendation for young kids: Sequence for Kids)
– Camping in the living room: Camp in the living room with some blankets or sleeping bags. Share stories about your favorite moments from last year.
– Cozy movie night under the blankets
– Game night in a different setting: If you usually have your game night at the dining table, move it on the living room floor or in the children’s room. (game recommendation: Ticket to Ride First Journey)
If you want to try different ideas for your family night, here is a list of 40 great family night ideas to inspire you.
To get all the details about the activities and the printable files mentioned in the calendar, download the January Family Time Calendar here.
I wish you a wonderful month of January with many happy moments with your family!
