Family Activities for Fall
Posted: Monday, October 05, 2009
by Caitlin Class
Sweetly You Bath & Body Gifts Under $10
The smell of campfire smoke always reminds me of those beautiful fall nights under the stars with my family when we would go for a camping adventure. Fall is the ultimate time of year for strengthening family relationships because the outdoor weather is perfect, and spending time outside playing together helps families stay active and have fun. According to a recent report by USA Today, 28% of Americans claimed they spent less time with members of their households last year than in previous years. The average amount of time these family members spent together in one month was 26 hours—that is barely more than one full day! In order to get our society to value the institution of the family it is imperative that we take the necessary steps to increasing the relationships within our families. Some awesome activity ideas for fall can include enjoyable experiences for kids and adults of all ages. Cooking a tin foil dinner together, getting lost in a corn maze with your family members or even just going on a family hike are all wonderful ways to make your family closer-knit while allowing lots of time for talking.
While the idea of mazes is not a new one, the concept of a corn maze created from tall stalks of corn is something pretty unique to America. Corn mazes have grown in popularity since the 1970's and they are so much fun for everyone involved. And while the mazes are a gorgeous site from above, they are just as exciting to navigate. Take your family to a corn maze near you. You will have plenty of time to let each member try to find the way out. There has been a published list of the best corn mazes in America; Included in this Top 5 list are corn mazes in Pennsylvania, Minnesota, Ohio, California, and New York. But there really are corn mazes everywhere, just type in your state and the word, "corn maze," into any search engine, and you'll be sure to find a few options for your family.
Hiking is so much fun for families. Bring a camera along and take lots of pictures of family members discovering cool things. Your family could even turn the hike into a small contest, wherein everyone competes to find the most colorful bird or biggest bug. A nature walk is definitely a peaceful way to stroll around and absorb the beauty around you. While on a family hike, you could have everyone talk about their favorite family memory or their biggest goal for the year. People, kids included, are more open to talking when they are keeping their body active at the same time. It is an adrenalin reaction gets our hearts pumping enough that we are more willing to express ourselves.
By cooking family meals together, getting lost in a corn maze and enjoying the beauty of nature on a family hike, we can improve our relationships with our permanent friends, our family members. In that same study mentioned earlier, that same percentage of people that said they spent less time with their families over the last year also reported a constant amount of time spent with their friends. This tells us that time was a factor, but there was just a decreased importance placed on the time spent with family. If you want to keep your family tight-knit, it is important to keep everyone involved and having fun. So go ahead and make a family date night this weekend, you won't regret it.
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Courtney Lewis is the manager of Sweetly You where you can find unique bath and body products, and create custom bath and body gift sets.
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