FAMILY NIGHT: TAKE A BREAK FROM THE FRENZY (4-8) When was the last time your whole family was in the same place at the same time? For many families today, free time is a precious commodity. And as the school year begins, even more demands are placed on parents and children. Despite our increasingly hectic schedules, it is essential for families to designate time to spend together. A great way to ensure quality family time is to plan a family night when everyone sets aside other obligations and comes together, even for just a few hours. “Family nights are true quality time between a parent and a child,” says Richard E. Bavaria, Ph.D., vice president of education for Sylvan Learning Center. “All of the research shows that quality time among families helps children learn parents’ values and it brings everyone closer. Anytime you can make an educational experience fun, you are helping your child develop a love for learning.” Here are 10 suggestions for a fun and memorable family night: Play a board game. Traditional board games promote interaction and strengthen your child’s critical thinking skills. Patch Products (www.patchproducts.com) offers an excellent selection of family-friendly games. Test your child’s vocabulary skills with Blurt!® or be just plain silly with Mad Gab®. Then visit www.millionminute.com to join the Million Minute Family Challenge. The goal is to get 1,000 families in each of the 50 states to play a board game together for 20 minutes or more this September through December. “I always tell parents ‘don’t get intimidated by all of the toys, software and electronic games in the toy store,’” Bavaria says. “Sometimes the simplest board games can be the most beneficial because they promote thinking and social time with your child.” Visit a museum. Have your children select a local museum that interests them. This will be a great learning experience for parents, too. Write and perform a family play. Here’s a chance for everyone to release the superstar within. Consider inviting another family to join in to provide more actors. Videotape the production so that you can enjoy it for years to come. Have a culture night. Choose a cultural tradition other than your own and dedicate an evening to learning about it. Try making a craft from that culture and cooking a meal. Go for a bike ride. This simple activity is a wonderful way to explore your neighborhood and get some exercise. Make a family tree and scrapbook. Encourage your children to search for your family’s roots. Check out www.genealogy.com or www.familytreesearcher.com for help getting started. Meanwhile, start chronicling your current family history by creating a scrapbook commemorating significant milestones and events. Hike a nature trail. Spend a day away from the television and computer. Use the time outdoors to laugh together and really talk to each other. Learn to play an instrument together. Those piano or guitar lessons aren’t just for the children anymore. Parents can join in and increase their musical aptitude. Practice together and hold family recitals. Go to an animal shelter. Many shelters need people to play with the animals and take them on walks. If your family loves animals, this can be a great weekly or monthly activity. Do magic tricks together. Have your child put on a show for you and vice versa. If you need help preparing, pick up 101 Easy-to-Do Magic Tricks by Bill Tarr (Dover Publications, 1993). By Heidi Neuzil