In a world where busy schedules, appointments, and extracurriculars can quickly fill our calendars, family time is often the first thing to go. However, quality time together is a must for your child’s development and your family’s emotional well-being.
Why Family Time Matters—Especially in the Early Years
The first five years of your child’s life are full of rapid physical, emotional, and cognitive growth. During this formative time, consistent and loving interactions with caregivers create a foundation for language development, emotional regulation, social skills, and more.
When you spend intentional time together as a family, you’re helping your child thrive.
Build Secure Attachments
When you spend time with your children regularly and engage in nurturing activities like playing or reading, your child learns that they are safe, loved, and understood. This is the foundation of emotional development that allows your child to build secure attachments and explore, learn, and grow with confidence
Develop Communication & Social Skills
Babies and young children learn to communicate by watching, listening, and interacting with the people around them, including family and caregivers. By spending time together as a family, children learn key communication and social skills like eye contact, gestures, facial expressions, sharing, and words.
Create Predictable Routines
Children thrive on structure and predictable routines. Consistent family activities, like bedtime stories or weekly family game nights, help children feel calm and confident because they know what to expect. It’s a time to bond, have fun, and be themselves.
Why Some Families Struggle to Spend Time Together
Quality family time sounds great in theory, but it’s often easier said than done. If you’ve ever ended the day wondering where the time went or feeling guilty for not being more “present,” you’re not alone.
Many families face very real challenges that make it difficult to carve out consistent, connected time together, including busy schedules, technology, and finances.
Busy Schedules
“By the time I finish everything I have to do, I’m too tired to play,” is a sentiment we hear often. With everything many of us have going on, it’s completely valid.
Between work, school, therapy sessions, doctor appointments, housework, and other responsibilities, the days fill up fast. Even when families are in the same space, the demands of everyday life can leave little room for intentional connection.
Digital Distractions
Both parents and children are using iPads, iPods, and smartphones to stay connected with others outside the home.
The average person spends 4+ hours per day on their smartphone (and that number is quickly rising). Endless scrolling and screen-time overload can make it hard to be truly present with each other, even if you’re sitting at the same dining room table.
For many, screens can become a coping mechanism for stress and boredom. It can be hard for us to break those habits and disconnect when need be.
Different Needs Within the Family
Each of us has unique needs, preferences, and energy levels. These differences can make it hard to find shared time and activities that make everyone feel happy and connected.
Siblings may be on different school or sports schedules. Caregivers and parents may have different work hours. Health concerns may mean certain activities aren’t a great option. And of course, you have to balance everyone’s personal likes and dislikes.
All things considered, sometimes it feels easier just to let everyone “do their own thing.”
Financial Pressure
When you’re juggling bills and trying to make ends meet, it’s natural to feel like there’s no extra money for “family fun.”
When the budget is tight, things like family vacations, restaurants, movies, and other activities are often low on the priority list. Plus, many caregivers opt to pick up additional work hours to help fill any financial gaps, which limits family time even further.
Tips for Making Family Time Happen
Family time doesn’t have to be extravagant, expensive, or overly complex. Simply prioritize some time at least once per week to spend together to strengthen your bond and communication.
Put Away Phones & Screens
In today’s hyper-connected world, it’s easy to get pulled into emails, scrolling, or notifications even when we don’t mean to. But setting aside devices during designated times help sus stay connected.
Pick some dedicated “no phone” times — like meals, baths, or bedtime — and stick to it. You’ll likely find that even a few minutes of fully-focused time together can be more impactful than hours of multitasking.
Involve Your Child In Daily Tasks
Not every moment of family time has to be “play” or “fun.” Everyday routines, like folding laundry or cooking dinner, can provide opportunities for connection.
Young children love to “help,” and these tasks teach valuable life skills, such as following directions and problem-solving. Even if things get a little messy or take longer, the shared experience is sure to be memorable.
Create Rituals & Traditions
If you have a child who is a really picky eater or who truly is losing some weight because they do not want to eat what you are offering them, it can be very tempting to give them meal replacement supplements like Pediasure.
While these products are good for children who are severely underweight or malnourished, offering them to a picky eater or a child who has thinned out a little but is still healthy can lead to worse eating habits.
Natalie Alcaraz, Health Project Coordinator and Registered Dietitian for the City of Milwaukee Health Department WIC Program, helps us understand why Pediasure and other supplements can be a problem.
“These kinds of drinks contain a lot of sugar and can cause a child’s taste to adapt a preference for sweeter beverages,” she said. “It can also lead to a child drinking a large amount of his calories, which further limits the amount of food he eats and encourages more reliance on these types of products.”
It is better to first try to find ways to add in foods that are higher in healthy fats, such as avocado for babies or snacks like apples with nut butters for older children.
If you feel like your child is too thin or not gaining weight properly, discuss the issue with your pediatrician or a nutritionist before offering nutrition shakes or supplements.
Give your child something to look forward to. Whether it’s Saturday morning pancakes, evening storytime, or a weekly dance party in the living room, simple family rituals and traditions offer structure, joy, and consistency.
The key is consistency. Repeating something special, even if it’s only for 10 minutes each day, helps children feel secure and connected.
Be Present, Not Perfect
Your child doesn’t need perfection or expensive outings. They just need you to be present.
Even on hard days, look for simple, low-stress ways to connect that fit your life, your energy, and your unique family.
Something as simple as going on a short walk or sharing a snack can count as family time. Those small moments can add up in big ways, and they don’t require a ton of time, money, or energy.
Make Memories with these Family Activities
Family time doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive. If you need some inspiration, here are 50 examples of easy and fun family activities:
- Eat breakfast or dinner together at home.
- Eat out at a restaurant.
- Go for walks together.
- Plan a movie night at home.
- Host a family game night (board games or card games).
- Go to the park.
- Go to local festivals and fairs.
- Go to your local zoo.
- Go to the library.
- Read books together.
- Visit a movie theater.
- Go to a museum.
- Cook or bake something together.
- Have a picnic
- Go for a bike ride.
- Try ice skating, sledding, or playing in the snow.
- Go to your local pool or beach.
- Play outdoor games (hide and seek, Capture the Flag, Volleyball, Basketball).
- Play dates with extended family or family friends.
- Attend family-friendly community gatherings.
- Make a nature scavenger hunt.
- Build a blanket fort.
- Have a dance party in the living room.
- Do a puzzle together.
- Look through photo albums or slideshows.
- Play dress up with clothes, scarves, and hats.
- Finger paint or color pictures together.
- Make designs with sidewalk chalk.
- Use playdough to roll, squish, and make fun shapes.
- Play charades and act out your favorite animals, characters, etc.
- Make homemade instruments, like maracas.
- Ask your child what their favorite part of the day was.
- Take turns saying things you’re thankful for.
- Blow bubbles together.
- Rake leaves and play or jump in them.
- Go for an evening drive and look at the sunset.
- Let your child help you match socks during laundry.
- Let your child set the napkins or silverware before a meal.
- Go to a thrift store or garage sale together.
- Play with toys together during bath time.
- Plant a flower or vegetable and take care of it together.
- Go camping (even if it’s in your backyard).
- Do stretches together.
- Go shopping together (even if you don’t buy anything).
- Build a sensory bin.
- Use a flashlight to make shadow puppets.
- Fly a kite.
- Have a blind taste test.
- Make up silly stories or songs.
- Volunteer together as a family.
These small, joyful interactions give children a chance to learn, connect, and thrive. And they help you as a caregiver feel more confident, connected, and calm.
Enjoy Your Family Time
There’s nothing more precious than enjoying the company of our little ones and bonding as a family. We hope you make the most of your time together and enjoy every single moment.
Our team of early childhood experts is here to help you as you navigate parenting and try to prioritize time together as a family.
