Family Fun: An Introduction

To be an effective parent and have a close family, you need to spend quality family time together. This sounds simple enough, but it can get quite difficult when you’re working full-time and your kids have sports, their friends, and part-time jobs of their own to work around. Even though it can be tough to schedule, it’s important for your family to find time to spend together regularly.

Did You Know?

  • A 2006 study showed that kids who ate dinner with their family frequently were much more likely to have high self-esteem, a sense of purpose, and a positive view of the future.1
  • Frequent family dinners have been shown to reduce the likelihood that kids will engage in risky behaviors, including substance abuse, fighting, and illicit drug use.2

Even though your family’s schedule is probably packed, it’s still possible to have quality family time. You might have to get creative with your attempts to spend time together as a family, and it could be challenging, but you’ll find that your family will be closer because of it.

Frequent Questions and Concerns about Family Fun

Find answers to frequent questions and concerns about having fun with your family.

Making Time for Family Time

Many families have come up with creative ways to spend time together—try several different ways to make time for family time and see which works best for your family.

Staying Connected When You're Apart

As a parent, there will be times when you’ll have to be away from your kids. Staying connected can make it easier to be away from your family.

Family Activities

When planning family activities, it can be helpful to think “outside the box” and come up with something a little out of the ordinary.

Family Fun: Summary and Next Steps

Find valuable resources related to family fun.

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1. Jayne Fulkerson and others, “Family Dinner Meal Frequency and Adolescent Development: Relationships with Developmental Assets and High-Risk Behaviors,” Journal of Adolescent Health 39 (2006): 337-345.

2. Bisakha Sen, “The Relationship between Frequency of Family Dinner and Adolescent Problem Behaviors after Adjusting for Other Family Characteristics,” Journal of Adolescence (2009), doi:10.1016/j.adolescence.2009.03.011.

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