Building Family Togetherness - Top Suggestions

Family togetherness comes as a result of deliberate choices and decisions we make to create the time and environment where we link up, spend time, listen to each other and work together.

Enjoy this helpful list of Family Team Building written by Tricia Gover and Cindy McCormick Martinusen condensed from "Homelife" Magazine.

I have added my comments below each suggestion.

Promote Great Family Goals

Promote activites in which siblings must work together to reach a goal to help build family togetherness.

I know of a family who made one of their goals to be a family holiday in which they kept a pot on the fridge and each member of the family would do jobs and contribute part of their earnings to the fund. They realized their goal, hired bikes and set out on a backpacking holiday.

Other activities which require siblings to work together are planning and building something. Our kids have built a fun car track for their hot wheel cars, a birdhouse, worked on outdoor and indoor projects. Having bought the Diamond set from Supercharged Science was also a way in which my boys in particular worked on experiments and shared tasks to get a project done.

Games the family can do together

There are many great games you can do together as a family.

Depending on your own situation, families set aside time specifically to have a games night. When children become older and are engaged in part time jobs, I have found it more difficult to get time together as a family. I am so thankful for all the years when we have been able to enjoy games, family nights and uninterrupted reading times. Make the most of it.

Read more about all sorts of games we have enjoyed playing together as a family.

Working Together as a Family

Assign chores that must be completed with cooperation; Here is our chore chart which we made together.

Each family member has a little tag/person which gets hung on a hook underneath a specific job. Join children together on a large job to encourage family togetherness. Although there may be moans in the beginning, I do find my children somehow work out how to make it a game as they work together.

Charity Work - Teaming up as a family to help others

Unite your children to reach out to others- to create gifts, such as cookies for neighbours, or presents for grandparents;

Children can be involved in creating plays, songs and skits as well as making cards and small gifts to give to others. We visited nursing homes through the years and created small items to give to the residents. One year we made special cards out of the silk cocoons from the silkworms we had that year. This was a great way to pursue family togetherness as you work on a project as well as combining your learning into something practical.

Although, our musical items may not have been perfectly presented (!), the older people loved seeing the little ones perform.

Family Fun Projects

Promote sibling acitivites such as large puzzles, birdhouses, or craft kits to develop a sense of teamwork. Use limited supplies such as glue or markers so children have to share.

This photo was of our World War 1 History Day in which family and others joined in all sorts of crafts and games bringing the study to life.

Book time - Family read alouds

Have children read to eachother, or have an older child read to a younger sibling. Also make up your own 'sibling' stories for your children.

This not only makes sense as far as family togetherness is concerned, but also to keep little ones occupied while the older siblings have one on one time with mum.

I would write this into their homeschool timetable: "Play with ....../ Read to ......"

In that way, the older child is practising their reading skills and keeping a little one topped up with special sibling time.

Check out more homeschool schedule ideas. Real homeschool families each with their own unique homeschooling schedule.

You might also like to look at Book shelves or Booklists?

King of Queen for the Day / Special Parent Day

Have one day a week be "Royal Kid Day". One child is the king or queen and will receive special treatment.

Siblings will have tons of fun working together to fulfill the needs of the chosen adult. (This is great for the adults too!)

Family Talent Night and Fun Celebrations

To promote family togetherness and family unity, encourage each child to shine like a star in front of the family. Tumbling acts, singing specials, or the presentation of projects will bring claps and support from the family.

Families also like to share in special occasions where their children are acknowleged by sporting teams and so on.

At the end of each year, we like to have a special celebration together, where we congratulate the children in particular for their achievements over the year. Sharing in these times, acknowledging completion of goals, courses and so on is important for each child as well as for siblings to see older children complete their goals. At this time, we recognize their gifts and talents and that which makes each of them unique.

Some years, I have given out special awards. This year, I gave out mugs each with a story behind the logo on the mug. 

Where to from here?

• Return to The Top Ten List of Homeschool Ideas
• See our Christmas Baubles - uniquely made for each person.