As the holiday seasons approach, most of us start to get those feelings of wanting to be with family and tradition. In a world were everyone is running around, trying to keep up with a schedule, it can be difficult to plan activities for the entire family or maybe even for the entire classroom. Here are a couple of activities that can be done without much expense or planning at all.

When I was little we would always play kickball at our family get together. Kickball became a familiar tradition that each of us looked forward to even as we became older. In school, teachers could arrange a semester kickball or volleyball tournament for their grade. At my old middle school at the end of each year we would have a volleyball tournament, students against teachers. The school still does this tradition every year and the students love trying to beat their teachers.
State parks, such as Pettigrew State Park are great places for families to explore together. Children would enjoy biking or hiking through the trails that are provided. Camping is a great way for families to form a tradition and become closer. There are several places for picnics as well as fishing or canoeing. When I was about seven or eight my family started canoeing together. We lived close to Merchants Millpond in Gates County, NC and we would pick a Saturday a few times a year and go canoeing for an hour or two in the Millpond. We always had a great time and it gave us a chance to use a familiar resource that was just a few minutes down the road.

These activities are just a small amount of the number of things families can do together. As Halloween approaches, there are many fall festivals, haunted houses, ghost tours, and many more things that children love to go to that can be enjoyed by the entire family. Look for more ideas next week.

Have a great day!