7 Ways to Spend More Time With Your Family

A new year. A fresh start.

A year ahead for the family is all about taking on new adventures. If last year was any indication, they could be good, bad or just plain hysterical.

Spending time together as a family takes planning, but it’s a great investment. When our kids feel close to us, they try harder to please us and make us proud, which then makes the whole family stronger. Planning doesn’t have to be complicated — with a little bit of effort, we can turn bonding into a lifetime of funny, sweet stories and lasting memories.

When you’re planning for family activities, make sure to involve your kids in the process. You’ll be surprised at their suggestions!

What does my family want to do more of this year?

1. Travel

With ideas from shows like:

• The Travel Bug
• The Layover
• Monumental Mysteries
• The Traveler
• Mysteries Museum
• Ghost Adventures
• Toby’s Travelling Circus

2. Family Game Night

With ideas from movies and shows like:

• The Starving Games
• Video Games: The Movie
• Brain Games
• Friendship Games
• Alpha and Omega 3
• Bob the Builder: Snowed Under
• Mine Games
• Head Games: Ted Talks

3. Get outside to play

With ideas from movies and shows like:

• Underdogs
• 1000 to 1
• We Could Be King
• Forever Strong
• The Perfect Game
• 4 Minute Mile
• Radio
• The Big Green

4. Cook together

With ideas from shows like:

• Chopped
• Cutthroat Kitchen
• Iron Chef America
• Food Network Star
• Chef’s Table
• Cupcake Wars
• Kitchen Nightmares
• Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives

5. Spend more one on one time together

Favorite shows to watch with my 13-year-old son:

• Robin Hood
• Battlestar Galactica
• Torchwood
• Star Trek: Enterprise
• Red vs. Blue
• Hercules
• Seaquest
• Farscape

Favorite shows to watch with my 6-year-old daughter:

• Goosebumps
• Jessie
• H2O
• Mako Mermaids
• Dragons: Race to the Edge
• Phineas and Ferb
• Liv & Maddie
• Girl Meets World

6. Continue our weekly date night

Watching movies like:

• Meet the Patels
• Finding Normal
• After the Ball
• Something New
• Leap Year
• The Wood
• Maid in Manhattan
• Grease

7. Family Movie Night

Watching movies like:

• Home
• Nanny McPhee
• Jumanji
• Penguins
• Mr. Peabody & Sherman
• The Spongebob Squarepants Movie
• Sharkboy and Lavagirl
• The Gabby Douglas Story

All these titles on Netflix listed are current, but that is subject to change without notice.

There’s no other family that can relate more to this than the Croods – you know, the prehistoric crew whose every day is a new adventure (or disaster) – because while our stories may differ from the dark ages, the family hijinks remain the same.

How does your family plan to make 2016 your best year ever?

I am a member of the Netflix #StreamTeam. I received a complimentary subscription and device. All opinions and selections are my own.