traditions

• Ready for school
  Get your kids excited about back-to-school time with a special outing to purchase brand new school supplies and a special outfit or new pair of shoes for their first day. After your shopping trip, treat your kids to a movie, go-carts, amusement park or something else they’ll remember well into the school year.
• Cool treats for a hot day
  Summer is a popular time for families to enjoy cooling treats, but instead of going out, try mixing things up by making your own milkshakes, smoothies or slushies at home. Have each family member choose their own toppings or ingredients, then take turns sharing your very own creative names for your concoctions. You might even try making homemade ice cream, stirred up with each person’s personal choice of mix-ins! (Drooling yet?)
• An afternoon fit for a dad
  This Father’s Day, bless Dad with an afternoon of relaxing fun! Send him off with that new book he’s been eyeing, a newspaper and a gift card to his favourite coffee shop. While he’s gone, prepare a special meal, and welcome him home with a big bear hug, a back rub and a card telling him why he’s such a great father. Cap off the evening with a special dessert and Dad’s favourite movie or game.
• Stories to love, again and again
  Make it a tradition to read a favourite book or book series to your children once a year. Your kids will most likely associate heart-warming memories with those stories for the rest of their lives.
  
• Family song
  Many families have a song they sing at the dinner table in lieu of, or in addition to, a traditional spoken prayer. Choose a song of thanksgiving or praise, and “make a joyful noise” to the Lord!
  
• Everything-is-new dinner party
  To welcome the beginning of spring, throw an everything-is-new family dinner party! Prepare new dishes or foods no one in the family has tried (such as foods from another country), wear at least one new item and have everybody come prepared with a new joke or story they’ve heard. You can even invite new friends, play a new game or watch a new movie together. To follow the theme of the party, go around the table sharing something new you want to learn or something no one knows about you.
• Love notes from the past
  Make it a tradition to write your child a letter each year on their birthday; then tuck the letters away to present to your child on a momentous birthday, like their 18th or 25th. Describe their personality, hobbies, likes and dislikes; list some of their biggest accomplishments; and share the ways you’ve seen them grow that year. They’ll enjoy getting a glimpse of what they were like in the past and knowing what was on your heart for them each year on their special day.
  
• Hello, Chickadee!
  Make it a family tradition to take the kids outside for a post-holiday trek through the woods. Often, even easy hiking trails won’t be groomed in winter, so make sure the kids have snowpants and big boots to blaze through the snow. The best part of wintertime hikes is often seeing the birds that have stayed for winter. Bring some birdseed along, and see if you can find any audacious chickadees willing to perch on your hand for a snack. Kids will love getting up close with nature and romping through snow-covered trails.
• Letters to Jesus
  Whether or not your family plays along with the idea of Santa at Christmastime, have your kids write letters to Jesus. If your kids are already familiar with writing a letter to Santa, explain to them the difference between writing to Santa for what you want, and writing to Jesus to thank Him for all his blessings He’s given. Young children may need your help to think of God’s blessings they’ve received over the past year, and to jot them down. Then hand out pieces of blank paper so they can compose their letter to Jesus and decorate it as they choose. Encouraging your kids to pray their letter and to display it near your Christmas tree or mantle will help them remember – apart from getting gifts – who they have to thank for all their blessings.
• Cool lanterns
  Ice lanterns are easy to make, even for youngsters. Try making a few with your kids to add a beautiful touch to your front pathway or outdoor décor over the Christmas season. Preparing each ice lantern is a two-step process. First, fill an ice cream bucket with water to a depth of about 6 cm. Add a decorative touch, if you wish, by sprinkling berries and sprigs of evergreens over the water. If you have sub-zero temperatures in your region, leave the bucket outside, or place the bucket in your freezer. When the ice is solid, fill a plastic cup with gravel to give it some weight, then place the cup upright in the centre of the bucket, resting on the frozen ice. Carefully fill the bucket with water to just below the rim of the cup, then return the bucket outdoors, or replace it in the freezer. When all the water has frozen solid, place the entire bucket in a tub of warm water until you can release your ice lantern from the bucket. Similarly, fill the cup with warm water to thaw the surrounding ice just enough to allow you to remove the cup. Place a candle in the hollow left by the cup and find a suitable spot outdoors to display your creation. If you prefer clear, see-through ice lanterns, use distilled water that has been boiled for several minutes, then allowed to cool.
• Under-leaf detectives
  Playing in the fall leaves seems to be a tradition most families enjoy during autumn. Here’s a twist you can spring on your kids this fall: Hide goodies in the yard under the leaves, and set your kids out on the hunt. While they scour the ground for hidden treats, have them create piles of leaves as they go. Once they’ve gone through the whole yard, they can enjoy their goodies and jump through the leaf piles as they please!
  
• Backyard parade
  To continue the theme of thanksgiving this month, hold a “thankfulness parade” in the backyard. Start by inviting your child’s friends and their parents, and have each family create a float representing what they’re thankful for this season. But before they come, ask each family to bring a sled or wagon to form the base of their display. Just provide the decorations. For ideas, try cardboard boxes, tape, paint, markers, feathers or anything that can help your float-makers express thankfulness. For some added fun, ask each “team” to create a family cheer or song while building their float. Then, when everyone is finished, have each family pull their floats around the backyard in a parade, singing their song or proclaiming their cheer.
  
• Make a joyful noise
  On a lazy afternoon, try having a family music time. Playing music together is a great way for families to bond and to worship together. Have your kids pick out their favourite praise songs or hymns, and gather family members who play an instrument. For children who take formal lessons, this is an excellent way for them to express musicality on their own terms; for those who don’t play anything, or are insecure about their abilities, make sure they’re given the chance to pick their favourite songs and encourage them to sing or clap along.
  
• Do-You-Dare? picnic
  Help your kids prepare a “Do-You-Dare?” picnic to spring on their hungry dad. Have them prepare some “trick” food items that sound awful, then let them take turns asking dad if he’s hungry enough to eat the following items. If dad says “Yes,” produce the “item” for him to eat.
  
  Are you hungry enough to eat . . .
  
  • a giant’s eyeball? Slice a hard-boiled egg in half. Then halve a black olive and place it in the centre of the yolk to create the pupil.
  • a frog? Cut the stem from a green pepper, and slit the pepper down one side. Fold out a section on either side of the cut to form “flaps.” Place the exposed inside edges of the flaps face down on a plate, then cut away portions of the flaps to shape front and hind legs. Insert whole cloves or sunflower seeds into the head section of the rounded body to form “eyes.”
  • an entire sheep? Serve Dad a floweret of broccoli or cauliflower. Leave the stem attached to create the “legs” of the sheep. With a toothpick, affix a “head” formed from an olive, and push whole cloves into either side of the olive to form eyes.
  • a dirty diaper? Spread crunchy peanut butter on a slice of bread cut in the shape of an open diaper.
  • a cow pat? Dad will be relieved to receive a hamburger patty atop a leaf of lettuce!
  • worms and dirt? End with gummy worms and Oreo® cookie crumbs atop instant pudding for dessert.
  Have fun creating other ideas for your “Do-You-Dare?” picnic!
  
• What’s cookin’ on the campfire?
  No summer is complete without at least one hotdog roast over a campfire, followed by toasted marshmallows for dessert. Spice up this traditional menu by threading some rashers of bacon on a second stick to roast alongside with your hotdog. Or replace the hotdogs completely with a make-it-yourself kebab: allow kids to choose from a selection of quick-cooking veggies and small cubes of marinated meat. Unload cooked kebabs onto pita bread or taco shells. If bannock bread on a stick conjures up images of doughy lumps smeared across tiny fingers, through hair and inside sleeping bags, refrigerated breadsticks could be the next best thing since . . .  well, since sliced bread. For dessert, try “hot banana splits.” Slice each banana down the middle and stuff with small marshmallows and chocolate chips. Then, wrap each banana in tinfoil and leave them in the embers until heated through.
  
• Father’s Day treasure hunt
  Add some excitement to your Father’s Day hike with this simple treasure hunt that’s easy for mom and the kids to put together: Gift wrap a number of small gifts for dad ahead of time, then attach a small card to each gift that describes a memorable moment with dad, as dictated by one of your kids. Out on your hike, instruct dad to “rest awhile” just before a bend in the trail. Run ahead with the kids and hide the gifts, then guide dad in his search for each one by yelling “hot” or “cold.” Repeat often along the trail, until all the gifts have been found. Here are some gift ideas, too: key chain, water bottle, lunch bag, movie tickets, fishing lures, sunglasses, gift certificates, brain teaser puzzles and some snacks to share on the way back to the car!
  
• Letters from the past
  Ever want to capture memorable family moments that seem to go by so quickly? Start a tradition where each family member – child and parent alike – writes a yearly letter to him or herself and saves them in a box. Then, when the kids are all grown up, set aside a time together, like over a holiday or family reunion, for everyone to read aloud. Like photographs, these letter mementoes would preserve precious snapshots of each family member over the years. Here are some examples of topics each can write on: hopes and dreams, future or current job, current favourite school subjects, favourite food or song, a heartwarming or funny family story.
  
• Little horticulturalists
  Gardening is an easy activity to make kid-friendly. For easy and inexpensive gardening wear, use old winter mitts as gardening gloves and visit your local thrift store for overalls your kids can get dirty. Pull on their rubber boots and give them a big plastic bag they can collect leaves with. Make a tradition of seeing who can fill their bag with leaves the fastest, awarding the winner the first wheelbarrow ride around the lawn. And just when the season’s right, you can teach your kids how to take care of the garden, and learn plant names and defining characteristics. To help them learn, have your kids write the common plant name on blank plant tags with a permanent marker. With smaller kids, keep the tags that come with the seedlings for them to copy from. If your older kids are ambitious, let them try their hand at memorizing and spelling out the Latin plant names.
  
• The advent of Easter
  Help your family prepare for Easter by starting an “Easter Advent” tradition. Twelve days before, have your kids decorate an egg carton as your advent calendar. Then, divide the Easter story into twelve parts, and put one in each egg-carton cup with symbolic items that relate to its verse. Now you have an Easter advent calendar to help centre your family’s devotional time around an element of Christ’s life, death and resurrection! 
  
• Supper in the snow
  Create lasting memories in your own backyard by surprising the family with a mid-winter supper in the snow! Put your patio set to work in the off season, or build your own table by resting a solid length of wood on a pedestal built of snow. To create a wonderful ambiance, place a few candles on the table and string Christmas lights from a patio umbrella or from shrubs around your yard. Serve a hot meal and hot apple cider, and your family will soon be giggling at each other through a fog of steam rising from your table. Why the laughter? Well, it starts with trying to use a knife and fork while wearing thick wool mittens . . .
  
• Begin a family time capsule
  With the new year just beginning, now is a great time to start a new tradition – building a time capsule together! A simple cardboard tube or any suitable container will do, but kids will especially enjoy something they can decorate themselves. Fill the container with photographs or other reminders of special events that occurred during the year, a list of significant prayer requests that God answered, and a record of each family member’s goals and dreams for the next one to five years. For a special personal touch, include a note from every member of the family to each parent and sibling, expressing love and appreciation for that individual. After a few years, you’ll accumulate your unique collection of time capsules; choose one to open each New Year’s Day as a special memento of God’s provision and faithfulness.
  
• Celebrate the snow!
  Boil some maple syrup until it crackles when dropped into cold water. Then, have your kids each scoop a bowlful of fresh snow. Drizzle their names in toffee across their snow, soon to be set to crunchy perfection.
  
• Works of art in gingerbread
  Looking for a new take on the familiar Christmas tradition of building gingerbread houses? If you have an appropriate selection of cookie cutters, try your hand at creating a gingerbread nativity scene. Or whip up some icing in various colours and create your own “stained glass window” on a single slab of gingerbread. For inspiration, search the Internet for simple nativity patterns. Use strips of black liquorice to separate the colours in your delectable work of art.
  
• Christmas around the table and around the world
  Whether you create your own Christmas crackers, or prefer the store-bought variety, here’s an idea that will stimulate dinner-time conversation and help kids remember that the joy of Christ’s birth is celebrated around the world. After conducting a little online research, write “Merry Christmas” on the outside of each cracker in a foreign language. Your family and guests will have fun pronouncing the greetings on different crackers and guessing their country of origin. For an extra surprise, slip a piece of paper inside each cracker that identifies the country and outlines a Christmas tradition unique to that region. Add a recipe for a seasonal treat that’s unique to that country, too, if you wish. With more than 190 countries and over 5,000 languages to choose from, this is a tradition you can enjoy for years to come.
  
• Share a love for reading
  Going to the library regularly as a family can help foster a love for reading and improve your children’s literacy. It can also generate livelier discussions at home! Share with each other what you’re reading, and discuss what you like or dislike about your book.
  
• Expressing true thanks on Thanksgiving
  At this year’s Thanksgiving meal, set a place at the table for Jesus – plate, cup, silverware and all! Have each family member write down on scraps of paper the things they are most thankful for. Heap your notes of thanks on Jesus’ plate and express your praise to Him in prayer.
  
• Sunday morning breakfast
  Begin the Sabbath together! Get up a little earlier than usual and enjoy a hot breakfast together. The extra time will allow your family the opportunity to be relaxed and to pray around the table – a great way to start your day of rest with God.
  
• Say cheese!
  Cindy K. from Alberta shared with us her tradition idea: “Every Mother’s Day since my two boys were born, we’ve taken a picture of the three of us in front of the same flowering tree. This shows how much the boys are growing. We can also see how far along the spring is coming by seeing if the tree is blooming yet (we’re farmers, so we like to compare). I also take a picture of them at our favourite summer holiday location. It’s in the same museum we visit every year. Another idea I’ve heard of is people taking a picture of their child in the same oversized shirt. This shows them growing into it. Very cute!”
  
• Lights after “lights out”
  Make it a summertime tradition to take your family on a camping trip, away from the glow of bright city lights. Then, take in the glory of a cloudless, starry night sky! Spend the night sleeping on air mattresses or sleeping bags out in an open area where you have a sweeping view of the sky. Sky-watching around August 12 is an optimal time to see shooting stars. Since best viewing occurs between 11 p.m. and sunrise, this activity is more appropriate for older children. However, to make younger children feel included, purchase a few packages of birthday “sparklers” ahead of time, then light them up after dark for a spectacular display. Your “shooting stars” will blaze their own trail as you swirl them through the darkness.
• Celebrating Dad
  Flowers don’t seem quite appropriate on Father’s Day? Put a fun spin on this gift idea by presenting Dad with a “bouquet” of tools, ties, gift cards, fancy pens or other items he’ll enjoy. For that finishing touch, wrap your bouquet in blue ribbon.
  
• Mother’s Day picnic
  Celebrate Mom with a picnic basket packed and ready to go! Toss in her favourite treats, a camera, blanket and utensils – and whisk her off to a secret destination.
• Staying in touch
  When grandparents live far away, make it a tradition to place a weekly family call. Take turns passing the phone around, and make sure to send photos as often as possible. If distance isn’t a factor, invite grandparents over for a weekly or monthly family meal.
• Easter morning breakfast
  Celebrate Easter morning by enjoying a special breakfast of hot cross buns or other family breakfast favourites. Read the Resurrection story from the Bible and reflect on the true significance of Jesus' life and death.
• Spread the love
  Cut out large paper hearts and tape one to each family member's bedroom door. On Valentine's Day, write on the hearts what you love most about each other.
• Let's hear our cheer!
  Celebrate exciting moments together as a family by creating your own unique family cheer. Great opportunities to recite the cheer include pulling out of the driveway to begin a vacation, or when a member of the family perfects a new skill, such as riding their bike without training wheels.
• Family excursions everyone will enjoy
  Invest in a season pass to your local aquarium, zoo or museum. Pick a Saturday each month for a fun, informative family adventure.
• Take a drive!
  Pile into the car with a Thermos of hot chocolate and drive through town, searching for the home with the best Christmas lights.
• Take a leap!
  Enlist your children and their neighbourhood friends to rake leaves for elderly residents. Create a huge pile in your front yard and have a leaf-jumping competition.
• Enjoy the pick of the season
  Take advantage of fall's delicious seasonal produce by taking your family on a trip to your local pumpkin patch, apple orchard or farmer's market. Enlist the whole family in picking the biggest, roundest pumpkins or the sweetest looking apples. Once home, have a pumpkin-carving night or bake your own homemade apple pies.
• Move dinnertime outside!
  Welcome in fall by moving dinner outdoors for a festive fall picnic. Bundle up, bring a thermos of hot chocolate and play catch or Frisbee to keep warm.
• Dinnertime prayer
  Praying together as a family is a wonderful opportunity to hear what’s on each other’s hearts. Make it a tradition to take turns praying before your meal. Assign each family member a day (or days) of the week to say grace. Or, take turns each night praying for one need at a time, going in a circle until Mom or Dad says “Amen.”
• Kick off the school year together!
  Whether your kids are dreading or eagerly anticipating the beginning of another school year, start off this next season of life with a bang! Throw a Back-to-School party, and have your kids invite their friends. Reflect on the highlights of the summer and the exciting prospects ahead.
• Bond together during after-dinner walks
  Taking a short walk together after your meal can set the tone for the evening. Take the family dog and set out for 15-20 minutes around your neighbourhood. Walk the same route each night or switch it up. If there are horses nearby, take some apple slices or carrot sticks to feed them. If there’s a park, bring along a Frisbee or ball for the dog while your kids play on the swings. Walking helps digestion, reenergizes everyone and can even help kids focus on their homework once they return home. Consider inviting your neighbours to join you!
• Start a weekly Family Night
  As kids grow up, it can be hard to find time to spend together as a family. Try starting a Family Night once a week. Order pizza or make dinner together, watch movies and play games. This way, family time is regular – but also creative and fun.
• Surprise your loved ones with lunchtime love notes
  On the morning of a big test, an audition, a special event – or even during a tough week at school – stuff a note of encouragement into your child’s lunch box or backpack. This idea is great for Mom and Dad, too! Encourage your kids to tuck a love note into your spouse’s pocket, purse or briefcase (or leave your own romantic note for your spouse).
• Celebrate your child’s “big moments”
  After your child’s big game, recital, play, competition or accomplishment, make it a tradition to treat him or her to a favourite meal, dessert, outing or special treat at home. Whether or not your child was the “winner,” you can celebrate their good attitude and affirm them for helping another child, being respectful, playing fair or listening to their coach or teacher.
• Using disposable cameras, create a new tradition this summer!
  Buy your children their own disposable cameras and ask them to capture their favourite moments on film. Once you’ve printed the pictures, spend an evening as a family creating a “Best of Summer 2007” scrapbook or photo album.
• Grow your own family garden
  Gardening is a great way to bond as a family – whether you have a backyard vegetable patch, a collection of plants and flowers on your balcony or a kitchen-counter herb garden. Each spring or summer, decide as a family what kind of garden you want, and make a trip to your local nursery or plant store. Have each child pick out the seeds or plants they want to grow. Take turns watering and caring for your garden, or assign a section of the garden to each family member.
• Say “I love you” in a new way
  A special object left around the house can be a unique and unexpected way to say “I love you.” As a family, pick out an easily recognizable object (such as an oddly shaped rock, small stuffed animal, painted pinecone or even an old baby shoe). This object will symbolize a message of love and encouragement (don’t forget to use real words, too!). When your child is having a tough day or when you want to remind them that they’re loved, place the object in their shoe, on their pillow, next to their toothbrush or anywhere they’ll be sure to discover it. Take turns leaving the object in unexpected places, and when it’s not being used, make sure you keep it in a place where everyone can find it.

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