Twenty Fun Ideas for Large Families

by Emily B.
​from Virtuous Daughters, May 2009~Volume 9, Number 2

We have, at one time or another, used all of these ideas in our family! Some of them became such favorites that they are often requested by the younger ones. :) I hope your family will enjoy them as well

1. ​Play the timer game. One person or group hides a ticking kitchen timer in a specific room or area. The other group then comes into the room, looking and listening for it. Everyone must be quiet. The group that hid the timer can give hot or cold hints to the others if needed.
2. Involve younger children in your projects (gardening, cooking, cleaning . . .) as much as possible. It may take you longer to get done, but will be fun for the younger ones.
3. Have a tea party with your little sisters.
4. Teach younger siblings a worthwhile skill, such as basic sewing, crocheting, knitting, or embroidery.
5. Build a tent out of chairs and blankets and play house!
6. If your parents permit, remove all the cushions from your couches, and place them in a circle on the floor. Let little ones bounce around on them like an indoor trampoline. We have older couches and the little ones are allowed to do this. It can get wild, so avoid injuries by making sure that no one falls and hits his head. :)
7. While you have the cushions out, build houses on the couches with them. The back of the couch serves as one wall, and cushions are propped up for the other wall and the roofs. Blankets could be used for roofs as well. When the houses “fall over” continually, (sometimes with a little help :)), it’s time to pick up!
8. Parents or older siblings can tell “voice” stories to the little ones at bedtime, of favorite memories from when they were younger.
9. While on vacation one year, we decided to try something different rather than go out for ice-cream, which can get expensive. We went to a supermarket and bought a half-gallon of ice-cream and a can of chocolate syrup. It was much cheaper, even though we had no way of saving what was leftover. Everyone got good-sized servings, too!
10. Take advantage of town parks for family outings. Pack a picnic lunch or bring the grill and some hotdogs. A couple of years ago, we started doing this almost every Friday in the summer! It is a lot of fun!
11. Locate and use the playgrounds in your area. The little ones love this! Surprise them with hints to see if they can guess which one you are on your way to.
12. Make and/or have everyone sign “get-well” or “thinking of you” cards for sick or elderly friends and relatives.
13. Be a blessing by raking an elderly neighbor’s yard together. Many hands make light work!
14. Create a scavenger hunt with lists of things to see, hear, or collect.
15. Go on a nature hike!
16. Before visiting a museum or zoo, add up the admissions cost for each person and see if it would be cheaper to purchase a membership. Then, you can go back often!
17. Have little ones play sock or beanbag toss, throwing (gently) into a laundry basket. Increase the distance of how far away they stand as needed.
18. Make personal-pan-pizzas for dinner and let everyone choose their own toppings! This might not work for a really big family, depending on how many pizzas you can fit in your oven! Sometimes my siblings and I will do this when our parents go out for dinner.
19. Using sidewalk chalk, draw “roads” and “parking lots” on the driveway. Make the roads wide enough for the kids to ride their bikes or scooters on.
20. Find a jar and write activity ideas on small slips of paper, which will be placed in the jar. On days when a little person doesn’t know what to do, have them select a paper to give them ideas. Some activities could include: make cookies, do a puzzle, paint or color, etc., depending on the ages of the children.