Wholesome Family Recreation!!

Studies show that "the habits children develop early in their lives stay with them and are difficult to change... Youth observe their parents' behavior in sports programs and often mimic the behavior when they engage in sport programs on their own. Parents interest in helping their children become flexible and curious should spend quality playtime with them and model good sportsmanship, kindness and fair play. Time spent playing with children also helps them become more secure and independant" (Successful Marriages and Families pg. 230).  I believe that engaging our children in fun and meaningful activities will help us to be better parents, strenghthen the bonds within our families and most importantly, give our children a well balanced life! Here are a few ideas for wholesome family recreation:

1. Have an evening featuring the music, art, literature, or dance of your ancestors. For example, find out who the composers of that time were and what musical instruments people played. Play tapes or records of their native music, and discuss how it makes you feel.

Or, you could show photographs of paintings, carvings, and sculpture from the countries of your ancestors. Who are the artists and what do you like about their art?

Or, talk about the literature people read at the time your ancestors lived. Find a book, story, or poem to read from together. You might make a family project out of reading a whole book together.

If someone in your family is a dancer, have that person learn a native dance from the country of an ancestor and teach it to the family. Or, you can teach each other. Find pictures to show native dance costumes.

Watch for cultural activities in your area that feature arts from the countries of your ancestors. Attend as a family.

2. Celebrate Christmas by making presents that were popular during your grandparents' time (see Janet Brigham, "Christmas Presents from the Past," New Era, Dec. 1980, pp. 4041).

3. Serve a heritage dinner, with several kinds of foods if you have ancestors from several different cultures. Let the children make and decorate place mats. Also, make a pretty centerpiece for the table, perhaps out of flowers native to your ancestors' countries.

4. Make flannel-board figures and use them to tell stories from family journals and histories.

5. Past Relief Society Cultural Refinement lessons, which have covered many countries, may help you learn about the countries of your ancestors. Check with your ward library for copies of past Relief Society manuals, tapes, and filmstrips.

6. Decorate your home with the colors of your ancestors' flag. If you have Italian ancestors, use green, red, and white. If your people are Scottish, try to find out what their clan's plaid looked like. Use these colors in a throw pillow, a patchwork quilt, Christmas decorations, or a family banner.

7. Do you have artists or craftsmen among your own ancestors? Family histories—written or oral—may tell of the talents and interests of your ancestors. Talk about carrying on the arts and crafts in your family and about starting your own traditions.

Credit to: http://www.lds.org/hf/library/1,16866,4278-1,00.html?LibraryURL=/Curriculum/home%20and%20family.htm/family%20home%20evening%20resource%20book.htm/family%20activities.htm/our%20cultural%20heritage.htm