Sometimes the best family memories come from the dinner table. It can be a time for laughter, deep gratitude, and growth. There are quite a few health benefits provided by family dinners. According to the Family Dinner Project, family dinners can help with higher self-esteem, better academic performance, and of course, better nutrition. Not only can nightly family dinners create great conversation, but can be bonding experiences for everyone at the table.
Family dinners don’t always have to be about food. Incorporating games and activities into your family time can both jazz up the night and make for great entertainment! Try out one of these three dinner table games at your next family dinner, whether it be virtually or in-person!
Printable Table Mats:
If you have any picky eaters who have a hard time sitting through a meal, try printing out this printable table mat! Remember to provide them plenty of colored pencils to help them stay engaged at the table while working on the maze or word search.
Rose and Thorn:
This is an easier game to play with older children, but can be changed up for any age group! Everyone at the table will get the chance to tell their “rose”, which is the best thing that happened during the day, and their “thorn”, which is something that they did not enjoy or like. These can be great conversation starters and allow everyone the chance to reflect on their day.
Let’s Create a Story:
This is a fun game for the entire family to play and can help with working on creativity and thinking skills. One person will start with the beginning of the story, like “There once was a..”. Then the next person will continue the story by adding a sentence. The story will continue around the table for as long as desired. If you have any little artists at the table, ask them to draw out the story on a piece of paper to display in your kitchen till the next family game night!
