Today is Sunday morning and yesterday I was able to work some but then my head began to hurt and I ended up getting off the computer. I wasn’t able to get everything I wanted to done. But that is the nice part when you work for yourself you can stop when you need to and pick up the work when you have time.

David is at work this morning. Gerald is downstairs on the couch and Charlie is sleeping. I’m trying to get a little bit of work done this morning before everyone gets up and decides they need things and I can’t work. I made a plan for them this morning for them showing them what they can do when everyone is home and nobody has a big , little or even a medium plan.

Sunday morning arrives. Nobody has school and sometimes adult don’t have work. Nobody has to rush out the door. And for once, the alarm clock isn’t screaming at everyone to get moving. It sounds wonderful. Until somebody asks: “What are we doing today?”

Sometimes families have weekend plans. There may be a birthday party, a soccer game, a family gathering, or somewhere everyone needs to be. But sometimes there isn’t. Sometimes you simply have a Saturday or Sunday with nowhere to go and nothing planned.

And honestly? Those can be some of the best weekends. You don’t need a packed calendar to have a good family day. You don’t need to spend a lot of money. And you don’t have to keep everyone entertained every minute. Sometimes you just need a few ideas to get things started.

Not every weekend needs to begin at 7:00 in the morning with a schedule and I thank the LORD for that and it’s what makes me grateful, thankful and blessed for weekends. Let everybody sleep a little later. You can have breakfast and drink your coffee in peace and quiet.

Once the kids get up let the kids play. Put on some music. Enjoy being home. One of the nicest things about a weekend is having time that doesn’t feel rushed. Give your family permission to simply enjoy that. Take the time to enjoy each other and spend time together.

Even though you had breakfast earlier take the time to sit down with your family and have a family breakfast and remember breakfast doesn’t have to be fancy. You can have the kids help you make Pancakes. Eggs. if anyone wants them. Or you could let everyone have there favorite Cereal.

Fix whatever you normally have. But let the children help. Someone can set the table and someone can pour the juice. Older kids can help cook. Someone can choose the music. You might even let everyone stay in pajamas. There is something special about a slow family breakfast when nobody is worried about being late.

Instead of planning an entire weekend, give everyone a few choices. Would you rather: Build something? Play outside? Read? Make something? Play a board game? Bake? Have a picnic? Work on a puzzle? Watch a family movie later? Everyone doesn’t have to choose the same thing. That’s important.

A screen-free weekend doesn’t mean every person has to participate in one giant family activity. Sometimes Mom reads while one child builds something and another plays outside. Being together doesn’t mean doing exactly the same thing. Nake sure you include the pets in your plans..

This may sound old-fashioned, but that’s part of the fun. Pull out the board games you’ve had sitting in the closet. Play cards. Work on a puzzle. Teach the children a game you played when you were young. Let them teach you one of theirs. And don’t worry about whether everybody follows the rules perfectly. Sometimes the arguments over who won become part of the family story.

Lets the kids help you create a Living-Room Picnic You don’t need a park. Spread a blanket on the living-room floor. Make sandwiches. Add some fruit or whatever snacks you already have. Then sit down together and have a picnic. Children often think something is exciting simply because you’ve changed the location. A regular lunch suddenly becomes an adventure. And you didn’t have to pack the car.

Give children a challenge. Find things you can buildings out of. Then ask the kids if they can build the tallest tower? Can you make a house? Can you create a bridge? Can you build something using only cardboard? Can you make a fort? You don’t necessarily need a specific building toy. Boxes, paper, cups, blankets, pillows, and other things around the house can become building supplies. The goal isn’t perfection. It’s imagination.

When Charlie and Suzzane were little we used to have a Family Cooking Day. The kitchen can become the activity. Make cookies or bake muffins. Make homemade pizza or decorate cupcakes. Prepare sandwiches for lunch. Let the children help measure ingredients.

Older children can learn cooking skills. Younger children can help with simple tasks. And yes, the kitchen may be messier afterward. That’s okay. Sometimes memories are worth a little extra cleanup. Plus, if you have dogs they will be glad to help you clean up any meeses that hit the floor.

If the weather cooperates, take advantage of it. You don’t have to plan an expensive outing. Go for a walk or play ball and let the dogs play. Draw with sidewalk chalk or blow bubbles. Look for birds. Have a scavenger hunt. Water plants or sit on the porch. Read outside. Let the children make up a game. Sometimes children don’t need an organized activity. They just need to get outside and have room to move.

You can make ordinary outdoor time feel like an adventure. Give the children a list: Find something red. Find three different leaves. Find a rock. Find something that makes a sound. Find something soft. Find something that smells good. Find something you’ve never noticed before. Suddenly they’re exploring their own yard like it’s a completely new place. And you didn’t spend a penny.

When Charlie and Suzzane was little I used to let them plan the day and that was one of my favorite ideas. Tell the children: “You get to plan our family activity.” Give them a few boundaries. Maybe it has to be free. Maybe it has to happen at home. Maybe everybody has to be able to participate. Then let them come up with something. They may surprise you. And even if their idea doesn’t work exactly as planned, they’re learning how to make decisions, organize an activity, and think about other people’s needs.

A family weekend isn’t all fun and games. But chores don’t have to ruin the day either. Put on some music and work together. Clean bedrooms and pick up toys. Fold laundry. Straighten the living room. Work in the yard. Organize a closet. Give the dogs a bath. Then stop.

The house doesn’t have to be perfect. The children are learning that everyone contributes to the home. And afterward, you’ve earned some relaxing time. Now, grab a book and read for 10 Minutes for our 10 Minute reading challenge and earn a ticket in our ticket challenge because we all know the weekend is a wonderful time to slow down with a book.

Everyone can choose something to read. Mom can read and Dad can read. The kids can read and the pets can be read to. You can even have a family reading hour where everybody settles into a comfortable spot and reads quietly. There doesn’t have to be a test afterward. There doesn’t have to be a lesson but sometimes reading is simply something we do because we enjoy it.

Here’s a simple activity you can start with almost nothing. Take a jar, box, or container and create a Memory Jar. Then have everyone write down something funny, sweet, surprising, or memorable that happened during the weekend. Put the notes inside. At the end of the year, open them.

You may discover that the things your family remembers aren’t the big expensive outings. They’re the little things. The silly joke or the burnt cookies. The blanket fort. The board-game argument. The afternoon everybody stayed in pajamas. The family picnic on the floor. Those are the moments that become stories.

I wanted to remind you Screen-Free Doesn’t Mean Screen-Perfect. And let’s be realistic. I don’t believe every family needs to spend every weekend completely without technology. Sometimes you’ll watch a movie together. Sometimes someone needs the computer. Sometimes the adults need a little quiet. That’s life.

The goal of this post isn’t to convince parents that screens are evil. It’s to remind us that screens don’t have to be the default answer every time we’re bored. There are other choices. And children need opportunities to discover them in a safe environment with there friends and family.

I think that’s one of the biggest lessons we can give our children is we don’t have to go anywhere to have an adventure. You don’t have to spend money and you don’t need reservations. You don’t need an activity center and you don’t need a packed schedule. Sometimes all you need is a Sunday afternoon, a little imagination, and a family willing to try something different

So the next time the weekend arrives and someone asks: “What are we doing today?” Maybe the answer can be: “I don’t know. Let’s figure it out together.” Then open the door. Look around the house. Put away the phones for a little while. And see what your family can create.Because the best weekends aren’t always the ones where you went somewhere. Sometimes they’re the ones where everybody stayed home and made memories together.

Thank you,

Glenda, Charlie and David Cates