If you’re a mom of school-aged children and you just finished the first week or two of school, how do you plan to celebrate? It is an occasion that merits some family fun! Why not go out and let everyone get their own whopper scoop of ice cream in their favorite flavor? Too expensive, you say? I have an idea I bet your whole family will love!
Let’s face it, saying to your children, “We don’t need to go out for ice cream; we have a gallon of French Vanilla at home” just doesn’t exactly break open the family fun! But last week when I was at Kroger and saw all the pints on sale for $1.25, my first thought was, “That would make a great Family Fun treat!” Who wouldn’t want a small container all their own?!
Here’s what you do: Find the grocery store in your area that has their pints of ice cream on sale. Bring the whole family and let each one choose their own pint! Rather than breaking the bank at the local ice cream shop, let each family member choose their favorite and dig in! For those that don’t eat it all, write their name on the lid and store it fin the freezer or another day.
While you enjoy your ice cream, talk with your family about what went well during the first couple weeks of school. Ask what they enjoyed and what they found difficult. Commend them where responded well, and encourage them in their weak areas.
Be creative and join the ice cream trip with time at a local park, a bike ride on a bike path, or a yard game like frisbee, Wiffle Ball, or croquet.
If you’re not into ice cream (really?!), you could do the same thing with another treat everyone loves. Go to the Dollar Tree and let everyone pick out their own box of those “movie theater boxes” of candies. You could also choose individual servings of…
- Sodas
- Small bags of chips
- Fruit (local Famer’s Market or apple orchard)
You can stay on budget and also do a little splurging when you get a little creative! The point is to spend time together and create some fun family memories in the process!
Do you have a family fun idea that helps stay within budget? I’d love for your to share!
Enjoy the long weekend!
RefreshHer 
Ice cream is always a good option! For a number of years I would use sidewalk chalk to write my children’s names and grade and year on the driveway and take pictures. We also did scavenger hunts which they always enjoyed. And a few times I set up the video camera and “interviewed” them about their start to school (even in years they homeschooled); those are fun to go back and watch as I would ask a mixture of serious and fun questions. Now they are 22, 19, and 17 with the oldest and youngest seniors in college and high school. I love the family God gave us, and I’m thankful to have sweet memories even in the difficult years we’ve been through. That’s why it’s important to put forth the effort and to celebrate even when life is heavy; loving others in that way is worth it.
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These are great ideas, Karen! Thank you so much for sharing this! Iām sure those videos are indeed a treasure! We all go through difficult times, but even in the midst of it God gives precious memories.š
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