15 Fabulously Fun Family Activities To Bring You Closer Together

It's the height of summer, which makes it an ideal time to spend time together as a family and enjoy long sunny days. But how do you proceed?

There are so many fun family activities available that we've compiled a list of 15 to get you started.

1. Go to museums.

Museum visits are both educational and fun, and they have a way of staying with you and making many positive memories for your children. Search Google to see what's around, or plan a day trip further afield to see what's on sale.

Take a look at this video to learn why going to museums is a good idea:

2. Take a hot air balloon ride.

It's summertime. It's hot. There are beautiful sunsets and stunning views to behold. Why not book a hot air balloon ride and make those unforgettable memories?

3. Prepare your food!

Teach your children how to cook, or learn a few new tricks yourself. The key benefit of cooking is that it is both enjoyable and provides an opportunity to instill a few good habits in your family's life.

Rather than reaching for the more common sugary snacks, why not make your own pizza with organic wholemeal flour?

Add some wheat germ to the dough mix, mush and pound it into shape, and then bake it with whatever toppings you want: asparagus with mushrooms and sweetcorn is my favorite.

Another one-of-a-kind recipe that I highly recommend is Yotam Ottolenghi's amazing cauliflower cake. It's unique and makes for an interesting topic when you bring it up with friends or family.

Or, if you want to keep it easy, make some popcorn.

Of course, there are several other recipes to try. The Green Kitchen app is unrivaled in terms of inspiration.

This one has a lot of nutritious and delicious recipes – it's not cheap, but for recipes like the immune-boosting turmeric lassi, it's well worth it.

Green Kitchen has also created a balanced dessert app, so you can really amp up the flavor of your meals while avoiding extra calories.

4. Go on a picnic

Do you know of a good stretch of the countryside or an urban park? Make a delicious lunch (you may have picked up a few ideas from #3) and go out for a meal outside.

Fine dining, lively conversation, and a rustic setting? It's fine.

5. Go treasure hunting

Geocaching is the world's biggest treasure hunt. It's a worldwide event in which people hide chests and leave notes for you to find in order to go on a treasure hunt. You can use the website's search function to find ones in your region.

6. Create a YouTube channel.

Start a YouTube channel – it's free and easy. You can vlog about something, or you can try something a little more ambitious, such as making a family film or filming the antics of a pet.

Don't expect fame or fortune from it; rather, consider it a creative outlet and a diary of your lives.

7. Begin a blog

Why not start a family blog and join the international blogging community? It's free to get started, thanks to services like WordPress. If you like it, you will pay to upgrade your account – a Personal Plan costs $36 per year.

What is the point of blogging? Blogging can be extremely satisfying if you have even a smidgeon of imagination. It's also a perfect way to meet new people from all over the world while also documenting what your family has been up to.

Looking back a few years later produces beautiful memories.

8. Read

It is well known how important reading is for children. They will extend their vocabulary and understand more about the world as a result of it.

There is also the Atlas Obscura series. It's a treasure trove of knowledge and interesting facts that will inspire you for your next vacation:

9. Learn more about movies.

You will appreciate their review in addition to watching movies. Kermode and Mayo's Film Review Show on the BBC is a great blend of wit, conversation, and reviews of the new releases.

Because of its global audience, the podcast, also known as the Church of Wittertainment, should become an important part of your life. There's also a Wittr app that allows you to find other Wittertainees (the term for listeners) all over the world.

The show's presenters bicker like an old married couple, but the numerous in-jokes will soon have you looking forward to Friday afternoons – it airs once a week at 2 pm BST.

10. Do some housework (in a fun way)

ChoreMonster is an interesting one unless you've seen the scene in Mary Poppins where you're duped into believing chores are enjoyable (for about 20 seconds).

This app changes everything, and it also involves your children. It's a perfect way to get them independent, having fun, and taking on new roles around the house – download the app, install it, and they'll be positively delighted to do the dishes from now on:

11. Go on a road trip

Roadtrippers and Waze are two apps that will help you plan a road trip. Where should I go? After you've finished the Atlas Obscura guide, you'll have several hundred new must-see destinations to add to your list.

Alternatively, you might take a tour of your neighborhood and become a local expert. No matter where you are, there is still something fun to do.

Do you need to be enough inspired? Take a peek at 16 of the World's Best Road Trips.

12. Be creative

You don't need anything more than paper, pens, pencils, coloring crayons, or paint to express yourself. Express yourself as a family, but there's more to it than that – as you can see in the TED video below, it allows us to better analyze the universe. That is perfect for young, developing minds.

13. Play a writing game 

Collaborative writing games can be a lot of fun. Exquisite corpse (perhaps give it a friendlier name for your kids!) is a favorite of mine – it's consistently hilarious.

This was introduced to me in primary school in the early 1990s. The effects are always surreal, ridiculous, and incredibly silly – if you like that kind of stuff, you'll have hours of laughs here.

You can also play the game with sketches. It was popular among Surrealist painters such as Pablo Picasso and Salvador Dali in the twentieth century; why not revive the game for a new generation?

14. Purchase a SNES Classic Mini

Nintendo's games are a lot of fun for people of all ages. Its most recent game console, the Switch, has some incredibly engaging titles. These include Mario Kart 8, Splatoon 2, Mario Tennis, Snipperclips, and Overcooked – ideal family entertainment.

If you don't want to pay for a brand new games console, you could get a NES Classic Mini or SNES Classic Mini – these are only in production until the end of 2018, and they can be difficult to find.

It's a bargain at $70 for the adorable, dinky SNES, which includes awesome classics like Super Mario Kart, Super Mario World, Donkey Kong Nation, and Yoshi's Island.

15. Do some voluntary work.

Look around your area for places where you can volunteer. Popular options include animal sanctuaries – there's bound to be a cat shelter nearby, so why not help re-home some cute felines while you're at it?

The added benefit is that it will teach your children empathy and doing good deeds for others, which is a fantastic personality attribute to have.

Which fun family activity ideas do you like most? Let us know in the comments below.