Our Favorite Family Traditions

When I look back on my childhood and adolescent years, I have vivid memories of certain events that happened over and over again. The repetition became a way to mark the days and the seasons as I grew older, and left many hooks to hang the memories of my youth.

As an adult, I treasure those memories so much. They bring me simple joy as I reminisce on favorite traditions and good times I shared with my sisters.

I still remember the thrill of catching crayfish down at the creek on hot, summer evenings, or busily crafting our diy stocking gifts for each other in cold December.

Today as a Mama of three little ones, I find myself watching my children make their own memories together, and reliving the joy of my own memories through them.

I hope this post inspires you to steal a few of our traditions and make them into your own!

10 of our favorite family traditions:

Family bike rides– We love to be outside! Since our kids were babies, you could find us walking around town, hiking on trails, or playing in our yard. One of our current favorite ways to explore our town is by going on family bike rides. Our daughter is old enough to confidently ride her own bike, and our boys absolutely love being toted on the back of our bikes.

We have lots of sidewalks and neighborhoods around us so it’s a safe way to explore and spend an afternoon or evening outdoors together. We have our favorite loops, so it’s easy for our daughter to remember our rules of safety for biking.

To make it extra special, sometimes on the weekend we’ll bike to a favorite ice cream shop and share a treat before biking back home. 

Telling stories- Our daughter has a big imagination and loves any kind of adventurous story. A few months ago, she became really entertained by storytelling– asking for us to make up a story for her. These stories don’t need to have any certain characters or events in them, but they must always have a funny part, sad part, and sometimes even a mean part (which can be a great teachable moment!). 

It’s not always easy making up a brand new, exciting story several times a day, but this brings her so much joy and encourages her sense of wonder about the world and relationships.

Each day, she gets two stories. I try to make these special times when I can give her my undivided attention. Some stories are silly and others have teachable moments of right and wrong. Sometimes I cycle back to the same character traits we’ve been reading about in our bible stories, as a way to integrate those principles into her daily life. 

Campfire and s’mores in the fireplace- As soon as the weather turns chilly and crisp, our family anticipates nights that we can have a crackling fire in our fireplace. I love the glow of a cozy fire and the kids love having s’mores.

It’s not uncommon for the kids to ask to have a fire (and of course s’mores) every weekend! The sound of the fire cracking, snuggling in blankets on the floor, eating gooey s’mores— it all creates such a peaceful escape from our normal summer routine. 

The dark winter nights are a reminder that just as nature goes into a season of rest, we too should take this opportunity to enjoy a season of stillness. 

Sunday night dinners at Grandma’s house- When my husband and I first got married, my Mom decided that since my sisters and I were all living so close to each other, we should begin having family dinners each week. 

This tradition has gone on for over 9 years and is one that is an anticipated part of our weekly schedule. Taking time out of everyone’s busy week to gather together, share a meal, and fellowship with each other as the cousins play and make their own memories is something that we greatly cherish. 

My sisters and I each contribute by bringing a dish to each dinner. Sometimes it’s a certain theme (like Mexican or make your own pizzas), and other times we go back to our old favorites. Not only do we anticipate a hot meal, but also the time to connect with each other.

Day trips to Cape May or NYC- One of the personality traits that initially attracted me to my husband, Mike, back in college was that he was always up for an adventure. Over the years, I too have developed a sense of spontaneity and adventurousness. 

Even with three young children, there aren’t too many occasions that we pass down the opportunity for a day trip or invitation to hang out with friends. 

Day trips are the sweet spot for us. Like many kids, overnight traveling doesn’t always make for the most relaxing of times! Day trips are the perfect way to spend the whole day exploring a new city, museum, park, or location. And the best part is that everyone can sleep in their own bed that evening.

Our favorite places to do day trips (and our kids ask to go to these 2 places regularly!) are Cape May, NJ and New York City. 

We’ve done about a dozen day trips to these places with our kids the past few years. The key to our success is simple– adjust your expectations and leave room for pleasant surprises. 

We don’t set out to have a “relaxing, laid-back kind of day”. Instead, we go into these day trips with an adventurous spirit and know that kids will be kids, they’ll have meltdowns, eat too many snacks, be off their napping schedule, but overall we’re making special memories. 

We’ve done these two day trips so many times that we now have a routine for what to do, where to visit, places to eat, items to pack, and how much time to spend at each place. 

Making birthdays special- Everyone’s birthday happens one day a year, so why not show your child that they are the most special, treasured, little boy or girl on that day? Showing love to others and being loved in return are ways that we can teach our children to develop meaningful love memories. 

Sally Clarkson is one of my role-models– she exemplifies so much of the Christ-centered mother that I hope to become one day. Birthdays were an extraordinary celebration in her home, and after reading The Life Giving Home, I too wanted to make that day special for my own children. 

Our birthday mornings begin with a special breakfast– a beautifully filled table complete with a combination of flowers, candles, our special china plates, an assortment of cards and presents, and yummy favorite foods at the request of the birthday child. Hot cocoa is always on the menu!

During breakfast, we go around and tell the birthday child a verbal affirmation of our love. This can be challenging for young kids, but we encourage them to tell the birthday sibling what they most appreciate about them. 

Everyone likes being complimented and admired, but when you see the joy that it creates in a child as he or she is being filled up with love and affection, this act not only builds up their self-esteem and confidence, but also allows the other children to reflect on what makes the birthday child so treasured. 

Breakfast devotions– Beginning in the spring of 2020, we started incorporating a time of family devotions during our breakfast routine. Our faith is an important part of our lives, and so it’s something that we desire to share with our children. And like many others at this time, my husband was working from home, which allowed him to be present at this time of day. 

We found that it was a time when the whole family was at the table and the kids were entertained with eating their breakfast but were still alert enough to engage in reading, discussion, and asking lots of questions.

Dates (with the kids!)- When we show our children affection and one-on-one attention, they thrive on that kind of personal intimacy. With 3 young kids, it’s not always easy to give them this kind of attention as often as we’d like, but through our “dates” we’re able to do something out of our normal routine and focus our efforts on that one child for a few hours. Read lots more about how date nights are successful and fun in our home in this post! 

Date nights are our kids’ special time with Mommy or Daddy where we can give them all of our attention without having to be pulled away by the needs of their other siblings. 

Mike and I plan to do dates with our kids (beginning around age 3) on a regular monthly basis. These dates can be planned in advance, or even more last minute. Either way, the kids absolutely love this alone time with us.

Here are some of their favorite dates:

• Out for ice cream
• A bike ride to a playground
• Going to the movies
• Visiting a coffee shop

Advent calendar- I began doing an Advent Calendar with our daughter when she was 2 years old as a way to celebrate the coming of Christ during the Christmas season. It’s been one of our family’s favorite traditions and one that we all look forward to each December!

Our Advent calendar is made up of 25 little bags clipped onto string and hung on an old window frame. Each bag is filled with two little cards– one card is a short bible verse that is simple and easy for young kids to understand and memorize, and the other is a card that shows a special activity, event, or little present. 

Our primary focus is teaching our children the Nativity story of Jesus’ birth through reading different scripture verses so we always begin each day with that part. The activity card is not a necessary part of an Advent calendar, but helps us celebrate this joy-filled season as we get to do many special traditions that only happen each December!

Some of our favorite activities are opening new Christmas books, seeing train displays, donating food to the local pantry, seeing the light display at Refreshing Mountain Camp, caroling at the nursing home, bringing cookies to neighbors, getting hot cocoa at a coffee shop, and taking a day-trip to see the giant Christmas tree in our favorite city, New York City! 

Playing in the creek- Like I mentioned earlier, we love to be outside exploring nature! One of our favorite ways to explore nature right around our home is by walking to the nearby creek and seeing what kinds of creatures we can find living there. This is always a highlight of our summer evenings and an activity that takes hardly any prep, but results in hours of fun! 

Our kids usually wear their bathing suits and water shoes, carry a bag for collecting some treasures, and they’re all set! I find that playing in the creek allows for so many authentic learning opportunities since they get to observe firsthand this fascinating ecosystem.