With the holidays upon you and more family time on the menu, here are some great ideas to celebrate family that you all can do together.

Create a time capsule for the year

Grab a glass bottle – one that you can close; a mason jar is perfect. Get together as a family and create your time capsule for the year.

Have each family member write a little note of how the year was, things they had fun doing, accomplishments they’re proud of, etc. They don’t have to be very long, but descriptive enough so that it’s fun to read them again sometime down the road. If the kids are little, they can draw instead of write, or they could dictate their note to you.

Have everyone put one small item in the time capsule. This could be something that represents an interest they have, or an event or trip.

Put all the goodies into the jar, then close the jar and save it for the future. You can open it one year later, when you are getting ready to create the current year’s time capsule. Your family will enjoy opening the previous year’s jar to see how things have changed.

Create art together

This is an especially fun project if you have a younger child. It’s easy, but it’s also incredibly special; and best of all, the art you create can be displayed in your house or in the nursery, or be given as a gift!

What you’ll need:

  • A canvas
  • Some washable craft paint – one color for each family member
  • A frame to house your canvas (optional)
  • Your hands!

Gather the family together and pour the paints into disposable paper plates, pie tins, or any other container that is large enough to fit your flat hand. (Use one container per color.)

Each family member will take turns to dip a hand into his or her respective paint color. One by one, have each person press the paint-dipped hand onto the canvas. Go in order from largest to smallest hand. Once done, add the year to the corner of the canvas to mark the date. And once dry, place your artwork in a frame if you’d like.

What you are left with is a piece of family art that captures time, and is sure to be loved for years to come.