by Stefanie Plum, Gather Partner Team
Member since:
February 19, 2008

Gather Family Chat, Today @ 3:30PM ET. What Are Your Favorite Family Activities? Win 250 Gather Points®!

February 06, 2009 10:20 AM EST (Updated: February 06, 2009 10:24 AM EST)
views: 189 | rating: 10/10 (20 votes) | comments: 282

Family time and traditions are very important. And there are lots of great ways that you can enjoy your special time with the family. Does your family enjoy playing board games? Do you gather together and try a new recipe? Whatever your favorite family activity is, share it with all of us!

Join us for a live chat today at 3:30pm ET to discuss your favorite family activity. You might find a new, fun activity that your family will love!

The chat will take place in this article’s comment field today from 3:30-4:00PM ET. This is an open forum for you to have fun talking about all of the good times you’ve all had with your families! You'll need to refresh your browser to see new comments. One Gather member will be randomly selected to receive 250 Gather Points®!

Share more family tips and advice in the Family Essential. Click here to join today.>>

Note: The lucky Gather Points® recipient will be announced at the end of this discussion in the comment thread so be sure to check back!

Looking for new, fun recipes for the family? Try anything from New Orleans and they’ll love its jazzy taste!
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Comments: 282

♥♥LoViNg♥LiFe♥ ♥♥ Feb 6, 2009, 11:11am EST
I hope I remember to come back.
Janet Somewhere Up On The Mount Feb 6, 2009, 11:16am EST
Won't be on then but have a nice chat everyone.
Good Luck all.
I might not be on at that time. Besides, we don't have any fun around here, lol.
B.B. B. Feb 6, 2009, 11:31am EST
i have to go to the grocery store today... i may not make it... but you all have fun
Nancy S. Feb 6, 2009, 11:32am EST
I'll try to remember to get back here.
Shawnee G. Feb 6, 2009, 11:38am EST
I always forget to get on when chats happen.. maybe I can remember this one. LOL.
Mary (diet dr pepper junkie) T. Feb 6, 2009, 12:49pm EST
Can I start early? While I do love playing board games with the family, the boys have of course progressed into this decade by playing their XBox and Playstation, and they absolutely love it when we play too. My son gets such a kick out of beating my husband on Gears of War, and he keeps trying to get me to play but I'm not much for shoot-em-up games. So when I got a Wii for Christmas, my sons and I have started playing tennis, darts, shuffleboard and bowling together. I love spending this time with my boys because very soon they will be going off to college and won't have time for me (big sigh) so I'll take every spare moment with them I can get. My eldest son loves being able to beat me at Wii bowling because he can't beat me at regular bowling. My younger son shows off his 'skills' at basketball and outdoes the whole house. Time together is my most favorite and cherished thing in my life.

Happy Chat, everyone!
Denise B. Feb 6, 2009, 1:08pm EST
I'll try to come back but the kids are home from school today so they take priority :)
Dagmara H. Feb 6, 2009, 1:22pm EST
I will try to come back
Stefanie Plum, Gather Partner Team Feb 6, 2009, 2:09pm EST
Hi everyone! Glad to see you'll be here at 3:30pm. I'm sure it'll be a great chat!
Angela A. Feb 6, 2009, 2:14pm EST
I have to pick up my son from school at 3:30.
golds g. Feb 6, 2009, 3:13pm EST
As a family we watch movies and my siblings and I play games even though we're all in our teens or in our 20's! We really like monopoly its so much fun and deals we make while playing ...
Trish A. Feb 6, 2009, 3:15pm EST
Mary, that's so funny, I was going to write about our Friday Fun Nights. When the girls were young we would plan games etc. every Friday. Usually we would splurge on a Pizza and then we would all sit around a wonderful large table to play games. Sometimes each member of our family would pick out a game to play.

Now that the girls are grown some of my fondest memories at their places are playing games. Each year there seems to be a favored game. This year it was Presidental Scrabble and bowling on the wii.
Netty B. Feb 6, 2009, 3:16pm EST
I think I will just keep the page open now and refresh, getting close to the time for the chat....
Netty B. Feb 6, 2009, 3:17pm EST
All of our kids are grown and gone, but we used to have "Girls Night In": junk food, movies, maybe play cards etc.
Mary (diet dr pepper junkie) T. Feb 6, 2009, 3:17pm EST
oooh, what's Presidential Scrabble? I love word games, and the boys never want to play me. I have to play online to get my word game 'fix'.
Netty B. Feb 6, 2009, 3:21pm EST
Scrabble is probably my fav board game, followed my Yahtzee and then Monopoly...
♥ Adair ♥ K. Feb 6, 2009, 3:22pm EST
We used to do movie night, but as the girls got older and their own lives, we stopped doing that.

My youngest and I love to play the Wii. My hubby ususally gets involved after a little while. We laugh and have a great time.

Back to work for me.
Carol B Feb 6, 2009, 3:26pm EST
Sorry can't stay but wanted to put something here. When my children were little we loved long walks in the woods. We would pick different areas with trails or not. They would look for all the interesting things that you could find in the woods. It was a lot of fun for them and also my husband and I as we were seeing things through their eyes. And the best part is it doesn't cost anything and you can go for 1/2 hour or spend most of the day.
Mason Hensel Feb 6, 2009, 3:30pm EST
i learned to cook with my family as a child, so sharing meals is a big thing for me and mine.
CC Miranda the artrat (or am i?) Feb 6, 2009, 3:30pm EST
my stepmom and i are huge scrabble fanatics.
CC Miranda the artrat (or am i?) Feb 6, 2009, 3:30pm EST
we would get together every sunday for scrabble and "nibbies" for dinner.
Denise B. Feb 6, 2009, 3:31pm EST
HI!!
Denise B. Feb 6, 2009, 3:31pm EST
for fun family traditions- we have one my parents started
and we have all kept up. On your Birthday, you not only make your wish
you have to make the first cut, and get the FIRST piece of cake,
and before anyone can have a bite you have to take your first bite
- by going around your head with a fork full of cake and get ALL of it in your mouth
it is fun and funny. We all complain (especailly as we get older)
but sectertly love doing it.
Denise B. Feb 6, 2009, 3:32pm EST
For family fun times we love game night and move night - kids get to choose. I make a
fun (easy) dinner and popcorn or nachos.
Mason Hensel Feb 6, 2009, 3:32pm EST
my grandmother always said i should be a chef. turns out she was right.
charity kimball ツ Feb 6, 2009, 3:32pm EST
hello all :)
CC Miranda the artrat (or am i?) Feb 6, 2009, 3:32pm EST
about a year ago, my dad and stepmom discovered a dominoes game called Mexican Train.
Trish A. Feb 6, 2009, 3:32pm EST
Mary, Presidential Scrabble is great. There is a card for each president and you can do different things in he game for each president. For example one card allows you to write a foreign word (Johnson) another allows you to mispell a word after saying "I'm not a crook" (Nixon.)
Mason Hensel Feb 6, 2009, 3:33pm EST
now my girlfriend and i enjoy cooking together as she used to be a chef also.
Denise B. Feb 6, 2009, 3:33pm EST
For together times my kids enjoy learning to cook and bake with me.
They love cracking eggs and for this I have learned that it is best for them to crack them
into a small bowl first, check for shell, and then let them add them to the mixing bowl :)
JoAnne D. Feb 6, 2009, 3:33pm EST
I'm so glad I made it on time. I was trying to think what things we've come to enjoy as a group.
CC Miranda the artrat (or am i?) Feb 6, 2009, 3:33pm EST
every time we get together, we spend hours playing it, stopping only long enough to eat.
Mason Hensel Feb 6, 2009, 3:34pm EST
reading is another big thing for us. we all like to read the same types of books, so we will pass books to each other and then chat about various points in the books.
Trish A. Feb 6, 2009, 3:34pm EST
CC, Mexican Train is one of my parent's favorite games. I can't tell you how many hours we have spent playing that game.
JoAnne D. Feb 6, 2009, 3:34pm EST
With busy work schedules it is sometimes hard to find that special family time.
Netty B. Feb 6, 2009, 3:34pm EST
When our daughter is home from College, we go on long bike rides.
Denise B. Feb 6, 2009, 3:34pm EST
and there is one thing I insist on - dinner at the table. I think it really make a difference and the kids can tell us about their day or concerns and we can all "connect"
CC Miranda the artrat (or am i?) Feb 6, 2009, 3:35pm EST
tee hee mason, now that i'm reading those books, i know what your talking about. ;P
CC Miranda the artrat (or am i?) Feb 6, 2009, 3:35pm EST
trish, they got a new set for christmas, but we haven't had a chance to sit down together to play it.
CC Miranda the artrat (or am i?) Feb 6, 2009, 3:36pm EST
it's the only game my dad enjoys playing.
JoAnne D. Feb 6, 2009, 3:37pm EST
Sitting around just enjoying some conversation is a good way to catch up with things we may have missed during the week.
Mason Hensel Feb 6, 2009, 3:37pm EST
well it's about time you know what i'm talking about silly. :)
Robin"Buffy's Stunt Double" D. Feb 6, 2009, 3:37pm EST
We go camping together a few times a year and go hiking.
tonya brown Feb 6, 2009, 3:38pm EST
i'm here
j - Frugal Mom - r. Feb 6, 2009, 3:38pm EST
Hi everyone!

I don't think anyone will doubt me on this one. My favorite family activity is going to the beach:)
Robin"Buffy's Stunt Double" D. Feb 6, 2009, 3:38pm EST
Another thing we love to do is bake. Sometimes I lead, and other times I get to watch the kids "create" recipes.
Roberta Moto Feb 6, 2009, 3:38pm EST
spending time outdoors during the spring, summer and fall, we love boating, picking berries and just being outside
CC Miranda the artrat (or am i?) Feb 6, 2009, 3:38pm EST
my family up north is a lot different than my family down south. we don't play games, rather we just eat. a lot.
David S. Feb 6, 2009, 3:39pm EST
Okay, so I'm going to share my idea quick like and then be off. Every Monday night we get together and play games and have a fun time. It is a day that our kids look forward to and are disappointed when it doesn't happen for whatever reason. They love to play and have fun with us also, so we are always playing board games or other types of games with them at any given time as well.
Roberta Moto Feb 6, 2009, 3:39pm EST
My parents used to have people over evenings for carom, and we just ordered a board too and will try to get the kids into playing
Dagmara H. Feb 6, 2009, 3:39pm EST
hello, everyone, sorry I am little bit late
Netty B. Feb 6, 2009, 3:39pm EST
oh yes, important to eat dinner together
CC Miranda the artrat (or am i?) Feb 6, 2009, 3:40pm EST
we used to go to the beach as kids to visit other family that lived by the shore. that stopped in the 80's when it was discovered how bad the sun was for you and we got to an age where we all were doing our own thing.
Dagmara H. Feb 6, 2009, 3:40pm EST
My favorite family time is traveling and getting to know new places, cities , people, culture, food and customs
Roberta Moto Feb 6, 2009, 3:40pm EST
I'll watch a movie with the kids, recommend books to my teens, taught one of my daughters some skin seweing last winter, need to order more furs for hats when I can afford it
Netty B. Feb 6, 2009, 3:40pm EST
never heard of carom Roderta
Mason Hensel Feb 6, 2009, 3:40pm EST
funny how when you live near the beach, you don't go there as often.
Dagmara H. Feb 6, 2009, 3:40pm EST
I love to go to the beach too.
Trish A. Feb 6, 2009, 3:40pm EST
Going to the beach would be glorious!
Mary (diet dr pepper junkie) T. Feb 6, 2009, 3:41pm EST
Our boys are 14 & 16 and really don't have a lot of 'time' for the old people in the house (me & my husband) so anytime that we can play games together and just spend an evening laughing is the absolute best!

If you like strategy-type games that change....try the "House on Haunted Hill" - the game is never the same twice, and it really invites creative solutions and keeps everyone on their toes.
Hi everyone! I almost forgot this one!!
j - Frugal Mom - r. Feb 6, 2009, 3:41pm EST
My kids also loves to cook with me, but it is not really a family activity, since my husband never participates.
Sensational Sadie Sexy Senior Sitizen Feb 6, 2009, 3:41pm EST
My favorite family time is spent in the kitchen with us all pitching in preparing a meal.
Netty B. Feb 6, 2009, 3:42pm EST
Roberta, is it a billards game? I am googling..LOL
Roberta Moto Feb 6, 2009, 3:42pm EST
we brought our kids to other villages and introduced them to our relatives, mainly during family gathering times, regional meetings and such, it is important in our culture to introduce kids to their relatives in the extended family
tonya brown Feb 6, 2009, 3:42pm EST
can't wait to go to the beach
Stefanie Plum, Gather Partner Team Feb 6, 2009, 3:42pm EST
HI everyone! Seems like the chat is going well. Does anyone enjoying cooking as a family?
Candy S. Feb 6, 2009, 3:42pm EST
hello
Doyle ( IS SOOO 7 for 7 soon... ) C. Feb 6, 2009, 3:42pm EST
We take what we call Photo Safaris...Load up cameras and bags and head out somewhere. Even my Granddaughter has gone with us!
Andrea K. Feb 6, 2009, 3:42pm EST
I have the most memories of family spending time together at our cottage up north! I don't have a family of my own yet, but I truly enjoy the times we have up north, just being in the outdoors, playing family soccer, or softball games, swimming, waterskiing, fishing, jetskiing, so many endless possibilities, no chance to ever say you were bored!
Stefanie Plum, Gather Partner Team Feb 6, 2009, 3:42pm EST
Frugal Mom - What are your favorite recipes to make with the kids?
Netty B. Feb 6, 2009, 3:42pm EST
Mary, that makes me think of Clue, good game.
Candy S. Feb 6, 2009, 3:42pm EST
My whole family loves to cook. We love to cook with each other
Now that kyle is older we play cards and Yatzee as a family. Kyle and I also go to the movies together-Don doesn't like going!!
CC Miranda the artrat (or am i?) Feb 6, 2009, 3:42pm EST
i've taught my stepmom how to do watercolors and to draw as well.
Dagmara H. Feb 6, 2009, 3:43pm EST
MAry, thanks for the recommendation for the game. I will look for it. I am looking for soem game, that my husband would love too
Trish A. Feb 6, 2009, 3:43pm EST
When we lived in Illinois for a year (my husband was in grad. school and he was busy all the time) I planned Saturday adventures. Sometimes it would be a museum, other times a festival and even touring houses. The girls loved the Dana Thomas House by Frank Lloyd Wright.

My husband gave the family his entire attention and they would all wait to see what I had planned!
Cindy P. Feb 6, 2009, 3:43pm EST
I joined a campaign on Bzz Agent and received the Game Wave console and family games. We played that at Christmas, and now play it everytime we get together. It's a great game.
Doyle ( IS SOOO 7 for 7 soon... ) C. Feb 6, 2009, 3:43pm EST
"Does anyone enjoying cooking as a family? "

Nope. Get OUTTA my kitchen! I work alone in there. :o)
Candy S. Feb 6, 2009, 3:43pm EST
My family loves to bake but we also enjoy cooking meals together
j - Frugal Mom - r. Feb 6, 2009, 3:43pm EST
Mason, I have noticed the same thing. We have relatives, who have lived in Florida for years, and they go to the beach maybe once every two years.

When the weather is nice the boys and I try to go every weekend though, and sometimes we are able to convince my husband to come.
Sensational Sadie Sexy Senior Sitizen Feb 6, 2009, 3:43pm EST
Frugal, not many hubbies get into the cooking. Mine never did but the kids and I enjoyed working together in the kitchen.
Now that I'm alone I like to spend time on the phone or computer with them.
Andrea K. Feb 6, 2009, 3:43pm EST
Not to mention Scavenge Hunts, they occupy hours of time during the day! And it's a great thing to help kids explore the area!
Netty B. Feb 6, 2009, 3:43pm EST
Cooking! Yes Stef, my 8 year old Granddaughter can almost make homemade noodles on her own..lol
Roberta Moto Feb 6, 2009, 3:43pm EST
Carom is the board, and the game might be called crokenoe. there are rings about the size of checkers, the board has four pockets in the corners and you try to shoot all your colored pieces into the pockets before the other players
JoAnne D. Feb 6, 2009, 3:44pm EST
With the older kids, I think cooking is great. The younger ones enjoy it but it gets hard to not trip over them lol.
CC Miranda the artrat (or am i?) Feb 6, 2009, 3:44pm EST
i do miss the trips to New Hampshire and Vermont we all used to take. i haven't been able to go with them for a good 18 years now.
DiAnA D. Feb 6, 2009, 3:44pm EST
family games such as trivia pursuit and monopoly
We also enjoy spending time at the Lake in the Summer-we do alot there with the community and together-lots of fun!
Mooch -. Feb 6, 2009, 3:44pm EST
My favorite family activites are hiking along the trails by the Susquehanna river in Maryland, and looking for wildlife to photograph
Dagmara H. Feb 6, 2009, 3:44pm EST
Stefanie, we have really small kitchen, so if one cook other person have to be somewhere else, or we would never eat that dinner. But I am sure it will be nice to cook with my husband, maybe once when we will have a bigger kitchen. But I used to bake a lot with my mom , when I was a kid and that was really fun
DiAnA D. Feb 6, 2009, 3:44pm EST
i have some of the best memories from games played with the kids
Andrea K. Feb 6, 2009, 3:44pm EST
Scavenger**
Roberta Moto Feb 6, 2009, 3:45pm EST
Another game my parents would have people over for is Yatzhee, but carom is one of my favorite childhood memories
Trish A. Feb 6, 2009, 3:45pm EST
We used to cook with our family. When they all were home for Thanksgiving they each had their own part of the meal they created. My oldest daughter and her boyfriend, now husband made the dressing and our youngest made the turkey out of an apple.
tonya brown Feb 6, 2009, 3:45pm EST
my daughter and i used to always cook together,until the wonderful teenage years,now we just make desserts together during the holidays.i'm happy to get her involved in something.
Mason Hensel Feb 6, 2009, 3:45pm EST
frugal mom, i used to go whenever i got a chance to, but haven't been in a while. cc doesn't like to lay out much.
j - Frugal Mom - r. Feb 6, 2009, 3:45pm EST
Stefanie, my boys and I love to make pizzas and sausage in homemade crescent rolls. The boys basically loves anything they can use the dough roller:) They also love to make curries though, because I love to get help mixing the chicken and the spices, and they love to get dirty.