Is your family lacking some fun quality time together? Many American families today rarely see each other often, let alone come together for some fun family time. Sometimes you just need a push in the right direction to plan, so here are some ideas to help get you started.

1.A trip to the zoo. There is nothing more fun than to spend a day at the zoo with your family. Besides watching all the exotic animals, most zoos now have fun rides for the family to enjoy as well. If you’re strapped for extra money, pack a picnic for everyone instead of buying the high-priced snacks from vendors inside the zoo. Be sure to buy disposable cameras for the kids to take pictures, too.

2.Take a picnic lunch to the park. Even if you aren’t an outdoorsy family, a picnic at the park is still something that you can enjoy. Bring along a horseshoe or crochet game for the family to play together after eating. Later, after the whole family has their fun time together, the kids can play on the playground equipment while Mom and Dad relax on the blanket with a good book or conversation.

3. Visit Washington D.C. If you are so inclined to plan a fun family vacation together, visiting the nation’s capital is one fun way to vacation with your family. You’ll be able to tour lots of interesting historical places and learn a lot about this nation’s history. While experiencing a fabulous hands-on history lesson, your family will have loads of fun and learn a lot.

4.Plan a scavenger hunt. Kids especially love treasure hunts. Plan a fun day of hunting for treasure with your family. Your children can be “in charge” while the parents “chauffeur” them around while they control the treasure map. Make fun pit stops along the way for ice cream or snowballs.

5.Make a family movie together. Another thing kids love to do is watch themselves on video. This time, put your children in charge of the camera and let them make a home video of family time. You could even encourage them to write their own scripts and have the whole family participate in creating a mini movie.

6.Have a “Beautiful Yard” day with your family. Recruit everyone in the family to pitch in with some yard work. Younger children can help with planting flower seeds, while the older kids help mow the lawn and rake leaves. At the end of the day when the yard looks beautiful, have a huge backyard bar-b-q to celebrate the day’s work.

7.Read together. Families with younger children often read to them at bedtime. But once the kids start getting older, those routines are forgotten about. Instill a love of literature in your children by continuing this tradition, even when they are pre-teens and teens by having a family reading night at least once a week. Gather the entire family for a reading from a selected piece of literature or a favorite book. Have everyone take turns reading a few pages, or an entire chapter each.