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I know your family calendar is likely to be quite full already, and I know that being intentional isn’t always as simple as it sounds. However, prioritizing what matters most will be worth it in the end, I promise! Here are seven creative and fun ideas for you to spend your evening connecting with your kids.

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1. Cook an interesting dinner together. Let the kids pick a recipe to try, and then have everyone gather in the kitchen, chef hats on, and see what you can create together. Creating individual pizzas is always a hit if you want to pick a safe activity that you know will get eaten! Alternatively, you could even sign up to attend a cooking class together!
2. Watch a comedy. My family recently finished watching every episode of The Office together and we had so much fun doing it. Choose a funny series to watch, or just pick a comedy film and sit back and laugh! Laughing together is a great bond-building exercise!
3. Remember when your child was small and loved playing hide and seek? Level up this game by playing in the dark with glow bracelets or flashlights. When our kids get older, we usually stop playing games like this, but the truth is they never outgrow it! Even teens secretly love hide and seek.
4. Add a creative spin to game night by making up your own silly games. I love board games, but you can only play Monopoly so many times before the kids start to groan when you mention it. However, playing spontaneous Minute-to-Win-It type games is always a hoot! Race to blow cotton balls across the table with straws or transfer marshmallows from plate to cups without using your hands, or bounce balls into buckets. Have a silly, friendly competition and watch how they light up!
5. You know those places you ordinarily drop your teen off to have fun with their friends? Skating rinks, trampoline parks, laser tag, escape rooms and such? Well, join them this time. You’re never too old to play, too!
6. Pick up a few blank canvases and paint at your local craft store and enjoy an evening of painting together. What a fun way to unleash creativity while spending quality time together doing something new and different.
7. Make a silly family movie or video together. Sing, dance, or perform on camera together to create a lasting memory you can watch in the years to come. It’s sure to be a family treasure!

Rebecca Eanes is the bestselling author of multiple books including Positive Parenting: An Essential Guide, The Positive Parenting Workbook, and The Gift of a Happy Mother. She is the grateful mom of two boys.