Family Fun is More Than Fluff

Family Fun is More Than Fluff

by Dorothy Marie Harman

In my home, it occurred on Wednesday nights.

In my car, it meant the ride home from school was filled with chatter, enthusiasm, and hope that the traffic wasn’t backed up.

At my table, it meant Anthony was too excited to sit down and Alicia, despite her best efforts, could not stop giggling while fueling Anthony’s excitement.

In my heart, I knew it was more important than the game pieces, cards, and spinners that were more likely to fall to the floor than remain on the table.

For my family, it was “Family Game Night!”

Recently, a Montessori Family Life webinar hosted a conversation about the importance of family fun. Having fun together, as a family, is important for connection, resilience, and memories. Playfulness is important to our mental health and wellness and provides us with tools for future experiences, particularly during times of stress. Life can be challenging at times. Our brains respond to experiences that are stressful, like pandemics and social unrest. However, something that may seem so small, like family fun and joy experienced through one another’s intentional company, also changes the brain in positive ways and aids in counteracting that which is unpleasant or frightening. The human brain is a social organ that does best with joyful, social experiences as a means of development. We are ‘wired’ to be in one another’s company. These experiences truly help to “change our minds.”

Experiences help create resilience, and we need resilience, since not all of life’s experiences are joyful. Moments of joy help us to move forward in acts of recovery. The skill of overcoming difficulty is necessary for children and a skill they will call upon their entire lives. We should not dismiss opportunities for children to practice this needed skill, such as not winning a game. As Montessorians, we caution against “rescuing” children from challenges that they can resolve through their own means. Resilience is promoted by experiencing happiness together in the grandiose and the small moments during life.

Be intentional about connecting with your children in a fun way! Like a garden, relationships require cultivation and children need our quality time. Sometimes we think we are creating quality time when helping with homework, taking children to school, and participating in the ordinary activities of our daily lives. Yet, when we take time for playfulness, it brings a unique and powerful element into your experiences and household. Embrace the pleasure of simply joining our children in moments of play, humor, and moments of silent beauty. Perhaps take a moment to find joy and appreciation in experiencing a sunset or the moonlit night together. It may take practice to find the beauty of little moments, but they are forever imprinted in the memory of your children.

Ideas for family fun…just play! Spend outdoor time together, dance, sing, read together, build puzzles, relax, enjoy movie nights, cook, or bake, play cards, tell family stories, and garden. Try to find a regular time in your week to celebrate family fun. However, don’t forget to be open to moments of play, and seize those organic moments that arise like jumping in leaves or taking a silly break! How about a little goofiness during ordinary activities? Play music and encourage a dance party during house cleaning! Have you ever tried silly walks or pantomime for a giggle? These are elements of family stories that bring moments of laughter, impressions of memory, and unity to your family. •

You will find Family Fun is More than Fluff in the Families section of the website. You may even catch yourself giggling as their personal stories trigger some of your life’s funnier moments!

Please join the Montessori Family Life webinar series each Tuesday at 1:00 EST.

Dorothy Harman is an AMS Early Childhood credentialed Montessori guide. She holds a BA in Early Childhood Education and an M. Ed in Curriculum and Instruction with an Emphasis in Creative Arts. Dorothy Harman serves as a Montessori consultant and Adjunct Lecturer at the University of Nebraska-Kearney. She serves as a Field Consultant for the Center for GuidedMontessori Studies and was a 2018 recipient of an AMS Peace Seed Grant. She is the author of Intentional Connections: A Practical Guide to Parent Engagement in Early Childhood and Lower Elementary Classrooms, published through Parent Child Press.