Bonding Family Activities

In our family we come together once a week for what we call "family
home evening." We have a prayer, song, lesson, activity, and treat.
Everyone in the family participates. Sometimes it is something
really simple and other times it is something that involves a
little more planning. This helps unify our family and brings us
closer together. At Christmas time we also plan some special
activities to do as a family. One such tradition involves dressing
up and acting out the Nativity (usually on Christmas Eve) but each
year we do something a little different. Last year we had a
"shepherd's in training" and everyone dressed like shepherds while
we learned more about their role in the Christmas story.

This year everyone dressed up like angels. My husband had gotten a
whole bunch of white material and he and our daughter made
make-shift angel costumes. We had a special lesson about the
visitation of angels from the Bible and then talked about angels on
earth -- those people who have affected our lives for good. We
talked about how we can be an angel for other people. Then we went
and sang "Angels, We Have Heard On High," to some people in our
neighborhood. It was a neat experience and several of us were in
need of a tissue by the evening's end! Establishing traditions is an
excellent way to promote positive feelings and bonding within one's
family.