11 Ways to Make Memories Across the Generations
With school out for most young people, it’s a perfect time to think about making memories with family members from the youngest to the oldest. We believe that investing in creating meaningful bonds between younger and older generations is a distinct way to deepen your family’s connection to each other.
Here are 11 ways we’ve come up with to create family memories that can last forever.
- Storytelling
Visit an older relative and take a walk through their home. Ask your children to each pick out one item for them to ask the relative to share a story about. It could be a photo, a tree planted, a serving dish, a worn suitcase, or even a fashionable hat.
- Bridge the gap
Look to pursue some common interests between the younger and older generations. Ask family members what they like to do and see if any overlap then pick one to do together. Some ideas could be bowling, walking around the lake, going to the movies, eating ice cream, sitting by a fire pit, making home movies, or playing mini-golf.
- Play outdoor games
Take a ball outside and play. Or set up a badminton or croquet set. Geo-caching is a fun way to go on treasure hunt adventure together as well and can be navigated from a smart phone. This is a great way to share technology across the generations.
- Go on a picnic
Pick a park with a view, maybe a lake, and pack a picnic lunch and blanket. Bring a pack of cards to play or Mad Libs to create funny stories together. Bring a ball or other outdoor activities to do. This is a great way to keep everyone active too.
- Go on a nature hunt
Go to a nearby park, creek, or nature center and hunt for turtles, frogs, bugs or other tiny creatures. Answer questions curious young minds might have about nature. This is also a good opportunity to go on a short hike down nature trails and investigate flowers and trees and other wildlife.
- Garden together
Growing a community garden together is a wonderful way to connect generations and enjoy the products of your labor. Gardening is also an educational tool to teach kids about life and science.
- Do a photo shoot
A picture really is worth a thousand words and tells a story. Choose a picturesque place and take the family on a photo shoot. Have them pose in animated poses and interacting together. At the end of the day have each member choose their favorite photos to create a digital or print memory scrapbook of the day.
- Tour a museum
Find local museums to visit like a historical, science, or aviation museum. Pick some common interest topics beforehand to talk about with family members as you tour the museum.
- Go to a local airport
If you have a private, small airport nearby pick a time it is generally busy and go park to watch the planes take off and arrive. Some of these airports also have small museums, annual festivals, or tours you can take as well.
- Get biking
If you have a bike rack, find somewhere nearby to go a bicycle adventure together. Many parks have bike trails to stay off the road and are perfect for families. Be sure to bring water and snacks. Even more fun, find a good ice cream spot for when you’re done.
- Start a Collection
Discuss common interests between family members to come up with collection ideas gathered from the outdoors. It could be autumn leaves, rocks, or seashells. Try to find as many as possible and bring the collection home to review everyone’s items. Turn it into a multi-generational art project and you will have a memory to share for years to come.
Outings that involve multi-generations can be simple ideas just like these that are able to provide hours of entertainment. Experiences we engage in together can help us create memories that last a lifetime and we can have fun doing them!
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