Creating special family moments doesn’t have to be complicated. It’s great to go to the zoo, a park, or the movies, but the memories we remember the most are the quiet moments bonding with our children. We spent some time researching about great ideas that families can do together outside of the normal day to day. One of the things we’re passionate about is DIY crafts, which combine screen-free time (we need more of that!) with time to sit quietly and work with our hands. DIY crafts are also a great way to have conversations with kids, and teach them the art of focus.
Here are a few easy DIY projects that bring the family together and encourage creativity, storytelling, and meaningful conversations.
Create Personalized Story Stones for Storytelling
By our house, our school would always have the kids create story stones and line them up on our walking path. Story stones is a really cute and fun craft where you and your family paint stones and then put them somewhere where you can walk by them frequently. Collect smooth stones, then paint each one with a different character, scene, or object. We like to make prompts such as “make a scene of your favorite day” or “paint your favorite animal.” The prompts can be as simple as a sun, a tree, or a house, or as detailed as animals and magical creatures.
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For a more advanced experience, once you’ve made a set, take turns pulling out stones and building stories based on the images you see. It’s amazing to watch how creative kids can get with just a few cues! Check out this guide for family-friendly crafts for even more hands-on project inspiration.
TIP: The most fun and conversation-inducing prompts are more general so the stories can go in any direction. You might end up with a jungle adventure one day and a space exploration the next. This activity grows with your child’s imagination, and the next time you see the stones, it will remind you of that day you spent with your family making memory stones.
Make a Custom Family Memory Jar
You may have heard about memories jars before, and if you haven’t tried it, you should! Especially as a family, it’s a nice thing to look back on at the end of the year. We love taking photos, so sometimes we’ll write a memory on a photo and put it in the jar as well.
A family memory jar is a beautiful way to capture moments of gratitude, fun, and togetherness. One of the most fun ideas that we read about was to decorate the jar as a family. You’ll need some paint that works for the type of jar you’re using. Keep your jar somewhere accessible. We like keeping it in the kitchen, since it’s one of the most used rooms in the house.Each time something memorable or joyful happens, write it down on a piece of paper and add it to the jar.
At the end of the year, or even during family dinners, pull out a few notes and reminisce about the memories you’ve collected. It’s a meaningful way to bond, and it helps kids practice gratitude by recognizing the happy moments in their lives.
TIP: To make it a routine, choose a day each week (like Sunday) to add to the jar. Encourage everyone to contribute, and even the simplest moments can be really nice to look back on together.
Create a Family Recipe Book Together
This might seem hard to do at first, but you’d be surprised at how many unique recipes a family comes up with over time. If you don’t have any good recipes, its a good idea to encourage your family to look up recipes online and make their own twist (this doesn’t always go as planned, but it’s a fun activity).
Each family member can choose and contribute a favorite recipe, decorate the pages, or add little notes about what makes each dish special. You can include photos or illustrations, making it a project that combines art with cooking.
As you add recipes, the book becomes a collection of family traditions and favorite meals that can be shared and passed down. You could even use it to document holiday dishes or special meals you make each season. For more inspiration on cooking with kids, Akron Ohio Moms has some great ideas!
TIP: Laminate the pages or keep the recipes in a binder so they’re easy to add to over time. We love the idea of a binder, and you’ll get to read your family’s handwriting later which is always a good memory.
Build Your Own DIY Book Nook
Now this is a unique one! A book nook is a mini scene you can add to your bookshelf, and there are hundreds if not thousands of different scenes and companies to get these from. We love them because they are like miniature puzzles, and not only do they look magical, but they can also inspire a love of reading and travel.
You can build a themed book nook with your family, adding personal touches that make it unique. You might build a Tokyo alley scene or a cozy reading nook inspired by your child’s favorite books. Building a book nook together is a creative bonding activity and a hands-on way to learn about new places and cultures.
If you want something fun and unique to start with a DIY book nook kit is a good place to start, and the Tokyo Alley is a unique one that we also like because it got our family talking about culture and other places. Plus, the kids love how it looks on the shelf.
TIP: You might need some extra tools to put these together (some kits come with all the tools), but here’s a guide on the tools for DIY kits in case you want to read more about what you should get at the craft store.
Design a Family Gratitude Tree
This is similar to the memory jar, but it focuses more on gratitude and it’s easier to read the notes than when they’re in a jar. To start on this project find a small tree branch and have each family member write down something they’re grateful for on a paper leaf each week. We love to do this on Sundays, especially when the parents have a busy workday ahead. It helps us stay grounded even at the start of the week.
These notes can even be illustrated (which kids love). Get a set of pencils and crayons ready, and after everyone writes their note, they share it with the family prior to putting it on the tree. It’s a really nice way also to have kids practice the art of gratitude.
This project works well around the holidays but can be kept year-round.
TIP: Use different colored paper for each season or holiday so that you can pick notes from different time periods and see how the year progressed.
Go out and do some crafts!
These DIY projects aren’t just crafts—they’re ways to make memories and create family traditions. Whether you’re telling stories, collecting memories, cooking together, building a book nook, or expressing gratitude, each activity offers something special. Plus, these help build good habits and get kids off of phones and connect with their loving family.
