Four Tips for Family Home Evening

“Do we have to have family home evening again?” Have your children ever asked this? By the time I had my own family, I had gained an appreciation for this inspired program and wanted it to be successful. Here are some ideas we have used to enhance our family home evening experiences.

Remember the purpose of family home evening. President Boyd K. Packer, Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, once said the purpose of family night is “to draw families together in love, to open the doors of communication between parents and children, to make them happy they live together and belong to one another—eternally” (Lucile C. Tate, Boyd K. Packer, A Watchman on the Tower [1995], 166).

Make it fun. Our children love to play games, so we created our own versions of popular television game shows. For instance, it’s easy to jot down four subject categories and make up increasingly difficult questions for each category. I have used topics such as prophets from the Book of Mormon, Jesus’ baptism, or scripture stories we have read. Much to my children’s delight, I have also included categories with questions about them.

Look for ideas everywhere. Church magazines and the Family Home Evening Resource Book (item no. 31106; U.S. $5) are excellent sources for family home evening ideas. Many New Era, Ensign, and Liahona articles can provide a base for family home evening discussions. For young children, the Friend has stories and activities coinciding with each month’s Primary theme and family home evening activities and lesson ideas.

What about those Mondays when you don’t have specific plans? Be consistent and hold family home evening anyway. Use the time to brainstorm new ideas together. Some of these planning sessions turned up ideas for memorizing the Articles of Faith, sharing favorite Bible and Book of Mormon stories, and reading aloud journal entries. Also, as I observed my children throughout the week, I discovered needed lesson topics such as respecting others’ property, telling the truth, and being a good friend.

Dare to be different. Nobody said family home evening must be held in a circle on the living room floor every week. Why not add some exciting locations and activities? Our family has loved huddling around a backyard campfire, anonymously delivering treats, and inviting others to share our evening.

The point of family home evening is to draw families together in love. I knew our family nights were succeeding when one of my sons asked on a Thursday afternoon, “When is family home evening? Can we have another tonight?”

Lori Mortensen, Cameron Park Ward, El Dorado California Stake

Illustration by Beth Whittaker