Plan a zany activity you can enjoy as a family. Choose from the options below (or any combination thereof), or plan an activity of your own. The goal is to laugh together as much as possible.

Fun with food

Have a popcorn fondue party. Beforehand, prepare by using a low-temperature glue gun to glue cotton balls all over disposable shower caps (one for each family member). The plan is to wear these hats during your party. After everyone dons a cap, put popcorn in the microwave or hot-air popper. While the popcorn is popping, jump around pretending that you are popcorn kernels popping too. Pretend that you are exploding; bump into each other and roll on the floor again and again until the real popcorn is done popping.

Have everyone in the family decide on one or two “dipping sauces” to use with the popcorn you have popped. Examples include peanut butter, peanut butter mixed with melted chocolate, chocolate or butterscotch sundae sauce, melted cheese, jam, ranch or dill-flavoured salad dressing, cream cheese (any flavour), melted butter, pizza sauce, mustard and ketchup. Put a spot of each of the dipping sauces on each person’s plate and give out toothpicks to use as fondue forks. Enjoy as many creative popcorn dipping combinations as you can think of – or stomach!

Fun with hair

Try some crazy hair capers. Start your family fun time by blowing up some balloons. Rub balloons on each person’s head to create enough static electricity to cause their hair to stand on end. See if you can create enough static to stick the balloons on the walls or on your clothing. Can you cover someone completely in balloons?

Since everyone’s hair is now a mess anyway, this is an ideal time to take turns “sculpting” each other’s hair. Bring out some styling gel and have fun creating wild and wacky hairstyles on each other. Don’t forget to take photos or video footage of your escapade!

Note: Supervise young children closely during this activity to ensure they do not chew or inhale deflated balloons or balloon fragments.

Fun with faces

Visit the website Dogster.com and look up pictures of dogs and cats that share the names of your family members. (Young kids find this particularly funny.) See how many dogs you can look at without laughing! You’ll have to navigate around the site a little to find the correct search field. On the home page, click the orange “Community” button. On the drop-down menu, choose “See the dogs.” Next, scroll down near the bottom of the “See the dogs” page and choose “Advanced search.” On the search criteria page, just enter the name of a family member in the search field “Name.” If you prefer feline humour, there is a similar website called Catster.com.

After you enjoy the absolute silliness of letting loose with people you trust enough to be crazy with, thank God for placing you in a family where you can enjoy laughing together. Pray together, thanking God for laughter and for the joy of being a part of a loving family.

Relevant Scripture

Psalm 68:4-6 “Sing to God, sing praise to His name, extol Him who rides on the clouds – His name is the Lord – and rejoice before Him. A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in His holy dwelling. God sets the lonely in families, He leads forth the prisoners with singing; but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land.”