Family Education
10 Fun Ways to Use Your Brain!

Family education - the fun learning activities you do as a family - starts at birth.

Babies and toddlers are naturally interested and curious about their world.

It is so fun to watch them grow and learn! I am really having a blast with Joshua, that's for sure! :o)

For some, this natural love of learning continues into adulthood.

For others, learning becomes a struggle. It looses it's appeal.

Some of us work our way through grade school, high school, and college with an ending goal in mind. An 'educational finish line' so to speak.

And, upon graduation we rejoice that we are done! Finally!

Until...

...we find out that learning continues - even after the diploma has been framed and displayed.

We find that there is so much we don't know...and we want to know more.

The natural curiosity for learning starts to come back!

We learn on our terms again - as we enjoy new hobbies, leisurely books, family vacations, and occasional newspaper puzzles.

And, we need to show our kids this fun side of learning before they loose it! This is where 'family education' comes in.

How Do We Encourage Family Education?

Of course, sometimes school will be stressful and difficult - learning can't always be fun...

...but family education (the fun learning activities you do as a family) can relieve some of that stress.

Here are ten ways to up your brain power and make family education fun! (In no particular order)

1. Memorize Bible Verses Together!

"I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you." (Psalm 119:11 NIV)

Anyone can do this - just start with short verses and work your way up!

This will strengthen your family education, spiritual health, and contribute to your family Bible study.

But, be sure to make it fun! Make it a family competition with little prizes or privileges.

2. Enjoy Some Puzzles: Good Old Fashioned Thinking Games

Puzzles - of various shapes, sizes, and types - are making a comeback. Just check your nearest bookstore or Amazon.com. You will find popular family puzzles like word-searches, crosswords, jigsaw puzzles...etc.

Find something that you and your kids can enjoy together.

My Mom and I used to do word searches together. It was tons of fun, and usually turned into a competition to find the words first.

That skill actually helped me study in high school and college. I could skim over my textbook or dictionary and find a specific word very quickly.

It's a useful talent! :o)

I also remember riding my bike on the weekend - looking for local garage sales.

I hit the jackpot one morning, when I found a stack of jigsaw puzzles. I bought them for a few bucks, and rode home to start assembling.

I created an enjoyable mess on the floor. My parents sometimes joined the fun, to get me started or look for a difficult piece.

Good times had by all!

3. Break Out The Family Board Games

Here's another way to enjoy a fun family education competition!

Christianbook.com has an awesome selection of Christian family board games. Just click the link above and take your pick of over 575 games!

...I can't wait until Joshua get's old enough for some board games! :o)

4. Read Some Books!

Reading is an awesome way to increase your vocabulary and imagination!

It is one of the best ways to encourage family education. You can even swap books when you are finished - to save some money. Or, find a local library and borrow books - for free!

Get started young - read to your kids and encourage them to doodle in Coloring books. It's been proven that coloring books can lead to an interest in reading.

Encourage every member of your family to find something to read.

Anyone at any age can find something they enjoy.

There are so many books out there, just do a keyword search for what interests you. Or, see my page on

Christian Books for some of my top picks!

5. Travel - Near and Far

If you have the finances - this is the best way to experience new cultures, people, history, and food!

You can go local - look for museums, aquariums, beaches, art galleries, or ethnic restaurants near your home.

You can go far - Ray and I visited Mexico, Nepal, and Ireland before we had Joshua.

We learned so much on these trips. We are really looking forward to taking Joshua around the world, when he gets a little older.

There is so much to discover. 'Hands-on learning' is a great way to explore family education.

6. Write

No, I'm not expecting you to publish a book (unless you want to!).

Just keep a prayer log, diary, journal, blog, collection of post-it notes...whatever! :o)

Write anything and everything you want.

It is a great way to sort out your thoughts and document your life experiences (esp. when you travel!). You can also turn those family memories into some pretty amazing scrapbook pages.

Scrapbooks are a fantastic way to showcase your family in pictures and stories.

When your family writes together, you have quite a selection of stories to choose from.

I still have diaries from when I was 10-13. They are fun to read - it's a little trip down memory lane!

7. Join a Class At Your Church, Or A Local Community Center

We have an awesome community center near our home in Southern California.

Every few months, they send out catalogs of their seasonal classes and activities.

I took a yoga class with a friend several years ago - to learn some good stretches.

And, more recently Ray, Joshua and I took a 'parent & me' swim class at the community pool.

I have been so impressed with the quality of the classes, and the prices. I highly recommend that you find a community center near your home, and check out what they offer.

You may find something to enjoy with the whole family.

8. Learn A Musical Instrument

Ok, this takes a lot of patience, but it's great for your brain!

My parents encouraged me, when I was about 10 (?) to play the piano.

I took a year of lessons with a great instructor. It had it's fun moments, but I did get frustrated pretty easily.

I kinda gave up after a year, with the intention that my Mom would continue my lessons.

Nope...Never happened.

Now, of course, I wish I would have stuck with it. I am bummed that I gave up so easily...

I am planning to try again with the piano, or maybe the acoustic guitar, once I can afford the classes.

Encourage your kids, or even yourself, to learn an instrument! And, try not to give up...

...maybe God will use you for the worship team at church! :o)

9. Get Involved In Sports!

Sports are great for your mind and body.

There is a lot of hand-eye-coordination...

...and learning to be a 'team player' is a great skill!

Find a sport you can enjoy together. You don't even have to join an official team.

Just find an empty baseball diamond at a local park, and play a family game. The same goes for tennis, basketball, and soccer (any large open field will work for soccer!).

Ray and I play racquetball together, and go kayaking, on occasion (more so before we had Joshua). We built team-work, coordination, and got some great exercise.

Sports really do use your brain - it's amazing how much you can learn about yourself and your family!

10. Seek God's Wisdom In Everything.

The book of Proverbs has amazing insights into Godly wisdom.

Wise advice on money, time-management, discipline, friendships, and righteousness...to name a few.

Instill some of those wise verses into your family during your family Bible studies.

After all, you can never have too much wisdom to share! And, God's wisdom is so powerful!

I hope you enjoy some of these fun family education ideas.

See my page on 'family fitness' if you want to get your family moving!

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