Family Wellness Month serves to educate and support families on their quest for wellness - not just treatment of illness. Families are encouraged to take up different wellness activities to improve the general health of the population. This includes health-promoting activities like regular exercise, nutritious eating and mental health and making it a family affair. When every member participates and supports each other, the family heals and gets well together - physically, emotionally, mentally - whole wellbeing.

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Here are some ideas to celebrate Family Wellness Month

 

• Adventure Time in the Park

Explore new parks or your old favorites, around your town or city. With each park being unique in its blend of trees, trails, and play areas, each visit becomes a fresh adventure. It adds outdoor activity as well as social connection time as you discover new favorite spots for family outings​​.

• Chef Night at Home

Everyone cooks. Pick a healthy recipe that everyone can contribute to and give everyone a role, whether it’s chopping veggies, stirring the pot, or setting the table. This promotes healthy eating and makes meal prep a fun bonding activity.

• Try  Family Yoga

Invite tranquility into your home with family yoga sessions. Yoga can be relaxing for all ages, helping to improve flexibility and calm the mind. Get a mat, stream a beginner’s yoga video, and stretch your way to serenity together.

• Make Healthy Food Choices

Start simple. Find a healthy alternative to a favorite recipe, switch to non-fat milk or replace soda with water. Take the “rainbow challenge” and see who can eat the most colorful combination of fruits and vegetables. Set a goal to cook dinner together as a family one night per week. Commit to slowing down to eat dinner at the table together, instead of on the run.

• Stay Active Outdoors

Go for a walk after dinner, play a game of tag, or take a bike ride or a weekend trip to the beach. If it's a rainy day, turn chores into a game. Practice a new yoga pose or play an active video game together.

• Volunteer Together

Find opportunities in your neighborhood to volunteer as a family and connect with the community you live in! Clean up a stretch of beach or a local playground, visit a nursing home, donate to a local food pantry or plant trees. Check with your local library to get some ideas.

• Family Game Night

Board games, a classic game of cards or a round of charades, game night lets your family relax, laugh and spend quality time together. Games also teach kids patience and fair play, and help improve strategy and reasoning skills.

• Grow a Garden

I know . . . you don’t have a green thumb or a yard to enjoy gardening. Container gardens, hanging tomato plants or an indoor terrarium works very well. Kids will enjoy planting seeds and watching them grow. Weeding and watering a garden encourages physical activity and teaches responsibility. And watching plants grow from seeds to salad ingredients is a rewarding experience for everyone.​

• Go Unplugged

Encourage your family to unplug from television, video games, phones and social media. Try a weekly challenge such as “no text Tuesday” or “phone free Friday” and ask everyone to turn off their phones at the dinner table each night. Use your new found free time to check out a book at the public library, visit the zoo, go on a picnic or take a trip to the science museum.

• Create a Memory Book

As the end of the school year approaches, engage your family in creating a memory book highlighting all of your adventures. Include your best family photos, mementos from trips, school projects and your child’s latest artistic creation. Have each person design a few pages of their favorite activities and accomplishments for the book.

• Get Good Sleep

Set bedtimes and develop a positive bedtime routine to ensure that you and your children are getting enough sleep. Keep bedrooms quiet and dark by removing televisions, computers, cell phones and other gadgets. Prepare for bed with a relaxing bath or soothing music. Keep teeth healthy with good brushing and set aside time to read stories together each night before bed.

• Connect with Your Broader Family

Find a special way to show your family how much you love and appreciate them this month. Make it a priority to visit grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins and friends who you don’t see as often as you would like. If your family is too far away to visit in person, send a card or make a weekly video chat date to stay connected.

• Take Care of Yourself

Self-care can help keep your family well. Practice meditation, quit smoking, maintain a healthy weight or further your education. Whatever it looks like for you, use this month to set an example for your family. Encourage your kids to challenge themselves as well. They will benefit from setting a personal goal and working to achieve it.