20 Ways to Honor the Sabbath as a Family

Here is another list of activities we choose to do to honor the Sabbath Day:

1- Take dinner to an elderly friend or someone who lives alone. This one is easy- just prepare an extra plate of whatever you are already cooking that day and share it. We did this for a neighbor every week for almost a year and really loved the friendships we developed this way. I would always sit and chat with our neighbor for several minutes before leaving, since nourishing the soul is just as important as providing a nutritious meal.

2- Write letters to missionaries or relatives.

3- Write thank you cards to mail this week. We write cards thanking our teachers from church, our neighbors who served us, our school teachers or the bus driver. It's such a great way to train us in the habit of noticing the ways we are blessed from other people.

4- Read church magazines together as a family.

5- Listen to General Conference talks or CES firesides.

6- Play dough scripturenary. We write scriptural nouns on slips of paper and divide into teams. Each team draws a random slip of paper from the bowl and tries to sculpt that noun with play dough while his team guesses the word. It's a really fun game! Some suggested words could be: Noah's ark, lion's den, angel, sword, fig tree, fish, sheep, dove, temple, Bible, sling, armor of God, etc.

7- Make a treat to share with neighbors or friends. This is a great way to introduce yourself to new people in your area.

8- Use dinner time to discuss what everyone learned in church that day. 

9- Read family journals together. My children love to cuddle with me while I read the pages of my journal, sharing stories from when I was a child.

10- Read ancestral journals together. I love to tell stories from our pioneer ancestors. It really helps us feel connected to our forefathers and provides real examples to strengthen our own character.

11- Make up fictitious stories together. We sit in a circle and begin a story. Each person gets to say 5 sentences to contribute to the plot, then the person to the right gets a turn to add to the story. This goes around the circle with each person adding plot twists or details. It sure makes for interesting narratives!

12- Take a walk or bike ride together as a family. 

13- "Adopt" a grandparent in your area and visit them on Sundays. We are blessed with a talented Texan Grandma who invites our kids over to paint and knit with her. Our kids look forward to this very much and always beg to go to Nana Precious' home.

14- Dramatize scripture stories together. Dress up for your character and consider filming the production to enjoy again another day for a family  movie night.

15- Plan and carry out a family service project. 

16- Plan the FHE lesson for this week.

17- Select a talent you'd like to develop. Set goals for learning the new skill.

18- Listen to reverent classical music all day to invite the Spirit in your home and enrich the soul.

19- Have an object lesson contest in your family. Pick one or two items around the house- any tool or item works- and have everyone come up with a story about how that item can illustrate a gospel principle.

20- Write in a family journal or help younger children write in their personal journals.  Help them reflect on their week and record what is important to them.

You can see even more Sabbath activity suggestions here.

What works in your family? Please share your ideas with us!