Thankful for Family Bonding Activities
Today’s Thankful Thursday post will be a bit different. Instead of being listed in the Gratitude and Personal Growth category I am placing this post in our Family Fun Activities section. It is not because I am not grateful; on the contrary, the tile itself tells you that I am very Thankful for Family Bonding Activities.
The reason for the switch in categories is to share with you some special family bonding time that has become a family tradition in our home. I also wanted to let you know how grateful I am for both having the opportunity to bring you a few of our own family activities and what it means to me to be blessed with such a closed knit family unit.
Each time our family gets together we are creating new memories. Most of our family bonding activities don’t cost a lot. We just truly enjoy being together and sharing this special time of fellowship.
There is always food involved and our granddaughters are usually right in the thick of things helping Grammie prepare the meal that we will have. They especially love making the desserts. The girls are so happy with what they have accomplished and want everyone to try out their sugary treats.
I know the time we spend in the kitchen is making lasting impressions on these two precious angels. They are learning how to read recipes and gaining cooking skills but most importantly to me is the idea of passing on these set of practices with their children and grandchildren in years to come.
Now let me get back to the family bonding activities. This weekend is Easter Sunday. Our whole family clan gets together for a Spring-time feast and our annual Easter egg hunt in our back yard. We have a great space for seeking out the treasured eggs because there are a lot of nooks and crannies that make ideal hiding spots. The granddaughters love it and this year the grandbaby boy will really be able to get in on the act. I can hardly wait to see their eager little faces as they start the hunt.
However, before we can hunt the eggs though first they must be dyed. This family fun activity takes place on the Friday before Easter. Our daughter and daughter-in-law come over with the kids and we get things ready for the egg coloring fest.
This year our daughter came up with a great idea when it comes to dipping the eggs. She read an article in a family magazine she gets about using a typical household whisk to hold the eggs. I don’t know if you have run into this problem, but the little wire rings that come in the egg dyeing kits are not very easy for little hands to manipulate.
The idea is that you take your boiled eggs and separate the wire whisk just wide enough to put the egg through. The egg stays upright and the handle makes it simple for even small children to be able to maneuver. These whisks are too big for the little cups that the kits provide so instead we are using some of our wide mouth quart size canning jars to put the egg dye in. This way the kids will be able to see the eggs as they are being dyed and they can easily dip the eggs in the jars.
We just follow the recommended dosage of hot water, vinegar and dye tablets that the directions on the kits say to use. The kits come with all sorts of ways to decorate the eggs. Wax crayons for writing on the eggs, stickers for after the eggs are colored. The kids just love doing this activity and it is fun for the Moms and Grammie too. Weather permitting we will be outside of the back porch enjoying the fresh air and sunshine while dyeing our eggs. I have to say this will definitely make the clean up process a lot easier this year.
While the eggs are being colored the girls and I will slip back into the kitchen to start baking our traditional bunny cake for Sunday’s feast. I let the girls decide which flavor cake mix we will use. More than likely it will be chocolate, their favorite.
Our eldest granddaughter who is nine reads the recipe on the box while her younger sister and I gather up the necessary ingredients. They each take turns with their part of this cooking activity. What they are really waiting for is to lick the spoons. When the cake is mixed up we pour the batter into two 9 inch round cake pans and pop them in the oven for the recommended time.
While the cake is baking we get the icing ready and the other items we will use to decorate the finished product. We will use white cream cheese icing (premixed) that will be the base for the bunny face and ears, pink sprinkles to be put on the bunny ears, nose and bow tie, strings of licorice for the mouth, blue jelly beans for eyes. The girls will each get to color some coconut green to simulate grass around the bunny. Then when the bunny is finished we will put a few jelly beans and chick peeps by the “grass” to complete the decorations.
After baking, when the cake is cooled, we will remove the cakes from their pans. One of the round cake layers is then frosted. The other cake layer has to be cut to shape the bunny ears and bow tie before it can be iced. It is very cute and the girls love making their bunny cake. It is also very tasty and a requested dessert from other members of our family. Needless to say this pleases the girls immensely and makes Grammie again rather proud of them. (I promise to add pictures as soon as I can to show you the finished cake.)
So there you have two of our traditional Family Bonding Activities that I am so very thankful to share in on each year. It is quality time well spent with loved ones that gives me pleasure and endearing gratitude. What are some of your family traditions? Take the time to create special family time with your clan. You will be building memories that will last a lifetime.
