How to Make Awesome Family Memories from Daily Moments

“To be in your children’s memories tomorrow, you have to be in their lives today.”                         -Barbara Johnson

Making awesome family memories doesn’t have to be hard. Memories are being made all the time as a biological process. Without any effort on our part, our brains receive sensory input and encode it.

But why do people remember some events and not others?

Beliefs affect memory and the ability to remember. Here are fun and easy ways to turn daily moments into amazing family memories.

Engage the Senses

Engaging our senses makes moments stand out. Ever have a memory triggered by a song, smell, or sight? It’s because our senses were engaged at the time the memory was formed.

Play music and dance in the kitchen while making cookies. Eat them together in a blanket fort in the living room.

Raise the Stakes

If there’s something to gain or lose, we pay more attention and the event is likely to be more memorable. That’s why playing board games as a team is often more memorable than sitting and watching a movie.

Do a team activity that’s connected to winning. I bet you remember which family team won the football game after Thanksgiving dinner last year.

Do the Unexpected for Fun Family Memories

Experiences that are outside our normal routine help create lasting memories. Defy expectations and surprise people.

Create something together – make a snowman or build a fort with the kids in the living room.

“The most memorable periods of our lives are when we break the script.”

-Heath brothers

Celebrate Moments of Pride

Celebrating graduations, winning sporting events, and winning major awards are generally memories we can easily recall. Those big events don’t often happen, so set smaller goals to be able to celebrate reaching those milestones.

Change it up and celebrate silly milestones.

Have a party with cake or cupcakes (store bought is ok) when your child no longer needs diapers, or when your son learns to read or your daughter gets her first bra.

And of course, don’t forget that a gift, given in love, adds to any celebration. Kidderbug Kreations has a wide variety for every occasion. Even those silly milestones. And if you can’t find what you’re looking for, contact me and together we’ll design the perfect gift at Kidderbug Kreations to make your memory special.

Build Moments of Connection for Lasting Family Memories

Times that bond us together give us warm fuzzy feelings, and emotional arousal enhances the storage of memories.

If a vacation isn’t in the budget, try a staycation and visit local places of interest.

Experience new things together. Learn a new skill together. Break up the routine and try a cooking class or learn a new sport together.

Be active together – go for a bike ride, take a hike, or swim in the lake.

Include others – do activities with another family. Invite the cousins along. Meet new people.

Share in the joy of another’s celebratory events. Go to a friend’s birthday party or a cousin’s graduation. It may be easier to stay home but you’ll miss out on some fun memories.

Whatever you do, be spontaneous. Instead of trying to create a memory, focus on the experience you want. Sometimes we worry so much about “making memories,” orchestrating the event, and focusing on what the outcome should look like, we miss out on the beautiful experience of simply being part of the here and now.

“The past may be gone forever… and whatever the future holds, our todays make the memories of tomorrow.”

-Unknown author

Anne from Kidderbug Kreations