Here are more fun activities that will keep your family meetings lively:

1) Gifts from the heart

Put the names of each family member in a hat and have each person randomly select another member of the family. Then have them spend the next week searching for a simple “gift from the heart” that they can give. It should cost very little or no money, and be in the spirit of a ‘thinking about you’ gift. Homemade projects – such as cards, paintings, or pictures that they think epitomizes or compliments that person – work great as these gifts. This shouldn’t be an every week activity, but if you do it every once in a while it can be a great way to promote empathy and kindness.

2) Standup comedy

Conduct a standup comedy session. Get a joke book and have the kids pick out one to tell either as it is, or encourage them to rewrite it to make it funnier. They can also tell jokes they heard at school. It’s a great way to start or end a meeting on a lighter note.