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7 Great Ideas For Spending Quality Time At Home With Your Family

There’s no better time than the present to learn fun ways to spend quality time with your family. Keeping things fresh and exciting is the best way to bond during difficult periods and keep everyone entertained.

Here are seven great ideas for spending quality time at home with your family.

Schedule a Games Night

Set a standing date for an at-home game night. Do a weekly rotation that allows everyone to choose a game. If your options are limited, reach out to community members and do a temporary swap so that everyone gets a chance to play something new.

Instead of defaulting to the same old board games, shake things up with an RPG. Grab a D&D dice set online and start a campaign that spans over a few evenings. Alternatively, look at interactive multimedia games like JackBox, so that the whole family can play from their devices.

Have an Ultimate Movie Bucketlist

Set a timer and have everyone sit down and write their favorite movies. This is an opportunity for the parents to shine. Write down a bunch of movies from your childhood that you want to share with your children. With streaming services and online portals, it’s easier than ever to revisit your old favorites.

If you’re at a loss for what movies to include, there are plenty of lists online that outline the best family movies of all time. You can even schedule themes or marathons for extended periods of downtime.

Schedule Tech-Free Hours

Technology is both a blessing and a curse. Schedule tech-free hours in your household in which everyone leaves their phones and tablets in a common area. Use this time to come together and talk about your day or share some snacks and conversation.

Pick up a few conversation prompt cards to discover new things about the people you live with or play a rousing game of “Would You Rather?”

Get Cooking Together

Cooking is an essential life skill that children can start to learn at a young age. Empower your kids to choose a recipe each week that they’d like to make for supper. Grab the supplies and have them in the kitchen helping.

Young children can help with measuring, stirring, and collecting items. Older kids can learn how to cut food safely and cook it with supervision and help. Cooking together is a great bonding experience, and also takes the pressure off the parents for meal planning.

Schedule a Porch Project Photoshoot

The Porch Project is a family photo shoot project in which a photographer snaps a couple of pictures of your family sitting on your doorstep. The idea is that it promotes the #stayathome movement. You can create your own Porch Project photo with a smartphone.

Schedule your photo shoot as you would a regular appointment. Give everyone time to pick out a fancy outfit that they love and put themselves together. This is an excellent way to feel human, especially if you’ve been in the house for a while. Print those photos out or have them commissioned into a custom piece of art using one of these Instapainting packages.

Take an Online Course

Learn new things together by taking an online course. You can do a child-centric program like The CEO Kid or something broader that you can learn together as a family. Keep an open mind when choosing an online course and give everyone a chance to pick something that appeals to them.

Some ideas for online courses include:

learning a new language
learning how to code
taking dance lessons
personal development courses
fitness training (yoga, for example)
acting classes

Pursue your passions and learn some neat things together as a family.

Get Gardening

Gardening offers a lot of benefits to families looking to spend quality time together at home. For example:

It’s versatile. You can grow a garden in your kitchen window, on your balcony, or in your yard.
It benefits the environment.
You can grow healthy food to eat later.
You can offer seedlings as gifts.
It’s a science lesson.
It teaches responsibility.

Choose some things to grow and have your kids be responsible for various tasks. You can also create a log of your experience, with the kids adding their observations each day.

With these seven fun family activities, you have fun together while being safe at home.

Eine Nachricht von Ihrer Nixplay-Familie

By Nixplay Team

On April 7, 2020

In Deutsch

So viel hat sich in den letzten Wochen geändert. Das Nixplay Team arbeitet weiterhin unermüdlich (natürlich von zu Hause aus), um Ihnen zu helfen, in diesen schwierigen Zeiten mit Familie und Freunden in Verbindung zu bleiben. Ihre kontinuierliche Unterstützung bedeutet, dass wir:

sicherstellen können, dass alle Mitglieder des Team Nixplay weiterhin für ihre Familien sorgen und bei Bedarf auf Gesundheitsdienste zugreifen können.
unsere Lieferkette aufrechterhalten und in dieser entscheidenden Zeit Hunderte von Menschen beschäftigen können.
Ihnen helfen können mit Ihrer Familie und Ihren Freunden in Verbindung zu bleiben und gleichzeitg die sozialen Distanzierungsmaßnahmen einzuhalten.

Wir hoffen, dass es Ihnen und Ihrer Familie in diesen beispiellosen Zeiten trotzdem gut geht. Mögen die Fotos und Videos auf Ihren Nixplay Rahmen Sie an schöner Zeiten erinnern und Ihnen dabei helfen diese schwierige Zeit zu meistern.

staying close with siblings despite distance

Staying Close To Your Siblings Despite The Distance

By Mars Salazar

On April 6, 2020

In Lifestyle

Growing up, you probably couldn’t imagine spending your everyday life without your siblings. They might have teased you mercilessly, but you can count on them to be on your team through thick and thin. And you’d do the same for them because your siblings are simply the best.

But as time passed, you and your siblings expanded your respective worlds, met new people, started careers, and set different priorities. And though life might have caused you and your siblings to be separated by distance, the good news is that it’s never been easier to stay close, no matter how far apart you may be. Get started with these five thoughtful ideas:

Keep In Touch Via Social Media

Thanks to social media, you can stay updated on your siblings’ musings, achievements, and adventures in a jiffy. Set up regular video calls, send them messages on Facebook, and post your favorite photos with them on Instagram. Even tagging them in posts you think they’ll like will warm their hearts–it’s a sweet reminder that somewhere, someone who loves them is thinking of them.

Send Them Snail Mail

While technology has made communication more efficient than ever, nothing beats the nostalgia and anticipation that comes with good old-fashioned snail mail. Send your siblings postcards from your trips, write them letters once a month, and mail them greeting cards on their holidays. It may not be the fastest method of communication, and there’s nothing you can send via post than couldn’t be typed out in a test or an email, but t’s more thoughtful, more personal, and therefore, more special.

Make Your Get-Togethers Meaningful

If you and your siblings live in faraway cities or in different countries, chances are you probably don’t see each other too often. So next time you do, make it count by making your reunion as fun as possible. You can go down memory lane and indulge in activities you enjoyed when you were younger, or do something that reflects your current interests. It doesn’t have to be a grand affair: Even if it’s just hiking in the woods near your childhood home or baking your mom’s signature cookie recipe, the most important thing is making them truly feel how much you love spending time with them.

Surprise Them With Presents

An unexpected package containing something they’ll love is always a welcome surprise. Be it a bouquet of cheerful flowers for your sister or something for your brother’s next golf tournament, they’re bound to appreciate and treasure your gift. Make sure to include a card with a sweet message that lets them know you’re thinking of them!

Make A Family Photo Album

Thanks to technology, it’s easier than ever to gather photos and videos of your family. It’s even easier when you all have Nixplay Frames: Just create a shared playlist that you and your siblings can collaborate on so you can share and display family photos on your frame in real-time. You can create shared playlists by year, or by occasion. Either way, it’s a private social network for your family and a brilliant way to keep your favorite moments alive.

Sibling Revelry National Siblings Day Sale

Stay in touch with your family and friends with Nixplay! Get up to 30 percent off on some of our bestselling frames, only until April 12!

Irreplaceable Gifts For Your Family

By Nixplay Team

On April 2, 2020

In Gifting Guides

Our families mean the world to us, and oftentimes it can be hard to express just how important these people are to us. When considering gifts to give your loved ones, a present can be more meaningful when it comes from the heart. Take a look at these options for gifts that will leave a permanent mark on your family’s life.

A gift to help them feel more present

For families separated by distance, feeling like you’re with your loved ones can be the greatest gift of all. Consider purchasing something that can help them feel your presence in their lives even if your schedules don’t easily line up. Digital photo frames are a great option for family members looking to reconnect through old memories, elderly relatives who can’t travel as much, or people who want to honor their late loved ones. It’s a great way to keep in mind those closest to your heart: Not only does it keep the faces of the people you love within sight, but the videos playing on a digital photo frame also keeps the voices of distant family present and remembered.

A gift for better living

Supporting good habits and encouraging healthy behavior is a gift that can have a lasting impact on the well-being of your family. If you have kids, it’s essential to establish healthy eating habits in young children to help them grow strong and stay healthy. Look for nutritious recipes that you can cook as a whole family⁠—acting as both a way to spend quality time together while also giving the gift of physical wellness.

For your partner, older relatives, or anyone else in your family looking for help eating better, there are printable meal-planning templates that can help them achieve their wellness goals while collaboratively working towards a better quality of life. As nutrition is key to living a longer life, supporting loved ones in this way demonstrates how much you value their presence in your life.

A gift for motivation

One of the greatest gifts that you can offer someone is an open ear and an opportunity to help them grow. As you think about the ways you want to give back to a family member, consider which qualities you admire most about them. Helping your friends or family reach their potential can be one of the most mutually rewarding experiences, and luckily there are several different ways to accomplish this.

One way to provide support for a family member in this way is to volunteer your time to help them harness their talents or gifts, such as taking a cooking class or visiting an art museum with them. If time isn’t always something you can offer, consider purchasing a guided journal for your loved one. Using this journal allows them to ask focused questions and plan different activities for deeper thought. Journals can be a great start to self-exploration and aid in goal-setting, making your gift a memorable part of their personal development.

A gift for peace of mind

Something you might not think about often but is unquestionably important is how you can continue to give to your families past your time with them. Ensuring that the ones closest to you are taken care of financially in the long run not only grants peace of mind but will guarantee that they are protected under any unforeseen circumstance. Life insurance isn’t as expensive as most people think and it can serve as a responsible gift for family members who rely on you financially, will act as an income replacement, and can help pay major payments should you no longer be there to provide for them. Listing your family as the beneficiary of your policy can help support any members who might be looking to go to college, have a mortgage, or have younger children.

While picking out the perfect gift isn’t always easy, finding something that is irreplaceable to your family can demonstrate the love and care you have for these special people. From physical gifts to simply the dedication of your time, the ways to give to your family are endless. And remember, just as author Catherine Pulsifer says, “giving to others will not take away from what you have but will, in fact, add to your life.”

7 Day Photo Challenge: Easter Edition

By Alice Murray

On March 31, 2020

In Holidays

Learning how to take the best photos entails more than knowing how to work the camera. It’s about setting up the right shot and working with the materials and subjects that you’ve got. This new 7 Day Photo Challenge series lets you get more creative with your photography and lets you share these moments with family and friends.

Start Your Easter Photo Challenge

To celebrate Easter this year, we want you to take part in our 7 Day Photo Challenge, filled with fun activities that you and the family can enjoy. Upload your photo challenges to your social media profiles with the hashtag #NixplayEasterPhotoChallenge and showcase your favorite snaps this Easter season!

Check out our Easter Instagram photo challenge ideas below.

1. All The Chocolate

Since a large portion of the Easter period is spent munching on chocolate, we’ve taken the opportunity to challenge you to take the best chocolate-filled photo. We’re looking for candid shots of your little ones diving into their first Easter egg, or mouthwatering snaps featuring your edible Easter bunnies. This Easter photo idea is simple but effective–and as a sweet bonus, you get to eat all the chocolate, too.

2. Fresh Flowers

Head down to a flower garden or meadow, or pick up some fresh blossoms to feature in your photos. Spring is all about colorful blooms and new life, so there’s no better way to celebrate than with a beautiful photo of fresh flowers, be it a charming bunch of hand-picked daisies, a scenic photo of a meadow, or a portrait of a loved one with a bouquet. Get creative and play around with petals, leaves, and blossoms to come up with a memorable image. If you’ve got time to play around, you could even put together a flower crown for each of your family members to wear. If all else fails, don’t forget that green grass and brightly colored flowers make for the perfect Easter photo backdrop!

3. Painted Eggs

Give your family another challenge and have a competition for the best decorated hard-boiled egg. Painting and decorating eggs is a classic Easter activity that both children and adults can get involved in, so why not treasure the moment with a photo challenge? Here are some egg painting ideas to get you started:

Dye your eggs using drops of food coloring in a bath of water
Draw faces on your eggs using a permanent marker
Paint Easter bunnies, flowers, and polka dots
Use finger painting techniques

If you want to up the ante, let your family and friends who live far away vote by sending photos of your finished eggs to their Nixplay Wi-Fi cloud frames! It’s a great way to get the whole gang involved, no matter where they are.

4. Easter Egg Hunt Candids

It’s finally spring, so make the most out of the weather and step outside for the ultimate Easter egg hunt. Take your camera out with you to snap some cute candids of your little ones while they’re on the lookout. Prepare lots of Easter eggs and wicker baskets to get the perfect snaps. You can set up in the back yard, or head over to the local park for your Easter egg hunt.

Top tip: When taking candid photos, use Burst Mode on your Smart Phone to get the best in-the-moment shot.

5. Bunny Ears

Pick up some bunny ears from your local fancy dress shop for our Day 5 photo challenge. Put them on the kids, on your furry friends, or on the whole family for the perfect Easter snap! You can even have a little fun with it and wear them out in public, sharing your snaps with friends and family using the Nixplay App as you go.

6. Easter Cupcakes

We challenge you to bake and decorate some delicious Easter cupcakes! Whether they’re topped with baby chicks, adorable bunnies, fluffy sheep, or an edible bird’s nest made of chocolate, we want to see it. Be as creative as you can be with it, but here are some top tips to get you started:

Use piping nozzles and green icing to top your cupcakes with “grass”.
Decorating with sheep? Use mini marshmallows to make them look nice and fluffy.
Dip strawberries in orange icing and stick them on the tops of your cupcakes to create the illusion of baby carrots sticking out of the ground.

After this, have a mini photoshoot with your Easter cupcakes to show them off to your friends and family (that is, if you can wait to eat them!).

7. Baby Animals

Celebrate new life at Easter and head to your local petting zoo to take some shots of the adorable lambs and baby chicks, plus the cute puppies, bunnies, and kittens. Try to get the best shots for your final submission to the Nixplay 7 Day Photo Challenge–and we’ll give you bonus points if you can capture a smile!

Sharing Your 7 Day Photo Challenges

Remember to keep everyone up to date with your 7 Day Photo Challenge! Share your photo challenges with other Nixplay users and connect your digital photo frame to your social media accounts. You can also send your Easter photos to your frames via email, the Nixplay app or our website–so sharing memories with the family has never been easier.

7 Great Ideas For Spending Quality Time At Home With Your Family