The International Day of Families is around the corner which means you’ve got to start planning for a fun-filled family gathering. Every year, the International Day of Families is celebrated on the 15th of May and for the year 2020, that day falls on a weekday. Fortunately, it falls on a Friday! So before you start putting the brakes on and scrap your fun family plans all-together, here’s an idea: a Friday night celebration!
Yes that’s right, gathering with your beloved family members at night shouldn’t put everyone to sleep. If your guests consist of people from all ages, including the fussiest toddlers and children, think of a theme for your family gathering that would cater to the interests and likings of everyone.
One of the best ones is a Science-themed family night. Think about it, everybody loves Science! From grandmothers to uncles to babies, this theme is sure to give your entire family a memorable time and here’s how:
1- Science-themed Decor
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Before the celebration, decorate your place with science-themed decorations. If you have the time, you can even decorate your place to look like a science laboratory! Normally, you can purchase the decorations from your local party shop but you can also make these decorations at home using simple craft materials. Here’s one example of a party-themed science decor that you can easily make at home:
- Paper Plate Planets: Paint white paper plates into planets and stick or hang these planets all over the walls and ceiling.
- Cut-out Rockets: Search for rocket templates online, print them, cut them out and place them all over the place just the same as the paper plate planets.
2- Dress Up!
An exciting way to rev up your family night is to also turn it into a costume party. Since the gathering is Science-themed, ask everyone to dress up as their most favourite scientist.
From Albert Einstein to Bruce Banner, there is a long list of real and fictional scientists out there to choose from. The list caters to all ages too, it is almost impossible to not find a scientist that is relevant to each generation. Dressing up as a scientist shouldn’t be hard anyway, a lab coat, safety goggles and a magnifying glass in one hand and you’re good to go.
You can also include prizes for “Best Costume” or “Best Dressed” winners. Another great idea would be to organise a fashion show for the night so every scientist would be eager to strut the runway. Kids will love this!
3- Science-themed Dinner
No celebration is complete without good food. Prepare a Science-themed menu for the family dinner which will cater to everybody’s taste buds. Some kids are naturally fussy eaters so here’s are some examples of great science-theme food ideas particularly for kids:
- Molecular Fruit: Use a melon baller to scoop fruit such as watermelon and honeydew into balls. Attach them together with toothpicks to form a molecule chain! You can even use grapes and berries.
- Beaker Soda: Just serve fizzy drinks in beakers and you’ve got yourself a science-themed party favourite.
4- Science-themed Games
Is it really a celebration without games? One way of keeping everyone entertained is to have fun games and activities that are sure to strengthen the bond between every member of the family.
Who says games are strictly for kids? A simple science treasure hunt in which the clues are scientific riddles and facts should be a fun activity for the whole family. Doing science experiments with the whole family should also be a great way to entertain everyone during the gathering.
If you want it to be hassle-free, check out the ALFA and Friends’ Spark kit, a science kit that provides you with the materials and instructions to carry out fun science experiments at home. The Spark kit offers different kinds of experiments to choose from such as making DIY snow to steam-powered boats. Although the Spark kit designs science for toddlers, trust me, both adults and kids will be mesmerized!
5- Science-themed Movie
Since the celebration is at night, why not end the celebration with a good, old science-themed movie. Choose one age appropriate science-themed movies that both adults and kids will enjoy such as ‘Harry Potter’, ‘Jurassic Park’, ‘Star Wars’, and even classics like ‘Back to the Future’ would be great for the whole family.
One way to elevate your movie night is to add a pop quiz after the movie ends! Prepare questions related to the movie and give prizers to family members who can answer the question. This way the kids can participate too as the question would not be something out of their knowledge.
There you go. If you follow these ideas, your Science-themed family night celebration shouldn’t be a fuss to plan and prepare. Adults will have a great time and so will the kids too!
