Good New Year’s Resolution: Fun Ideas for the Whole Family

What if this year, New Year’s resolutions became a game for the whole family? Between daily stress, endless screens, and packed schedules, it’s time to reclaim control… while having fun!

Discover these hilarious ideas to bond, reduce mental load, and create memories that truly matter. After all, the best resolutions are the ones you make together.

1. Quirky Game Nights

Set up a weekly game night where everyone takes turns picking the game of the week! No competition here—just laughs, connection, and discovering new favorites. Video games? Board games?

Try apps like Spiky – Truth or Dare, which offers over 1,000 challenges split into categories (silly, indoor, outdoor) and even lets you create custom dares. Perfect for mixing things up during family nights!

Available on iOS and Android.

Also read: 5 Must-Try Family Board Games!

2. Themed Dinner Parties

Turn every meal into a celebration! Assign a fun theme to each dinner—think “Italian pasta night” or something wild like “Backwards Night” (dessert first, fancy pajamas required!).

Get everyone involved: picking themes, decorating the table, and even cooking challenges.

Crazy theme ideas:

• Taco Battle Night: Who can stuff their tortilla without making a mess? (Spoiler: Guacamole on your shirt is inevitable.)
• Teens vs. Parents Cook-Off: Teens cook to a playlist, parents rate dishes using emojis. The loser does dishes… in ski goggles.

Also read: 5 Activities to Spice Up Your Holiday Meals!

3. Screen-Free Day: Back to “Real Life”!

How about a 100% analog Sunday? Ditch phones, tablets, and laptops to make room for face-to-face fun.

Sample schedule:

• Morning: Homemade Fort Boyard—hide clues in the backyard and solve riddles to unlock… snacks!
• Afternoon: Couch Olympics—origami contests (who can fold the best swan?) and blindfolded drawing battles.
• Evening: No-Screen Cinema—act out a story with sound effects (think dragon burps ) and DIY cardboard sets.

Need inspiration? Spiky has 1,000+ challenge ideas (or create your own!).

Also read: 10 Sporty Family Challenges!

4. A Never-Ending Fun Calendar

Don’t let your brilliant ideas fade! Create a family calendar to track activities you can repeat anytime. The goal? Never miss a chance to bond.

Ideas to jot down:

•  Quirky game nights for laughs and bonding.
•  Themed dinners to turn meals into parties.
•  Screen-free days to reconnect IRL.
•  Cooking together for tasty memories.
•  Creative challenges (sculpt a dog from Play-Doh?).
•  Family reading hour—novels, manga, whatever!
•  Outdoor adventures for fresh air.
•  Learn something new monthly (baking, sewing, painting apples…).
•  Gratitude moments—drop daily compliments into a “kindness jar.”
•  Living room picnic (who needs tables?).
•  Neighborhood treasure hunts.
•  Backyard stargazing.
•  At-home science experiments.