This is the number one, all-time greatest thing to do together as a family.

 •  Make this time as relaxed and enjoyable as possible, but stop to explain or discuss items that come up.

 •  Select a special book to read during your break that will keep the interest of all family members.

 •  Read, or take turns reading, with expression and at a slightly slower pace.

An alternative is to listen together (at home or in the car) to an audio recording of good literature, such as those from your local library or Sing 'n Learn, Jim Hodges Audio Books, or Vision Forum.

For an electronic-free evening, turn off the TV, video, computer, etc.  Clear the table, pop some corn (see six pages of flavored popcorn recipes), and get out board games or puzzles.

Board games and puzzles provide time for all your family to visit, interact, and have fun together.

Before your scheduled game time, check your local thrift shop for games and puzzles at one-tenth the price you would pay for them new.  Check the box and count the game pieces; if pieces are missing, buy a second game and still save eighty percent.  If the rules are missing, you can find them free online.

Order Homeschoolopoly, the ultimate homeschool game, and also look for time-tested family games such as Scrabble, Checkers, Chess, Chinese Checkers, Boggle, Dominoes, Password, Bible Trivia, Outburst, Upwords, Pictionary, and Uno (see All Games for Fun!).  Two of our new favorite word games are Bananagrams and Quiddler.

Our extended family thoroughly enjoys a rousing game (it gets that way!) of Pictionary or Password when we get together at Thanksgiving or Christmas.  We abandon the board part of these games, and everyone, youngest to oldest, takes turns pulling out a card and giving the clues.

Play one of the versions of charades for a more dramatic or active game.

In the winter, when we are not outside as much, a walk is even more special.  You might need to check the weather report to see when you can plan to go out for a walk together.

Besides being an excellent form of exercise, walking along, removed from the scene of your daily life, you can get a different perspective and a unique opportunity to visit with your children in an informal setting.

Having this time to talk things through in a nonstressful time and place can greatly benefit your relationship with your child.  Really listen to your child; ask about his interests and what he is thinking about.

Have you always wanted to make bread with your family?  Pick an afternoon, have all the ingredients on hand, and just do it!  You might even have some extra read-aloud time while it is rising.

 •  See an online video demonstrating bread making, healthy bread recipes, or order "The Art of Breadmaking" DVD from Franklin Springs Family Media.

 •  If you regularly bake all your own bread, try something else that you have always wanted to bake.

 •  Make a special meal — double it and take it to someone in need!  Or take some of your fresh homemade baked goods to share with a neighbor or shut-in.

 •  Learn to make some ethnic foods.  See recipes for ethnic cuisines by region, world cuisine, or more ethnic recipes.

 •  Invite another like-minded family to join you for your special meal (or any meal, an activity, or a day).  When like-minded home-school families spend time together, they provide needed support and encouragement for the whole family.

 •  Your family might also like to work together one afternoon cooking ahead for your next school quarter.  If you don't do the complete meal package, just cooking and freezing meat to add to your regular recipes can save you a lot of time in the weeks to come.  See Freezer Cooking Guide.

Take a few hours during your break to reach out to others.  Is there an elderly relative or shut-in whose life you could brighten with a visit?

Although your presence, smile, and listening ear is often enough, a small practical gift, photo, or flowers permit your visit to linger after you are gone.

Be sure to offer the love, joy, peace, and hope of our Lord in your words.  It is appropriate to ask if they would like you to read some Scripture, sing a hymn, and pray with them as well.

No, we don't want to unclutter the whole house.  Just spend a few hours one afternoon on one small area voted by your family as the one they would most like to see uncluttered.

Use the four-box method: throw away, give away, put away, and store away.  Maybe you can do this before your rewarding game night and take your giveaways to the thrift store when you go to look for games and puzzles.

Even one little spot of improved order can be very encouraging and make you feel like you accomplished enough to sit down and enjoy a rest.

Perhaps your younger ones need something to keep them busy while you are baking.  It takes just a few minutes to mix up a playdough or dough art recipe that will keep them busy for hours.

See the best Playdough recipe, a basic Dough Art recipe and instruction for keepsake ornaments, and Morton Salt's "Dough It Yourself" Handbook (42 pages, free online).

You could also do some of those other messy, time-consuming art projects you don't have time for during your school days.

Anyone can gain a fresh perspective from a change of scenery, but for us who are "city folks" by necessity, it is especially refreshing to drive through the countryside.  You, like we, might also like to listen to books on tape some of the time along the way, such as Dickens' "Christmas Carol."

Is there a little shop or park that you pass by and never have time to stop and explore?  Take an afternoon off to do those things.  Or visit a museum or historical home that might be decorated for Christmas.

Would you like to save 40-50% or more on needed (that's the key word here) items that are on sale after Christmas?

If you haven't arranged your budget to take advantage of these tremendous savings this year, take a few hours to check them out anyway and see if it would be worthwhile to do so next year.

One large family we know used to wait to shop for gifts for their family until after Christmas when they got more for less.  It was a family tradition to receive their gifts on New Year's instead of Christmas, and it worked very well for them.

As important and enjoyable as family togetherness is, everyone needs a little time alone once in a while.

 •  Give your children some personal free time to follow their own interests.  They might enjoy a whole day or afternoon off to catch up on a hobby or do something they haven't had time to do.

 •  Get caught up on your rest.

 •  Do some writing just for fun and pleasure to record your thoughts and memories.

(A little free time each day is something that needs to be built into your regular daily schedule as well.)

It is important to give each family member individual attention each day.

 •  You might also want to spend several hours alone with each of your children during your break.

 •  Ask each child (and your spouse!) what they would like to do alone with you.  Be prepared for anything from building with Legos to listening to your child talk about his problems and dreams.

 •  During your break, your children could each choose a favorite activity and/or menu.  When our children were younger we let them take turns in choosing an activity for family night each week.

Find a good, uplifting video that will entertain and inspire your whole family.

 •  See the DVDs offered by Franklin Springs Family Media that set forth a vision for the fullness of a God-honoring family life, Pendragon, the new Christian epic feature film set in Britain's Dark Ages, and Mr. Button Family Videos.

 •  Check out the Christian perspective or appropriateness of a movie you consider viewing at Plugged in Online or Christian Spotlight on Entertainment.

 •  See Christian Spotlight's lists rated with excellent and good moral rating.  (Have you ever seen "The Fourth Wise Man"?  It's a great Christmas or Easter movie.)

Be sure your family's break schedule includes daily time with the Lord.  Family Bible Time, or Devotions, do not need to be long or complicated.

 •  Set aside a time each day, perhaps while everyone is still at the breakfast or dinner table or before going to bed at night.

 •  Let God talk to you by reading His Word.  You can read through the Bible each year in only about 15 minutes a day.  (See schedules.)  Our family likes to listen to an audio recording of the Scripture while we follow along in our Bibles.

 •  Take a few minutes to discuss what you've read.  Recall facts, test comprehension by paraphrasing, and make applications.

 •  Pray, sing a song, or review a memory verse.

A good ol' family sing is a wonderful experience for your children to remember.

If your family doesn't regularly sing or play musical instruments together, why not start now?

It doesn't have to be a long session, unless your family wants to continue longer.  This is one of our extended family's favorite activities during the holidays — in fact, any time we get together.

You can also go to a concert in your own home by scheduling a time to sit down together and listen to a piece of music on a CD, cassette, radio, or a concert on TV or video.  You might want to start with Handel's "Messiah" (or parts of it).

One of our fondest family memories is when our father brought home a stereo set and put on some classical music while we sat with the lights off and the curtains open to view the moonlight on the Alaskan snow.

Want to learn how to play the guitar or piano easily and quickly in your own home?  Check out Jean Welles Worship Guitar Class or Mark Almond's Piano for Life.

Hopefully your family will have enjoyed your time together during your break so much that you will want to continue some of these activities during the coming year.

One of the best things we did with our children when they were growing up was to have a "family night" each week.  It was a time set aside to enjoy one another's company, doing something relaxing and fun together.  It didn't have to cost money or be very educational; it was just family time!

Why not take an hour during your break for a family planning time to get started on family nights if you are not already having them regularly?

This can create a family tradition that will be remembered and cherished for years to come.