Life has a way of moving fast, but we often make the greatest memories during the slow moments.
If you’re looking for a way to slow down, relax, or connect with your family at home then we’ve got you covered.
We’re writing this article during the Covid-19 pandemic, so many of you are already spending more time around the house and anxiety levels are understandably higher. We think these ideas will help families make the best of a hard situation, but we also know that these will remain effective ways to relax and connect for years to come!
1) Watch a Fire
This is a very simple, straightforward way to relax. We’re not just saying this because we deliver firewood, but it’s backed by scientific research.
Watching a fire can lower your blood pressure and reduce anxiety. “Findings confirm that hearth and campfires induce relaxation as part of a multi-sensory, absorptive, and social experience.”
People have gathered around fires for thousands of years, and for good reason. Everything about the fire helps us relax – watching the flames dance, listening to the crackle of the wood, enjoying the aroma, and feeling the warmth…are all great for our mental health.
It also helps us disconnect from technology and plug back into what’s most important…talking with and listening to the people closest to us. Your teenage children will even put their phones down and talk to you around a fire.
If you’re looking to build a fire during warmer months, don’t be afraid to take it outside to the fire pit. We also recommend giving our cherry firewood for sale a try, it has a great aroma and burns at a cooler temperature than hickory or oak firewood.
2) Connect through Questions
Whether you are hanging out by the fire, at the dinner table, or in the living room, questions are a great way to spark conversation and learn new things about the people you love. The answers you hear from your spouse or kids might even surprise you!
You can make up your own questions, but sometimes it can help to use some existing ones to break the ice.
We like this list of 20 Conversation Starters while Camping or this list of 20 Questions when you are stuck at home.
3) Make S’mores
Cooking s’mores is not only fun and delicious, but it’s also an important skill for children and adults everywhere.
If you want it to be even more memorable, then get creative with your s’more ingredients! Use chocolate chip cookies instead of graham crackers, try Reese’s cups instead of Hershey bars, or make a double stack with extra marshmallows!
If you want advice or ideas on improving your s’mores game, then make sure to check out our ultimate guide to making the perfect s’more.
Go ahead and make some memories that will last your children a lifetime.
4) Exercise
They say that chopping firewood warms you up twice – once when you chop the wood and then again when you make the fire.
Since we take care of the chopping and stacking of the firewood (and provide the best quality), you now have free time to do exercise that’s fun!
Go for a walk, go for a run, play with your pets (they need exercise too!), join a workout online, play freeze tag, go for a swim, or lift some weights. Pick your favorite activity and go for it! This study from Harvard shows how exercise helps us relax and is great for mental as well as physical health.
And of course, when you’re done exercising you’ll probably be hungry, which brings us to our next relaxation idea…
5) Get Cooking, and Do it Right!
America lives off of convenience food, but there is something special about making our meals from scratch. It just tastes better, and it has a way of reminding us of some of our favorite moments in life.
Eating together at home is also a great experience. Restaurants are fun, but they can be noisy and loud and make it hard to connect with anyone not sitting right next to you. Home, however, was made for sharing mealtime together.
As you might expect, our favorite place to cook is outside and around the fire! Cooking over wood produces amazing flavors and an aroma that will catch people’s attention from miles away.
We put together a list of 8 Epic Recipes for Cooking over Wood that will help you get started!
6) Get the kids involved
No matter how you choose to relax or unwind, make sure you get the kids involved. Spending time around the fire? Teach them how to start one with a single match if they’re old enough. Cooking something? Let them participate – even if it’s just mixing the ingredients. Connecting with questions? Kids love questions!
Even if you’re doing chores like yard work or organizing your home, involving the kids is a great way to teach them about living and help them feel connected. Depending on their age, they may help you get work done faster or slower, but the important thing is that you use the time to teach and connect with them.
7) Play Games together
Games are a great way to relax and connect. Granted, if you’re super competitive then you may not relax much, but at least you’ll be able to focus on something fun and close to home!
Everyone has their favorite board games and card games and those are all great ideas.
Here is a good collection of games to play with kids, and many of them require supplies you probably already have at home. If you want to try a new game that’s a bit more advanced, this list of board games for adults has some awesome ideas.
8) Relax with Music
Music, like fire, has been proven to help people relax. Play your favorite music around the kitchen, by the fire pit, or wherever you happen to be.
If you can play a musical instrument, then this is a great time to practice! If you’re not very musical, though, then perhaps it’s best to let the professionals do their thing.
If you need inspiration for some good songs, check out our fireside music playlist.
9) Enjoy a date night at home:
Just because you stay at home doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy a romantic evening!
Make a fancy drink or two, snuggle up with your significant other to watch a movie, and, if you really want to take the amore to the next level, enjoy a romantic crackling fire together.
You can do this every night if you want – it’s the perfect time to binge-watch a favorite tv show and catch up on everything you’ve missed!
Our boxes of firewood make this easier than ever before. You just stay at home – We deliver the firewood to you and each box includes everything you need! Boxes ship nationwide and we can even provide a complimentary same-day delivery service in the Atlanta area.
10) Go Camping
When you have great weather, why not spend the night outside?
You could go somewhere isolated like the mountains or the lake, but don’t ignore how fun it can be to simply pitch a tent in the backyard and get the family together for a great time!
Teach the kids how to pitch a tent, build a fire in the fire pit, make some hot dogs and s’mores, share some spooky stories, and have a fun night sleeping under the stars.
If you want to take this idea to the next level, then make sure you check out our guide to hosting a campout in your backyard for kids. We also have a fun guide with 11 tips for telling better campfire stories.
