A FAS DAY: Fun Activities for Families with FASD

Hello everyone! My name is Liz, and I live with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). It’s nothing to be ashamed of or worried about. It IS SOMETHING TO understand because inside of you are SUPER POWERS you need to discover.

Today, I want to share some fun and engaging activities that my family and I enjoyed together when I was little. I am an adult now. These activities not only help us bond but also create a structured and supportive environment that is crucial for someone like me.

Here are 20 ideas that have made a big difference in our daily routine:

1. Family Dinners: We make it a point to have dinner together every night. It’s a great time to connect, share stories, and discuss our day. Also we had simple rules like if you cook you don’t have to clean it… You do have to be respectful though and not make a big mess.
2. Reading Together: We set aside time to read together. Sometimes, we read aloud to each other, and other times, we have a family book club where we discuss what we’ve read. When I was little I had books everywhere – my early teachers were astounded at my vocabulary and understanding.
3. Group Projects: Working on a collaborative project, like building a model, doing a puzzle, or doing a craft, helped us work together and appreciate each other’s strengths. Each of us had powerful gifts we shared and helped make the whole family better.
4. One-on-One Time: Each family member gets individual time with our parents. This helps us feel special and gives us the attention we need.
5. Movie Nights: We loved having movie nights where we pick a film, make popcorn, and enjoy it together under warm cozy blankets.
6. Game Nights: Board games and card games. It’s a fun way to spend time together and learn new skills.
7. Outdoor Activities: Whether it’s a walk in the park, a bike ride, or a hike, we make sure to spend time outdoors enjoying nature. My parents didn’t stop me from experiencing the world. We did canoe trips and camping.
8. Cooking or Baking Together: We often shop, cook, and bake as a family. It’s a fun way to learn new recipes and enjoy delicious food. Because I had a special gluten free diet from age twelve on, we also worked hard to search for recipes from around the world.
9. Special Nights: We have a special nights – like everything is blue for dinner… or hot tub splash downs… or fires and marshmallows on sticks.
10. Truth Table: My parents had a RULE for TRUTH. If there was something we did that needed to be told because we WERE WILD and NAUGHTY… we had opportunity to call a TRUTH COUNSEL and tell on our selves and give our idea if what the next steps should be. My parents honored Truth and Self-Discipline.
11. Bedtime Rituals: Our bedtime routine includes reading a baths, and songs, and stories. I often wore my clothes for the next day to bed – to avoid the morning transition. We talked about our day, with snuggles to wind down and feel secure.
12. Chore Teamwork: Mom made chores into games – there was a prize jar on top of the frig. The prizes were very small, but meaningful. Like three Legos or a pair of tiny doll shoes. We make daily chores more enjoyable by doing them together and turning them into a game.
13. Best and Hardest Discussions: During the evening we shared the best and most challenging parts of our day. It helps us understand each other better. We talked about ideas to get through those kind of challenges on another day.
14. Creative Transitions: Mom was an expert at redirect and moving between activities can be fun when we challenge each other to move in creative ways, like hopping or pretending to be animals. Even in my sickest Mom could redirect with soft touch, loving works, and the choice of Idea A or B.
15. Science Experiment Nights: Conducting simple, safe experiments together sparks curiosity and learning. Baking soda and vinegar – do I need say more. Blowing bubbles at 20 below zero.
16. Cultural Exploration: We embraced cultures through food, music, or art. We visited places others did not go. When I could no longer eat wheat, Mom said, “Oh well, the whole world does not eat wheat and I bet every place has good food. People all around the world like to eat.” And from the food we dug deeper into culture.
17. Family Talent: Our home was filled with other people’s kids and we wrote music and lyrics and actually produced a FULL CD and wrote a special song for the legislature. We sang and danced at church.
18. Stargazing Sessions: On clear nights, we spend time outdoors identifying constellations and planets.
19. Random Acts of Kindness Days: We did good deeds for our community neighbors – “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, your soul, your might. We loved our neighbors as ourselves.”
20. Family Fitness Challenge: Obstacle courses and playing with our dogs and bikes and trees – think doing – being – living – laughing.

Try JUST one and make it your FAMILY TREAT… Life can be hard… activities brought us closer together and made life more enjoyable. Living with FASD can be challenging, but having a supportive and fun family environment makes all the difference. I hope these ideas inspire you to create your own family traditions and enjoy quality time together.

TODAY’S NOTE: “Family needs to be the SAFE place… the FUN place… the REST place. – In Solidarity, Liz“