You’ve Scheduled Your Family Session…now let’s talk location and activities.
So you’re here because you’ve booked a documentary-style session — one that feels relaxed, unhurried, and centered around real moments of family life. But when it comes to the actual session, it’s completely natural to wonder how to prepare and not want to feel caught off guard. Trust me, I feel the same way!
I want to do everything I can to help you and your family head into the session feeling comfortable, prepared, and at ease. Before the session, we’ll have a short consultation call where we can talk through a loose plan for the day — activities that feel familiar and enjoyable for your family, along with some of the everyday routines that are simply part of your life together (whether glamorous or not — think brushing teeth, folding laundry, making breakfast, bedtime routines, etc.).
I’ve put together the list below as a starting point for inspiration and planning. The goal is simply to capture your family doing life together in a way that feels honest and true to your story and connection. Please think of this as a reference rather than a checklist, and feel free to bring your own ideas to our consultation call. I’ve organized the suggestions by season to make things easier, but everything is flexible!
Summer Activity Ideas
At Home:
Outdoor picnic
Sidewalk chalk drawing
Living Room Fort making
Gardening
Slip and Slide/Kiddie Pool
Running through Sprinklers
Blow Bubbles
Play in the yard - frisbee/ball/etc
Bubble Bath in tub (young kids)
Dress up pretend play
Shadow puppets
Snuggling on bed together
Reading books together
Lemonade Stand
Baking
Grilling food in the backyard (or park)
Eating Watermelon or ice cream together
Regular Chores: Sweeping, dusting, brushing teeth, combing hair, folding laundry, making the bed
Having breakfast together at the kitchen table
In can be the ‘boring’ stuff too! Chores like: folding laundry, sweeping, cleaning, brushing teeth, brushing hair, making bed
Outings:
Favorite Park
Beach - collecting/skipping rocks, sand castles, flying kites, swimming
Farmer’s market
Ice cream shop
Putt putt
Berry picking
Visit a petting zoo
Carnivals
Train museum day
Fall Activity Ideas
At Home:
Raking and jumping in a pile of leaves
Baking
Make a Craft
Dress up / pretend play
Reading together
Snuggling together
Pillow fight
Fire pit roasting marshmallows/s’smores
Board Games
Pumpkin Carving
Collecting favorite leaves
Painting
Shadow puppets
Breakfast meal together
In can be the ‘boring’ stuff too! Chores like: folding laundry, sweeping, cleaning, brushing teeth, brushing hair, making bed
Outings:
Pumpkin Patch
Apple Orchard
Corn Maze
Nature Walk
Beach
Carnivals
Going for a walk around the neighborhood
Winter Activity Ideas
At Home:
Holiday baking
Decorating cookies (already baked)
Holiday decorating
Reading together
Pillow fight
Snuggles
Warm bubble bath
Matching PJs
Dress up pretend play
Making and drinking hot chocolate
Drawing together
Board Games
Living room dance party
In can be the ‘boring’ stuff too! Chores like: folding laundry, sweeping, cleaning, brushing teeth, brushing hair, making bed
Outings:
Snow day! Snow angels, snow man, snow balls, all things snow!
Holiday market
Spring Activity Ideas
At Home:
Baking
Breakfast together + cooking
Reading together
Pillow fight
Snuggles
Dying eggs, egg hunt
Crafts/painting/drawing together
Warm bubble bath
Matching PJs
Dress up pretend play
Board Games
Living room dance party
Planting seeds in the garden
Playing in the yard
Jumping in puddles in the rain
In can be the ‘boring’ stuff too! Chores like: folding laundry, sweeping, cleaning, brushing teeth, brushing hair, making bed
Outings:
Park visit
Beach: collecting rocks, skipping rocks, flying kites, dipping toes in water
