« Cider Mills, Corn Mazes, and Haunted Houses | Main | News You Can Use - Out of Stock Products, Free Shipping, and Advent Wreath Kits »
How to Keep Track Of and Organize Family Activity Ideas
By Polly | September 24, 2008
Family activity files are a great way to keep track of all those clipped magazine articles, brochures, and websites, you have collected over the years in the hopes of having them readily available when planning your family outings and activities or when looking for some new family night ideas. Similar to a family travel file, a family activity file can make planning a family outing or finding a new idea a lot easier by organizing the ideas by category and keeping them stored in one central location. Here are some suggestions on how to make your own.
Determine What Kind of System You Need
Any organizing system you design should be created so that it meets your needs and isn’t complicated to use or keep updated. So when creating a system to organize your family activity ideas it is important to start first with understanding how and how often you collect information.
If you tend to be a big collector of paper such as magazine articles, event brochures, newspaper clippings, etc then you will most likely need a multi folder system for storing your information. If you tend to only collect and save only a few pieces of information and keep a small amount of notes, then you are probably best trying to incorporate your family activity file into your current system for organizing papers or just starting with a single file folder.
Also, if you tend to bookmark a lot of family activity idea websites on your computer then your online organizing system should also be a little more in depth with multiple folders for different topics. If you tend to bookmark or save very little information on line, a single bookmark folder will do or simply a printout or written note will be enough.
Creating a Paper Based Multi Folder System
Things You Will Need
If you decide to go with a multi folder system, then begin by deciding how best to sort the information you save. Here are a couple of options to get you started. You can use these topics or create your own. Just make sure you use topics that make sense to you and that will make it easy to find things when you need them.
Family Night Ideas
Family Outing Ideas
Craft Ideas
Science Ideas
Online Resources and Notes
Another option is to sort your information and ideas by holiday if you tend to do most of your family outings and activities during specific holidays. Here is a list to get you started: New Year’s, Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day, Easter, Passover, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, July 4th/Memorial Day, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah
Once you decide how to sort the ideas you save, then you will know how many file folders to buy and how big a 3 ring binder to use. Keep in mind that you may find topics you want to add in the future, so be sure to buy a few extra file folders so that you have a place to store the new information.
Also, be sure to have an extra file folder or notepad in your binder to keep hand written notes on any ideas, suggestions, or websites you want to remember.
Creating an Online Multi Folder System
If you tend to spend a lot of time on the internet bookmarking favorite ideas for family outings then you also may want to set up an online version of the paper based system. To do this, create a folder in your favorites file and name it Family Activity Ideas. Once you have the main folder set up you can go ahead and create sub-folders within the Family Activity Idea folder using the same labeling system you designed for your paper based system. After you have all your folders set up, go through your exisiting bookmarks and move them to the appropriate sub-folder.
If you tend to bookmark only a few sites in your favorites then the multi folder approach may be a little more than what you need. In this case, here are some other options for you to try:
Create just one Family Activity Idea folder in your Favorites folder and just store everything in that one main folder. You can always subdivide the folder at a later time if the contents begin to grow and you are having a hard time finding anything.
Write down the web address and website name of an online idea you have found in the notes/online section of your paper based system.
Print off a copy of the idea or website and store it in the online resource section of your paper based system. Just be sure to read through the websites copyright rules to be sure that printing off copies is allowed.
How to Use a Family Activity File
Once you have your family activity file set up it is just a matter of remembering to use it and maintain it. Here are some tips to help do this:
Have your file handy during family meetings or while discussing weekend plans.
Keep notes of your activities stored in your file to make planning the following year simpler. In regards to day outings, things you may want to take note of are, when you went, the weather, the crowd level, things you should do differently, and any coupons or discounts you used. In regards to any crafts or home family activities, be sure to keep notes on problems you had, how fun or engaged the kids were in the activity, where you bought the supplies, changes you would make, and the things that worked well.
Go through both your paper and online file every year to toss out things you no longer need.
Good luck!
Related Entries:
Thanksgiving Traditions and Rituals
How to Organize Your Family Games
Keeping Track of Party Invitations, Permission Slips, and Appointment Cards
More Summer Boredom Busters
Parents’ Night Out