What Research Tells Us About the Most Successful Family Bonds
Strong family bonds reduce anxiety, raise self-esteem, and build resilience among children. Research suggests five actions to take for strengthening family bonds:
- Family Time: Family time is a great way to model expected behaviors inside the family circle. Mutual respect increases and family members learn to value one another.
- Traditions: Traditions are stories, beliefs, rituals and customs that are passed from one generation to the next. Children learn family values through traditions and being a part of the family’s traditions, gives a sense of belonging.
- Multi-Generational Gatherings: Grandparents exert significant direct and indirect influence on their grandchildren’s outcomes, including increased survival, and positive influences on nutrition and mental health.
- Family Holidays: The emotional, psychological and social benefits of family holidays last long after the holiday itself ends. Benefits include increased affection for other family members, better behavior, greater optimism and ambition, reduced anxiety and worry and less need for disciplining. Family holidays serve as a “happiness anchor.” Memories of love, joy and fun during family holidays give strength and courage during life’s challenges.
- Novel Experiences: Give children the gift of unique and unforgettable experiences. The intensity of emotion that is evoked when children consume experiential gifts creates life-long memories and bonds.
“The family who plays together, stays together” is not just an adage; it is a proven scientific fact. Create the tradition of an annual multi-generational family holiday and enjoy family fun through novel experiences.
Five Novel Family Adventures in Las Vegas
Let your Kids Race Grandma in the World’s Fastest Go Karts
Spread over seven acres, Las Vegas Mini Gran Prix Family Fun Center offers four tracks, amusement rides, a super slide, arcade games and lots of yummy food options. There are go kart options for every age.
The new, imported from France, Euro High-Speed Gran Prix cars for adults are the fastest go karts in the world. Or, you can ride go karts on the longest go kart track in Nevada, featuring plenty of turns and just the right amount of straightaway. The Sprint Kart Speedway is a special course designed to match the experience of drivers as they race side-by-side in precision karts.
And your youngest ones won’t be left behind. Designed for kids as young as 3 years old, Kiddie Go Karts provide just enough get-up-and-go for a safe experience. There are also 2-seat go karts, so parents can ride with kids, the only ones available in Las Vegas.
The cafe offers healthy food. The pizzas are made with fresh ingredients, are low in grease and baked in specially-designed pans which allow air to rotate, preventing the crust from getting soggy. Sandwiches too are made with fresh ingredients on soft and flaky French bread, and then toasted to perfection in the pizza ovens. The succulent chicken tenders, wings and boneless ribs are baked for a healthier and and crispier taste. There are sides, desserts and beverages.
Enjoy amusement rides in the Dive Bomber Airplanes where each young pilot takes flight dipping and gliding through the skies. Take control of how fast you twirl in the Tornado Twister. Ride the friendly Dragon Roller Coaster or slide down 90 feet of humpy bumpy while sitting on a potato sack in the Super Fun Slide. The arcade offers classics like air hockey and skee ball to the latest high-definition games. Las Vegas Mini Gran Prix Family Fun Center can accommodate families from 10 to 2,000 people.
Learn more about Las Vegas Mini Gran Prix
Show your Kids the Old Dance Tradition of American Clogging
With roots in Wales and England, clogging is a folk dance in which the dancer’s footwear is used percussively by striking the heel, the toe, or both against the floor or each other to create musical sounds. American Clogging developed from a mix of English, Scottish, German, and Cherokee step dances, as well as African rhythms and movement. As early as In the 18th century, American Clogging became the official state dance of Kentucky and North Carolina and was the social dance in the Appalachian Mountains. It was from American Clogging, that tap dance evolved.
Firelight Barn Dinner Theater offers amazing entertainment with a mouthwatering barbecue dinner (and options for dietary preferences). Priced affordably for families and groups, this cozy and casual dinner theater features the band, “Mama’s Wranglers.” Named “Young Entertainers of the Year” three times, the family band has performed in 49 states, Canada, and Europe and on average performs close to 300 shows a year. Band members range in age from 17 years to 28 years. They sing in 4-part harmonies, dance up a clogging storm and play a variety of instruments including guitar, banjo, fiddle, mandolin, and more.
Learn more about Firelight Barn Dinner Theater
Let Your Kids Tell Grandpa Not to be Afraid in a Helicopter Ride
The Grand Celebration Helicopter Tour or Flight will take you over Hoover Dam, Lake Mead, extinct volcanoes, the Colorado River, and the scenic beauty of the Mojave Desert. As you fly over the West Rim on the Hualapai Reservation, your helicopter will begin a 4,000-foot descent to the canyon floor. Take in the magnificent views of the massive walls and rock formations as you descend to the bottom. As you climb out of the helicopter you’ll see the rushing Colorado River continuing to carve the Grand Canyon like it has for over a billion years. You will have ample time to explore the canyon floor and enjoy a light meal and a glass of celebratory champagne. Lunch is served under a “Ramada” – a traditional Hualapai shelter offering shade and a picnic table.
Learn more about Papillon’s Grand Celebration Tour
Enjoy the wonder on the Faces of your Kids and their Cousins in a Hot Air Balloon
Enjoy a spectacular sunrise and a birds eye view of the gorgeous Red Rock Mountains and the Las Vegas Strip. Watch for wildlife and teach your kids the science behind a hot air balloon.
Learn more about Vegas Balloon Rides
Pile up in a Bus for a No-Stress Tour to Grand Canyon National Park
Even if you’ve seen it, Grand Canyon National Park’s South Rim does not fail to delight. One of the seven natural wonders of the world, the park spans 277 miles of the Colorado River and adjacent uplands. A mile deep, the canyon is best viewed from the Rim Trail along the forested South Rim, providing an opportunity to view the canyon from every viewpoint.
The South Rim is open year round. Sweetours offers tours to the Grand Canyon with a stop at Hoover Dam.
Learn more about Sweetours’ Grand Canyon South Rim Tours
Planning Tips
Outsource event planning so you can focus on spending quality time with family. LV Wedding Connections can help you pull a package of activities together along with reunion meals at restaurants of your choice and professional photos. Contact Joni Moss-Graham at LV Wedding Connections.