This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Wendy’s. All opinions are 100% mine.
Family isn’t something to take for granted, instead it’s something to embrace and enjoy as much as you possibly can. Here are 8 super fun and creative family “date” ideas.
Making memories with your family is one of the most special gifts of all, something not every child has the opportunity to experience when they are young. There are so many kids in foster care who do not have forever families to make memories with. We’ll be sharing a few ways to help those kids below as well!
8 Fun Family “Date” Ideas Perfect for Fall
Before it gets too cold, pitch a tent in the backyard and have a simple, yet totally fun, camp out together. Turn your phone off or on silent and enjoy some quality time together. {While you’re at it, definitely check out these 5 fun camping hacks!}
This is one of my personal favorites because you actually get a tangible memory after the day together! For the most fun, keep it from being too staged and let the kids be spontaneous and their normal selves. Find a photographer (or a friend!) who’s willing to snap photos of your family in action, just hanging out!
{Here’s a great post on what to wear for family photos so you coordinate!}
3. Jr. Frostys at Wendy’s.
Who doesn’t love an ice cream date! And from now until November 1, Wendy’s is selling its Halloween Coupon Books. For $1, customers can get five or 10 free Jr. Frosty coupons.* Stock up and enjoy several fun filled family dates while also helping kids in foster care find forever families!
The coupon books help raise funds for the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption through Wendy’s Wonderful Kids! Enjoying a Jr. Frosty while blessing another family-to-be makes it even more fun!
* Number of coupons per book vary based on location.
4. Popcorn and Board Games.
We get a little messy with our popcorn sometimes, but it’s nothing a quick vacuum before bed can’t fix.
5. Head to the Zoo!
We’ve been talking about taking a trip to our local zoo for quite some time, but now it’s time to actually make it happen and the Fall weather is just perfect for a trip!
6. Fundraise Together.
This is something close to my heart – teaching kids how to be generous helps them to focus on something bigger than themselves.
Fundraising will look different for each family. Some families may want to plan events like bake sales or car washes to raise money. Other parents may provide opportunities for their kids to do extra chores around the house for pay (or do yard work for friends and neighbors), which they can in turn choose to give.
If you’re not sure where to start, we’re sharing more on the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption later in this post, a great non-profit to connect with!
On November 10th, some Wendy’s locations will be hosting an adoption fundraising day where 20% off their proceeds will go to the Dave Thomas Foundation! Call your local Wendy’s to see if they will be participating! Invite your friends and help the turnout!
7. Family Bike Ride.
This one is so simple! Get out the bikes and ride the neighborhood together. If you want something a little more extensive throw bikes in the back of your truck or van and head to a local bike trail.
8. Baking Day.
This is one of my personal favorites and even though my daughter is young she LOVES helping in the kitchen! You can make the baking date as extravagant as you want or keep it simple, it’s totally up to you! Bake and decorate cookies, try a new muffin recipe, or make loaves of pumpkin or banana bread for the neighbor.
We hope you have a blast with your family! It’s something that definitely should not be taken for granted because, like we mentioned above, not every child has the gift of a loving family to go on “dates” and make memories with.
Which speaking of, I recently had the awesome opportunity to sit down over lunch and chat with Wendy Thomas and hear all about the amazing thing her dad started, the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption, helping foster kids find their forever families. She shared several heart warming stories and some easy ways that we can get involved and help!
In an effort to help kids who don’t have a forever family, Dave Thomas started the Dave Thomas Foundation for adoption which Wendy’s works closely with. One of their programs, Wendy’s Wonderful Kids program, works closely with recruiters to make the word unadoptable disappear!
Wendy’s Wonderful Kids has helped over 5,000 kids find forever families! Their recruiters only work with 12-15 kids at a time so they can work closely and individually finding the right family for each child. I was amazed as they told story after story, remembering the kids by name. And 43% of the successful adoptions through the program are sibling groups (which are often hard to find a family for). . . but they are doing it!
Hearing stories reminds us that each child is just that, a child, not just a statistic. They shared one story of a boy heading to college, one who grew up without a forever family, as he was filling out one entry form it asked for an emergency contact… he left it blank at first, then coming back around to it he filled in the only emergency contact he felt he had… 911.
How sad for someone to grow up without a support system, without name after name of family and friends to fill out on an emergency form. Kids need families, a mom that will help fill out college forms and a dad to say “I’m proud of you.”
When Dave Thomas started the Dave Thomas Foundation he would have considered even just one adoption a success. But he also knew he could never stop until every child found a home — children in foster care “aren’t someone else’s responsibility, they are our responsibility.” Wendy’s continues to keep his legacy going!
Here are a few of the ways we can help:
Get Involved!
1. Stock up on Wendy’s® Halloween Coupon Books.
The incredible relationship between Wendy’s and the Dave Thomas Foundation relies on us for support. We can help with the mission of finding families for children in foster care. Funds from the sales of the coupons books will go to the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption to support programs such as Wendy’s Wonderful Kids.**
** $0.85 cents of every dollar from the Halloween Coupon Books will go to support the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption.
The Coupon Books would be an brilliant alternative to handing out candy this Halloween! Consider purchasing a few instead of candy this year.
2. Spread Awareness.
We all know awareness is crucial so others know there is a need.
More than 130,000 children are waiting in North America’s foster care system for forever families.
Adopted himself, Wendy’s® founder, Dave Thomas, knew awareness was needed because he experienced first-hand the importance of having a family. In 1992 he founded the the Dave Thomas Foundation which is strongly supported by Wendy’s.
If you stop by Wendy’s you’ll notice their cups are illustrated with “family first” moments. Each one shares a drawing from an adopted child of a memory that most of us would take for granted but for them was life impacting because they now have a family to do it with. See more: Wendy’s DTFA Video Stories and share with friends.
3. Stop by the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption Website.
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If you loved this post, check out our book:
175 Best Date Ideas — the ultimate bucket list of dates for couples! Some of them can be tweaked and used as family “date” ideas as well and the rest you can enjoy as couple dates. If you’re stronger as a couple your family is stronger because of it!
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I heard about this campaign and think it’s wonderful! And that’s awesome you took a photo with Ms Wendy herself 🙂
It was fun meeting her and it was a blast hearing about all their are doing to work with the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption.