We love the silicone popper! My teenager has destroyed ours a couple of times (by overcoming his popcorn), unfortunately, so we also get microwave popcorn from Costco from time to time. I love how easy the silicone popper makes it to have fresh popcorn with nothing in it but whatever you choose to add.

Strawberries. We try to use snack time as a way to get fruit into our kids, and while we have many fruits we like, strawberries are pretty universally loved st our house, and easy enough to wash and put in a bowl for them. We’ve learned not to wash them until you are ready to eat them though - they get mushy fast once you do!

Granola bars. My kids are partial to the Annie’s chocolate chip granola bars, but we also like the Nature Valley crunchy granola bars.

Play board games or card games. My husband really enjoys games, and tends to drive all our family game times, which we all love. He will often play the kids' favorite games with them one on one, too.

For my teens in particular, I will sometimes have them leave their devices with me, and then come to me to request permission to use them for a particular purpose (to message friends, play a game, etc). Here, my goal is to help them be thoughtful about the time they spend on their phones, rather than to keep them from doing the things they enjoy on there. It is too easy to move mindlessly from one thing to another on our phones, so this helps them have a specific (and somewhat time-limited) purpose for being on their phone.

When we set screen time limits, we usually limit these to personal devices that they are using for non-school purposes. So, we don't include family movie nights, for example, or family gaming on the Switch. We tend to treat shared screens differently (and more loosely), too. So, we will place fewer time limits on movies, shows or games they watch or play together on our family TV than we do on tablets or phones.

We've experimented with no screens for a set time (a week, a couple of weeks, a day), with the length of time determined by our goal. For example, when it seems like the kids are getting too dependent on their screens and it is becoming difficult for them to have healthy limits, we'll do two full weeks with no screens. The first several days are rough, but just before the 1 week mark, we see that they "re-learn" the ability to play on their own and otherwise entertain themselves without screens. It makes it really tempting to swear off screens altogether, but they are such useful and versatile tools I doubt we'll ever truly go there.

We've tried setting hourly limits by day, which the kids can (generally) use whenever they want during the day. For example, 1 hour a day on Saturday and Sunday, and 3 hours a day on weekdays (when we are working). This can be hard to monitor, though, and we often find ourselves needing to make exceptions to the general rule. If your kids are old/responsible enough, there are timers you can give them to track their own hours (or just have them do it manually, or on their phone's timer function, if they have one).

Capture the Flag, Sharks & Minnows, Hide & Seek, and Red Light Green Light are other favorites for our family.

Wiffle ball. We've been playing a lot of wiffle ball at our house lately. You can't really play baseball/softball anywhere other than a baseball or other large field, but the much shorter range that a wiffle ball can go makes it possible to play in a yard.

Soccer. It's easy to set up a casual game with as little as two players. And while it's nice to have a larger field to play on, even a relatively small yard can still work.

Spike ball has been a fun outdoor game for our family with both older kids and younger kids. It's meant more for teens and adults, but is simple enough that younger kids who want to play can do so and still have fun.

Battle with foam swords or pool noodles. If you have boys close in age you probably know what I mean by "battle." My two boys love battling each other with all sorts of improvised "weapons," and I've learned that limiting them to relatively soft and padded things has minimized injuries while still maximizing their fun. Pool noodles, foam swords, and my own DIY creations made from cardboard and duct tape have proven to be big winners for active fun outside for rambunctious kids who like pretend battles!

Wash the car. Really. This has been a favorite outdoor activity for all three of my boys (my daughter didn't care for it quite as much). It's a great excuse to get wet and play with the hose.

Wash the car. Really. This has been a favorite outdoor activity for all three of my boys (my daughter didn't care for it quite as much)! It's a great excuse to get wet and play with the hose.

Totally agree on the love for bunch-o-balloons! They also have "reusable" water balloons now which are pretty cool - and eliminate the mess of traditional water balloons! You just fill them up by immersing them in a bucket of water.

This is such a fun activity for toddlers, preschoolers and younger kids. It surpised me how much my little ones enjoyed such a simple activity!

Sidewalk chalk offers lots of different ways for kids to have fun outdoors! Use it to make simple drawings, complex mosaics, hopscotch, four square courts, mazes, write kind words to neighbors...endless possibilities!

Ride bikes or scooters. My kids love riding up and down our street and around the block any chance they get, and any time we go on family walks or runs, the little kids will ride their scooters or bikes ahead of us.

Family Halloween costumes! Though we don't do it every year, if the kids' costume preferences allow for it, we look for opportunities to all get involved in the fun. Some years we've planned our family costumes well in advance and others we've DIYed it at last minute, but they always end up being some of our favorite memories (and pictures!) from the year.