Creating childhood memories for your children is one of the most important jobs of parenting.  Here’s a creative idea for a weekend activity for you and your children to do no matter what season of the year it is. Why not have a “camp-in”, instead of setting up a tent outside build a fort out of sheets and blankets in your family room. 

Have your children help you build a fort where they can play during the day, and then bring out the sleeping bags and flashlights for the night.  Share stories from your childhood with your children.  Encourage them to ask questions about their relatives and their family history.  It might be fun to share stories about what games you played as a child or the types of movies you saw.  (I may be dating myself but I can remember going to the movies and actually having an intermission!)  We spend so much time rushing from one activity to another, or being distracted by our electronic devices, it might be nice for at least one night to turn everything off and just focus on family time. 

As you build your tent or fortress, you might spend some time talking to your children about how a man-made fortress may not stand up to all the pressures of life, it may fall down or collapse.  However, our God is a mighty fortress, “The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge.  He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.”  (Psalm 18:2)  God is our fortress, he will never be shaken and in Him we can find rest and shelter. Perhaps you can have your children look up Psalms 61:4 in their Bibles and have them highlight the following verse, “I long to dwell in your tent forever and take refuge in the shelter of your wings.” 

Enjoy some family bonding time, but especially take time to teach your children that God is our true shelter, the one we can turn to for strength and comfort.  “Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him.  He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.. . .Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.”  (Psalm 62:5,8)