By A. Noelle

FAuntastic activities for Aunties by Relation (ABR), Aunties by Choice (ABC), Long Distance Aunties (LDA) and all other Aunties to enjoy with nieces and nephews on Auntie’s Day, July 28!

For All Aunties – On Your Day

1. Movie-Making Magic

Direct a short movie with the help of your nieces and nephews. You can start off the project by working on a script for an original family film starring the kids, or have them act out or recount some of the favorite memories they share with you (e.g., “I really loved the time when Auntie and I...” or “My favorite memory with Auntie is...”). Stand in and play yourself or let your nieces and nephews have fun impersonating you in their skits!

2. Gaming Stations

Set up some gaming stations around your house and have fun playing with your nieces and nephews all day! You can coordinate the setup with their parents in case you need any extra monitors, consoles, cables, etc. Have the kids help by creating some signs to designate each playing area (e.g., Wii Station, Xbox Station, or Card Games Station). If you’re expecting a lot of guests, make sure you have a variety of games on hand aside from video games, such as board games and puzzles. Include some indoor and outdoor sports for the backyard (e.g., table tennis or basketball). Make sure you include a separate station for plenty of water and snacks!

3. Kid Music Videos

Make a music video with the kids! List your favorite tunes, albums, or bands. Then let your nieces and nephews choose one song for the video’s background music. Help them choreograph the dance moves and decide on their costumes. You can let them choose to lip sync or sing along with the music. After a few rehearsals, it’s time to shine! Unless your nieces and nephews have stage fright, set up the camera so they can perform their dance moves for their parents and your other guests. Share the video online with friends and family members (or create DVD copies) to thank them for joining you in your Auntie’s Day celebration!

Long-Distance Aunties – Going Beyond Auntie’s Day

1. Auntie’s Cinema Club

Similar to a book club, you can start your very own monthly cinema or movie club with your nieces and nephews, especially if you’re an aunt to some major film buffs. Meet together once a month – starting on Auntie’s Day – to watch, rent, or stream a movie together and discuss themes, lessons, favorite scenes, etc. Take turns choosing which upcoming blockbuster hits to see – a great way to better connect with the kids by learning their tastes in movies (e.g., favorite genres, stars, or directors). If you have older teenage or college nieces and nephews, you can meet together once a month for coffee and a movie chat; take some time to talk about all the classic, foreign, or documentary films they’ve seen in the last month.

Creative Twist: Have nieces and nephews write up their own ratings and reviews for the movies you see and discuss, and create a family newsletter: Auntie’s Cinema Club Reviews.

2. Auntie’s Blog

Share all your daily adventures with you nieces and nephews via a blog – like the Savvy Blogs on Savvy Auntie! Create your first post on Auntie’s Day and share plenty of images, videos, and interactive content. Open up the comments section to family members only so that the kids can interact with your site. If their parents are willing, allow for social media sharing of posts.

Creative Twist: Give nieces and nephews access to your blog so that they can make their own blog posts and keep you informed of their daily happenings as well. If the kids are always on Facebook, consider making a family Facebook page instead.

3. Auntie’s YouTube Channel

If you have young musicians in the family, create a YouTube channel that showcases their talents (with their parents’ permission, of course). You can have your nieces and nephews post and share original pieces or cover songs with their own instruments of choice. For their first post on Auntie’s Day, have them perform a cover of your favorite song. Create some helpful guidelines for posting and remind the kids to only post appropriate videos to your channel (e.g., nothing that could get them hurt or in trouble and no identifying information).

Visit YouTube’s Safety Center to familiarize yourself with the safety guidelines before allowing the younger kids to make use of the site. Err on the safe side: keep your channel open to family members only, and always use YouTube’s “Safety Mode” option (at the bottom of the screen), which screens out potentially objectionable content.

Creative Twist: Perform some of your own cover or original songs for your nieces’ and nephews’ enjoyment!

Published: July 23, 2013