Talk to Cadbury’s about your family nights in and you could win a £200 Love2Shop voucher NOW CLOSED

[AngelieMumsnet]

Cadbury’s Marvellous Smashables have asked us to find out how you get the whole family together for a cosy night in.

Here’s what they say, "New Cadbury’s Marvellous Smashables are a fun way for all the family to get involved, so we’d love to hear from Mumsnetters about how they encourage the whole family to enjoy a family night in."

So, what do you do to ensure your busy family spends time together? Do you make sure everyone's favourite meal - or dessert - is on the menu? Perhaps there's a TV show that's guaranteed to gather you all in one place? Or do you use more direct tactics like bribery?! Maybe you cut off supply to the wifi or have made the lounge or kitchen an irresistably cosy place to congregate?

Everyone who posts on this thread will be entered into a prize draw to win a £200 Love2Shop voucher!

Thanks
MNHQ

Standard Insight T&Cs apply

[HourglassTigger]

Aaah - family nights. That vicious myth designed to remind us of our inadequacy. I recall my earnest best laid plans generally playing out as screeching bunfights, tears and tantrums. Yet unfathomably, now they’re all big and grown up, our kids cherish dear memories of rare ‘TV dinner’ nights, and gamely flock home for birthdays or any excuse for a shindig. They set to lighting the fire and candles, making everywhere cosy, [cue first hostilities of the night over cushion allocation]. Much ado over nothing as we never these days budge from the table. Inevitably, sometime around port, the playing cards are out. The soundtrack to our gatherings has evolved into a regimented drill - 'musical connections' on Spotify whereby each plays a song of our choice, that somehow ‘links’ to the last song played, correct guesser of the link gets next song. No matter how glorious the feast, nor how much we’ve scoffed, the chocs rustle their way out. For it is a well documented fact that the female human is equipped with a dedicated chocolate stomach. I appear to have been endowed with three.

[Justanotherday1]

We say games night and everyone is there. We all pick a game to play! Fun and they don't even realise it's educational win win

[Lovewhereilive]

Movie nights for us with pjs on and chocolate on tap.

[Annimousey]

We have Spaghetti Bolognaise which is everyone's favourite and then we stick Despicable Me on. My little boy loves the Minions it keeps him in one place for a couple of hours. He loves snuggling on the sofa with us whilst he watches, and his daddy and I love it too!

[Annimousey]

I forgot a full stop after 'Minions'

[BettyOctopus]

we have home movie or tv nights, with a film or programme like Dr Who that everyone watches together, pjs on and snacks for sharing :)

[NoDramaForTheLlama]

We like to all sit down and watch something, a film or strictly with cake, hot chocolate and blankets. Perfect!

[FiveHoursSleep]

Anything with popcorn and snacks does the trick here :)

[lpbarton]

Friday night is family night. Phones & internet is turned off, film is chosen and we make pizzas together. Followed by some games and we shove all the cushions on the floor and watch the film! We all love it! Then follow it up on saturday by a nice long dog walk ending is somewhere!

[k8vincent]

We've just started a new Saturday night thing: to turn all the lights off, light a fire in the front room and read stories by candlelight. Very soporific for DH, but the kids keep asking to do it again. We actually tried eating dinner by candlelight one Sat and nobody complained - even though we had something I know they wouldn't normally eat - but probably not sustainable every week!

[lottietiger]

To please everyone nights in are a takeaway pizza . DS is only 2 so it would be an early dinner, cartoon type film like Thomas or a Disney or TV off and big jigsaw puzzle out on the floor with everyone helping. Then off to bed for little one followed by grown up film, bottle of wine and chocolate for us :)

[MrFMercury]

Our Saturday nights have evolved naturally over the last few years. It is Strictly and then Doctor Who. I'm a gluten free veggie with a husband and 2 daughters who love bacon in proper butties so we aim for the most straightforward meal we can all eat and plenty of chocolate :)

[MegBusset]

We watch Doctor Who together- first the DSes have tea and their bath, then they get into their PJs and we all snuggle up on the sofa with nibbles like crisps and biscuits.

[TheWildRumpyPumpus]

A film, a big box of chocolate fingers and popcorn is a guaranteed way to get all of us together for a few hours!

[Sparkles23]

My kiddies are a little young at the mo (5 and 1 with 1 more on way) but as they get older we will definitely be doing movie nights with takeaway (they will get to choose once a month or so) popcorn, treats and snuggling up together, I can't wait! We have a popcorn maker which 5 year old loves!

[belleadele]

At the moment we have a 10 month old baby so it's always a family night in! I'll be looking at the comment above to get inspiration for the future though!

[Susan74]

Usually every Saturday is family night for us. We all choose what we are going to have to eat then shop for ingredients in the afternoon. After dinner it's pj's, snuggles and blankets on the sofa to watch a film or just lately Doctor Who! Glass of wine for me, chocolates and nibbles for all of us. Love our Saturday's :-)

[Fantasyland]

Curtains closed, duvet on settee, either play family games on the wifi or watch funny cartoons we all enjoy.
Lots of snacks all set on the table

[Catpawprint]

We have Friday night is pizza night. We set up the lounge carpet for an 'indoor picnic' put music to dance to on the stereo and make homemade pizzas with individual toppings.

[bloodyteenagers]

We do different things as we all agreed doing the same thing got boring. Plus because of the huge age ranges there's something for everyone.

So now it's a meal in and a film with the lights off.
Games night with loads of board games.
Dance off on the wii
Music night with a theme - 70's, disco, jazz whatever and we listen to music and dress in what we think was worn then using stuff we already have.

[StickChildNumberTwo]

On the rare occasion there's something on TV we all want to watch (and we're all in to watch it!) we'll snuggle up in blankets, light the fire, put the laptops etc down and enjoy being together.

[ProseccoLush]

DP has been working in the Middle East for the last 18 months so the weekends we all get together have been very special. Takeaway, prosecco snacks and a good film (kids choice) with lots of snuggles on the sofa. At least one of us, and not always one of the children, nods off and actual bed time has become a flexible affair. Some of the best nights we've had and very precious.

[RustyParker]

Saturday nights are our family nights where everyone gets their noses out of their laptops, tablets, phones and spend a bit of quality time together.

We love getting some treats in, chocolate usually but sometimes on a special occasion I will bake a cake, then we all pile onto the sofa, switch the film or Strictly Come Dancing on and tuck in!

My son is 8 years old and loves this tradition of sitting inbetween mum and dad and scoffing chocolate. We like to feel we are creating happy memories for him which will endure throughout his life and leave an impression on him for when he starts his own family.

[SouthWestmom]

We always have Sunday night dinner together and we try to watch a film afterwards. It's tricky with all the age ranges: 7 to 17 with all the children! Also we have silence and sweets for Dr Who or Ant and Dec on a Saturday night.