Activities for Lifestyle Family Photos
You’re on board with the idea of doing lifestyle family photos at home. But you freeze when you try to picture it (sorry for the pun). You can’t come up with any ideas of what we could do at your home for an hour that won’t lead all of us to staring at each other in awkward silence and then running and crying in the bathroom. So you either a) choose a park location instead and end up with posed photos of your family standing in a group, or b) procrastinate the photos altogether, waiting for some nebulous fantasy future where you’ll have all the answers.
I have a third option. I have ideas. Lots of ideas. And while we won’t choose all of my ideas for your session (I want your session to be about your family, not about trying to cram a bunch of activities into an hour), maybe one or two of them will inspire you to think of something that isn’t even on this list.
Consider activities that your family enjoys, even if it’s unconventional. Even if you think it would only take five minutes to accomplish. That activity might lead your kids to open up and suggest another activity, to relax and start pretending the photographer’s not even there. It might lead you to photos you never expected, and treasure for a lifetime.
Activities for families with babies and young toddlers
Reading a book together - always a classic
Playing peekaboo - so simple, and yet so amazing when the baby responds with laughter
Tummy time - what’s easier than laying around on the floor?
Exploration time - if you have a crawler, I’m happy to crawl around behind and in front of them
(Slow) dance party - babies love to be held and swayed
Snuggling on the couch - babies love to be held in various places all the time
Bottle or nursing snack time - if you’re breastfeeding, consider the magic that is breastfeeding photos
Bath time - Hear me out. Bath time and getting dressed. Bath time in a sink, or a tub, and the water play that goes with it. Huge bonus points if your kitchen or bathroom gets great light. We can do bubble baths for modesty if you’re uncomfortable (also I’m a mom of two and have good practice taking photos while avoiding private areas)
Sitting on the front porch together. Again, snuggles. Letting crawlers explore (safely).
Activities for families with older toddlers, preschoolers and elementary age kids
Doing a puzzle on the floor - smaller puzzles can take 5-10 minutes and include a lot of cooperation and wordless communication, if you need a warm-up activity
Building Legos or dolls whatever their go-to activity is - what do your kids absolutely love? Mine love Legos and love to request my help every chance they get.
Playing dress-up - helping the kids get dressed, undressed, redressed, making a huge mess and laughing through it together
Wrestling/tickle/upside down - Only if the kids are into that and want to do it in the moment. No forcing tickle monsters (or hugs, for that matter)
Coloring or drawing - how fun would it be to have everyone separately draw a picture of themselves, or of the family, and then take a photo of all of your drawings together, along with the artists?
Making a meal or baking together - a real classic, when they’re in the helping stage
Eating a snack in the kitchen - I have ideas for non-messy snacks!
Reading together - let them pick their favorite book
Treasure hunt - this requires additional work ahead of time, but could be really fun if you want photos in lots of different rooms and want a wide variety of excitement and surprise (and possibly, disappointment, if we’re being real) emotions in photos
Dance party - Helps get the wiggles out when the kids have pent up energy
Outside time - bubbles, a snack picnic in the yard, playing with chalk in the driveway
Activities for families with older kids and teens
Playing a card or board game - something that doesn’t require a whole bunch of set up time or complicated instructions is ideal
Making a meal or baking together - this would be a much different experience with a 10 year old than with a 3 year old
Playing with or caring for pets - what pet wouldn’t want an extra snack on a random morning?
What is their current hobby? Does it make sense for them to be able to do it with you during your session?
Reading together - do you read chapter books together at bedtime? We could recreate it, with or without the pjs
Charades - I suggest this instead of dance party because teens sometimes get self conscious about dancing but may find the competitive style of Charades to be more fun. Also - no talking for anyone who doesn’t want to talk.
Crafts or art-making - does your family watercolor together? Make friendship bracelets? What if everyone made a friendship bracelet for another member of the family and you traded it at the end?
Making music together - it doesn’t even have to be good. Photography is soundless.
Outside time - frisbee, soccer, taking a walk around the neighborhood
Did this list spark any ideas for you? What does your family like to do together (without screens)? How do you spend lazy mornings when you don’t have things clanging around your schedule? (Or, how *would* you spend lazy mornings if you didn’t have things clanging around your schedule?) How do you stay connected with your family?
Also, you might be asking what to do if you have kids in multiple age ranges. Typically I defer to the youngest child and do activities that they would enjoy. But your family’s photo session is about your family, and what you would enjoy doing and remembering later. That’s why the phone call is so important.
Family photos at home don’t have to be complicated, and we don’t have to try so hard for natural family photos when the photos are unposed and unstaged. Fill out this form and let’s chat about the activities that your family likes to do.