The Family That Plays Together Stays Together

(ARA) - Children are only children a very short time before they head out into their own lives, busy with friends, college, jobs and, eventually, their own families. Research shows that children who enjoy a strong family life become happier and more successful adults.

One of the most effective ways to strengthen a family is to create a family fun night, an evening set aside each week when the family gathers to spend time together. According to Alvin Rosenfeld, M.D., and creator of www.nationalfamilynight.org, family time spent together strengthens the unit and “is what eventually makes for a good, meaningful family and a truly strong nation.”

The format can vary, but families are encouraged to forgo electronic entertainment such as TV and video games and create activities that promote conversation and interaction among family members. Board games, arts and crafts, skits, talent shows, even team competitions playing ping-pong and foosball bring the family together.    

The challenge for many families, however, is where to hold a fun night. It can be too messy for the living room, requires more space than a bedroom, and mom certainly doesn’t want it in the kitchen. The basement would be the perfect location but that’s often a cold, dark space with a concrete floor and concrete walls.

Keelin Gagnon, from Cold Springs Harbor, N.Y., has three children. She and her husband recently moved into a new home and wanted a room that would give their family a place to play together. Although the Gagnons have a large home, they wanted their play area to be separate from the rest of the house to make their family time special. Their solution was to convert their unfinished concrete basement into a warm, inviting space that includes a large family playroom. “Finishing our basement has changed our family life,” says Gagnon. “I never had a basement growing up, but since we finished our basement, we spend most of our time with our children down there.” Best of all for the Gagnons, the project was completed in about two weeks.

The quick completion time was achieved by forgoing traditional drywall construction. Instead, the Gagnons converted their basement using a system specially designed for finishing basements that offers a variety of valuable advantages over drywall. The Owens Corning Basement Finishing System is installed with virtually none of the mess and dust involved with traditional drywall construction. It consists of walls made of fiberglass insulation faced with an attractive, stain-resistant fabric. “When we do art projects, the kids love to tack their work on the walls when they’re done,” says Gagnon. “And when we have an art fun night, I don’t worry about the kids getting paint or crayon on the walls because they clean up so easily.”

Family fun night can get a little rowdy in the Gagnon’s home so it helps that their space can withstand physical play. Whether it’s a wayward Frisbee or roughhousing gone awry, the walls help cushion the impact. If family fun night gets noisy, that’s OK, because the walls feature acoustic insulation that helps absorb sound, unlike drywall, which reflects and echoes sound.  And the basement is energy efficient, as well. The walls are insulated so the basement stays cozy in the winter and cool in the summer, and since the walls let moisture pass through them, the Gagnons worry less about mold and mildew in their basement.

The basement has become the family’s favorite room in the house and the Gagnon kids are clamoring for family fun night every night of the week. “I don’t even have to schedule family fun night any longer. The kids love the basement so much that we always end up down there in our spare time,” says Gagnon.

The Basement Finishing System is installed by certified installers. For additional information or to locate an installer in your area, call (800) BASEMENT or visit www.BasementFinishingSystem.com. Courtesy of ARAcontent