Picture this scenario: You’re all at home on Sunday evening and the whole family is gathered in the living room.  It’s the idyllic family setting reminiscent of the Cleaver’s. Or at least it would be; if Dad weren’t absorbed in the television, mom weren’t perusing Pinterest on her iPad, sister wasn’t snap chatting with her friends on her phone, and brother wasn’t destroying enemies on his xBox.

Now don’t get me wrong, this isn’t an article about the evils of technology.  Technology is so much a part of our lives, and it is here to stay.  The trick in parenting these days is to learn to balance our technological lives with face-to-face interactions.  If you would like to get the family interacting TOGETHER instead of separately, why not try Geeking It Out next time with a family project designed to explore the science behind some of those technologies?

Enter some of our favorite hands-on, bring-the-family-together books.  Instead of disregarding technology, let’s explore how that technology works in our everyday lives.  These books are full of fun, fascinating, and educational projects that will bring the whole family together.  The projects range from short and simple (How to Make a Treasure Map from a Paper Bag) to something more detailed (How to Build a Tree House.)

One of our favorites is The Book of Potentially Catastrophic Science. It’s chock full of hands-on and potentially “dangerous” experiments that will delight and fascinate even the biggest technology addict.  Channel your inner Galileo by building a simple telescope.  Recreate the Hadron Collider in your microwave, or discover the mysteries of the wheel all over again.

Another of our favorite books is available in a series.  It’s the Handy Book Series written by one of the founders of the Boy Scouts of America, D.C. Beard.  The Handy Book Series is loaded with practical indoor and outdoor projects, survival tips, advice, and fun.  This best-selling series is ideal for the outdoor, adventurous family.

Another of our favorite book series that is worth a mention is the Handy Dad Series.  These books are geared toward adult/child projects where cooperation is the name of the game.  In this two-book series, extreme sports athlete and TV host, Todd Davis, gathers more than 50 projects and activities sure to get kids and their parents outside and entertained for hours.

Whatever book or book series you choose, we can assure you that your whole family will be engaged as one unit working toward a common goal.  Now what more could you ask for?

*Photo courtesy of KristenKep Photography & Design