Families these days are busy. Even when you are physically present in the same location, you’re often so tuned in to your laptop, television or cell phone that you neglect to give each other the attention that you need to really build solid relationships with each other. One way to regain some quality time with your family is to use fire pits.

Yes, those inexpensive pits that you can purchase at a local hardware store are a tool for connecting families. Everyone likes to gather around one outside so it’s easy to get the family to participate in "family time" when you have one. Set aside one day of each week that everyone will commit to sharing dinner around the fire pit. Installing a new fire pit is more effective than trying to get everyone to eat at the dinner table together. This is because the fire pit will be something new and exciting. This makes it something that is easy to start a new tradition around so you’ll hear less complaints from stubborn family members. BBQ on the grill or just grab some sandwiches and gather around. Turn off all of your tech toys for one hour and just sit around the fire and talk.

Add in some additional family-bonding tricks to get the full effect of this family time. For example, put a memo pad on the outside of your home’s shower cubicles. Ask that each family member remember something special about that week’s fire pit day and have them write it on the memo pad the next time that they take a shower. Throughout the week, as you use the bathroom shower, you’ll re-live the connectedness you felt at the fire pit. This builds enthusiasm for the new week and builds your family’s relationships at the same time.