Fun ways to encourage good manners, inspire caring and compassion, and keep your children connected to their community -- just a sampling of special excerpts from FamilyFun's new My Great Idea book.

THE BROTHER BANK
A Shared Reward Encourages Two Siblings to Get Along
"Whenever my husband or I "catch" one of our boys, Alex, age eight, or Grant, four, doing something nice for the other, such as helping to build a complicated toy, we reward the behavior by giving him a quarter to put in their joint brother bank. They can spend the money any way they want, such as on ice cream or a movie, so long as they agree on the treat. I've shared this idea with many of my friends, and they all tell me it's helped their kids act more kindly toward one another." -- Joni Gaynor, Anaheim Hills, California

POLITE BY CANDLELIGHT
Snuffing Out Bad Behavior at the Dinner Table
"With three little ones, Kendra, age eight, Gareth, five, and Weston, three, our family's dinner table conversation was always filled with things like, 'Sit down in your chair' and 'Use your fork, not your hands.' To remedy this, we started lighting six candles at the beginning of dinner. Any time someone displayed poor manners, we snuffed out a candle. If any candles were still burning at the end of dinnertime, we all got to have dessert. One wonderful night, all the candles were still lit at the end of the meal, so we went out for ice cream. The kids love the soothing candlelight, and we love the manners they are learning." -- Diane Sitton, Spring Valley, California

PHOTO STORIES
Capture Family History with Old Photos and a Cassette Recorder
"When my grandfather, Hal, was in his 80s, my father arranged a storytelling session with him, using photos from Hal's ranching days in Montana in the 1920s and '30s. Dad brought a stash of family photos, each numbered on the back. After the number was read onto the cassette tape, Hal described the people and places in the photo and spun out colorful tales of ranch hands, wolf encounters, rodeos, and life on the range. The result is a priceless set of cowboy stories that our family will enjoy for generations to come." -- Rani Arbo, Middletown, Connecticut

A SHARED SCRAPBOOK
Helping Two Friends Stay Connected After a Move
"When our family relocated, my six-year-old daughter, Jenna, and her best friend, Paige, were sad about being separated. To help them keep in touch, Paige's mom bought a blank scrapbook and sent it out to our new home after we arrived. She included instructions that Jenna was to fill one page with such things as a letter, photo, and mementoes, and then mail it to Paige, who would do the same. They sent it back and forth for a year before it was complete, and then I made a color copy for each of them. I love this idea, because my daughter learned that a special friend can always be part of her life, even when she's far away." -- Susan McClane, Ridgefield, Connecticut