Families with children in difficult life situations often experience a deficit of constructive forms of shared pastime, which exacerbates parent-child estrangement and increases the risks of social maladjustment among minors. At the same time, one of the strategic objectives of current state family policy in the Russian Federation is the prevention of family dysfunction and the preservation of kinship ties in families with children in difficult life situations by creating conditions for their social adaptation and enhancing the level of parent-child communication. Consequently, finding effective ways to adapt socially, particularly by organising accessible and meaningful family leisure activities, becomes especially important. The aim of the study is to assess the impact of socially oriented types of leisure on social adaptation and the preservation of kinship ties in families raising children and experiencing difficult life situations. The empirical foundation of the work comprises materials from a two-stage sociological survey conducted among families residing in the Republic of Adygea and classified as being in difficult life situations. The data obtained during the study made it possible to analyze the functioning patterns of such families and to identify factors influencing the maintenance and strengthening of parent-child relationships. The primary method employed was a questionnaire survey. Special attention is paid to the need for creating an accessible and content-rich environment for shared family leisure as a resource for strengthening intra-family bonds and reducing the risks of deviant behavior among minors. The authors identified the key motivations driving these families and the barriers limiting their joint cultural leisure. Concurrently, the study assessed how financial capabilities, household composition, and parental value orientations influence the desire to participate in such activities and the obstacles encountered. A generalized socio-demographic profile of the respondents was compiled and summarized. The research targeted families in difficult life situations residing in the Republic of Adygea. The study examined the degree of satisfaction of this group with their self-organized leisure and explored which formats of intellectual, creative, and physical activities they find most appealing. The outcome of the study was the development of practical recommendations for organizing intellectual and creative types of leisure as a means of social adaptation for families in difficult life situations.