Maybe you want to teach your kids the true meaning of Christmas. Maybe you just want some cute pictures for the family photo album. Whatever your reasons for considering holiday activities with your children, here are three ways to have a blast together.
Bake Holiday Cookies
The great thing about holiday cookies is that you can tailor them to the needs of your particular family. If you’re worried about the nutritional value of sugar cookies, you can bake gingerbread or shortbread cookies instead. If your little ones don’t have the dexterity for icing-topped snickerdoodles, you can let them put the dollop on top of peanut butter blossoms. There are so many ways that you can modify the recipes and decorating techniques for holiday cookies that they’re basically a free-for-all in terms of possibilities. Roll up your sleeves with your kids and have fun experimenting as a family. If you don’t want the fun to stop there, you can eat your treats during a Christmas-themed family movie night or put goodies together to give away to your neighbors as a holiday surprise.
Customize Your Stockings
Instead of hanging a bland, store-bought stocking, get the family together and put your own spin on them. Play around with stickers, stencils and glitter, and Christmas embroidery designs or patterns to add a customized detail to the stocking fabric. You aren’t limited to names and initials. You can decorate your stockings with everything from holiday motifs to popular characters from Christmas movies. In the end, the details won’t matter as much as the fact that you’re all doing something fun and constructive as a family. The memories will last much longer than the stockings will.
Decorate Your Home
This is something that a lot of parents do by themselves, but you can turn it into a joyous holiday activity if you rope the kids into the fun. Let them help with hanging garlands, arranging figurines and winding lights around bushes and tree trunks. Get their opinions on the best door and window stickers, and allow them to have a turn switching on the yard decor. You might also want to break out the craft supplies and DIY some painted pine cones and candy wreaths. The sky is the limit when you bring everyone together for holiday home decorating.
These are just a few ways to do something fun with your family during the holiday season. You don’t need to have expensive presents under the tree. With a warm, loving heart and a willingness to get a little messy, you can turn this Christmas into one that your children will never forget.
