As parents, the holiday season can quickly go from special and magical, to hectic and stressful. There’s nothing more stressful than a houseful of bored kids trying to monopolize your time while you coordinate holiday plans. Whether your kids are 5 or 15, these 10 activities are a sure way to get them into the holiday spirit and keep them entertained!
- Holiday Baking – Whether it’s decorating Christmas cookies for Santa or preparing a dessert for friends and family, baking is a great way for everyone to spend time together. Need some inspiration? Visit our Pinterest page for some great dessert recipes and decorating tips.
- Holiday Movie Marathon – Everyone comes prepared with their comfiest pajamas and their favorite holiday movie. Settle in with hot chocolate and lots of snacks.
- Gingerbread House Decorating Competition – It doesn’t matter if you purchase a prepackaged kit or DIY! Roll up your sleeves and get creative. Determine the winner by sharing photos on your Facebook page and asking your friends to pick the best!
- Volunteer – There are a number of organizations throughout the city that are always looking for volunteers. From volunteering to serve on a city board, committee, or commission, to working as a mentor or volunteer at a non-profit, there are many ways for individuals to get involved. Click here for a list of local volunteer opportunities.
- Christmas Carol Karaoke – Come prepared with your favorite Christmas song and put on a performance for the family.
- Dollar Store Secret Santa – For this activity everyone heads to the dollar store armed with a family member’s name. Set a budget, $1, $3, or $5 and go crazy! On Christmas morning everyone opens their dollar store presents and has to guess who picked their name.
- Visit Santa – A great opportunity to spend some quality sibling time. Having your teen take their little brother or sister to see Santa is a memory neither will forget. They’ll also feel great being the cool big brother or sister that took care of the little ones when mom and dad weren’t around.
- Go For a Drive & Find the Best Christmas Lights – Signature Moms Blogger, Kathy, shared a great post [link] last year about the best local Christmas lights display.
- Make a Care Package for a Solider – Not everyone is fortunate enough to spend the holidays at home with family and friends. You can find many different programs online that help coordinate care packages to soldiers serving all around the world.
- Elf Your Neighbors – Not sure what it means to be Elfed? Our blog post explains everything you need to know about this fun holiday tradition!
Tell us, what are some of your favorite holiday traditions to do with your children?
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