Now that autumn term is underway, before we know it the Christmas holidays will be here. This means, for many of us, two to three weeks of keeping the children entertained – possibly during some cold, wet and even snowy weather. Here are some ideas for Christmas activities to do with the children:
Write a letter to Father Christmas
Get this one done early and it gives you the chance to save for, buy and wrap their presents in good time. Children can be reluctant to do homework, but dress it up as writing to request gifts and you might well find that they are suddenly much more keen to practice their cursive writing and grammar.
Make a gingerbread house
Gingerbread house kits are now easy to buy, or, if you have the time, you could go all out and bake an entire gingerbread structure from scratch. Really creative families might even want to make a complete village, which should keep everyone busy for a while!
See the lights
If there’s a street near you that’s famed for its annual festive displays, then why not pile into the car and take a trip to see the lights? Such streets often have an optional charity collection, so you can contribute to a local cause at the same time, something that’s guaranteed to ramp up the sharing and caring feel-good factor.
Watch a Christmas film
Get into the festive spirit by settling down with some popcorn to watch some classic Christmas films. If you’re not feeling the Christmas spirit this year, watching a feel-good film as a family is bound to help you get into the spirit of the season.
Make a wreath
Like Gingerbread House kits, you can obtain make-your-own Christmas wreath packs pretty easily, and the whole family can get involved. If you’re feeling more adventurous, why not take to Pinterest and find some inspiration to make your own design?
Choose a Christmas decoration
Make a day of it by taking the kids to your local garden centre to each choose a Christmas decoration. This could be a simple bauble for the tree or something more elaborate, it all depends on your budget and preferences. If you can, you could stop by a cafe for a mince pie and mug of hot chocolate too. Over the years, this can become a lovely family tradition, and you’ll build up a collection of unique festive decorations at the same time.
Bake a Christmas cake
Get the kids involved in mixing, baking and icing the Christmas cake instead of buying one this year. Again, you can make it easier by buying a kit, or you can start from scratch and choose a design together. This doesn’t have to be complicated – you could, for example, use star-shaped biscuit cutters, ready-rolled icing and some edible glitter to create a stunning yet simple centrepiece for the festive table.
These are just a few ideas to keep the kids occupied during the most wonderful time of the year.
