During this busy holiday season take a moment to remember what makes the holidays special by doing some of these activities together as a family. They will put a smile on faces and get the kids excited about the holiday and winter season.
- Go to the library and look for books that explain the traditions of the December holidays including Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and the Winter Solstice. Incorporate one new tradition into your holiday celebration.
- Read a holiday classic, such as The Night Before Christmas or The Polar Express, and then write and illustrate your own holiday story. Kids might want to use Comic Creator to turn their stories into a comic. Comic Creator allows kids to choose from a variety of backgrounds and characters and add dialogue to bring their holiday stories to life. Have the kids share their stories with the entire family.
- Make yarn wrapped ornaments to trim the tree. A number of shapes will work to create the ornaments, but stars and Christmas trees are a perfect shape to wrap yarn around. Cut the shapes out of cardboard and choose your favorite color yarn or yarns to wind around the ornament. Be sure to leave a length of yarn to make a loop at the top of the ornament for hanging. They are easy to make and festive! [Could include image of star ornament in progress.]
- Perfect the snow fort. Hopefully there will be plenty of snow this holiday season to make the best snow fort ever. Have the kids try different designs and see which make the strongest or biggest snow forts. Kids will learn persistence during this winter time activity and come to appreciate the hard work they put into building something all by themselves using nature’s gifts. And the promise of hot cocoa once they come inside doesn’t hurt.
- Create beautiful frozen bubbles. When it is 20 degrees Fahrenheit or cooler, you might not want to go outside, but bundle up and head outdoors to create the coolest bubbles. Use the bubble solution from your summer fun and blow a bubble in the freezing temperatures. Try to catch it on the bubble wand and wait a few seconds for it to freeze. Keep a steady hand! It is a wondrous thing to watch the bubble freeze and then shatter. If kids are having trouble blowing the bubbles, dip the bubble wand in the solution and watch the crystals form within the bubble wand. It is pretty cool, too!