Christmas is always a great opportunity for quality family time, but when the kids are off school for the holidays, sometimes it can be a challenge to keep them entertained. The last thing parents need when they are trying to finish the Christmas preparations is the kids getting restless, so if you want to try and keep the boredom blues away this festive season, below are a few suggestions that you might find useful.
1. Baking Some Christmas Cookies
Baking with the kids is a great way to pass the time on a cold winter’s afternoon, and the result is a lot of sweet treats for the whole family to enjoy. You could even choose to share these goodies with other friends and relatives as little Christmas gifts if you wanted to. Not only will the kids love baking and decorating cookies with you, but this is also a useful skill that they can use later in life.
2. Read Festive Stories Aloud Together
This is such a great way to get cozy together as a family, and it can also help to inspire a love of reading and storytelling in your children. There are many classic Christmas stories you can choose from, or you could even encourage everyone to make up some tales themselves and indulge their imaginations. Sit together with a cup of hot chocolate by the Christmas tree and get lost in some magical stories together.
3. A Letter from Santa Claus
One of the loveliest things about Christmas is seeing all the younger children get excited about Santa Claus, and while you may take them to a Santa’s Grotto at some point during the festive season, you could also see your kids receive a letter from Santa. Santa letters can help to make your children feel special, and these packs can also come with activity sheets to help keep them entertained when you’re finishing your Christmas dinner food prep.
4. Christmas-themed Scavenger Hunt
Another way you can keep the kids happy during the holidays is by putting together a Christmas-themed scavenger hunt for them to take part in. Hiding clues around the house that they must solve to discover the hidden treasure will keep them busy for a while, and it’s perfect for them to play with their siblings or friends. You can get some small novelty gifts as the prize, or some chocolate coins can be a nice option for them to share.
5. Build a Winter Den
Buildinga den that you can hide away in is a fun and creative pastime for rainy afternoons, and kids can have a lot of fun doing this. Inside they can play games, read books, or even snuggle down and watch a film if they can see the TV from where the den is, or take a tablet in there with them. To make these more festive, think about using some spare Christmas decorations or getting kids to make some themselves to hang up in their makeshift fort.
If you want to try and keep your kids entertained over the Christmas holidays, consider the suggestions above and which ones will be the most suitable for your brood.
