Holiday breaks can be the bane of a parent’s existence. Moms and Dads start off the break with idyllic images in their heads: snuggling, making hot cocoa, and going for nice strolls in the crisp winter air. Most often than not, these amazing plans quickly devolve and parents go into mere survival mode. You may love having the extra time to spend with your kids, but keeping them preoccupied when the weather doesn’t cooperate might make you consider pulling your hair out.
While you can’t plan for every contingency during Christmas break, we want to offer you a few activities that can help stave off boredom and keep your kids happy and engaged.
Arts and Crafts
If you have a long list of people to give presents to this Christmas, you can keep your kids busy by having them make sentimental DIY gifts. One great option is homemade ornaments. You can find an easy recipe for snow clay online. Have them mold it into a shape — like a candy cane, a Christmas tree, or a circle they can put their handprint on. Then let it dry and have them paint it.
You could also have them make paper snowflakes to decorate the tree, a luminary ornament jar, or no-sew blankets as well!
Service Projects
This is the time of year when many of us are looking for ways to give back. Why not involve your kids in giving back this year? Some ideas include raking leaves or shoveling snow for elderly neighbors, baking cookies for local police officers or firefighters, or making boxes of goodies for ill children.
Local Spots
During the entire month of December, you can check out the electrical extravaganza spectacle down at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens. The display features the new high-tech “Nature’s Wonders,” which illuminates the world’s natural phenomena through countless strands of synchronized dancing lights. You can also take the kids to the Georgia Aquarium for the Festival of the SEAson, where they can see both Santa and SCUBA Claus and the annual tree-lighting ceremony.
After spending time crafting, helping their community, and visiting wonderful shows around town, hopefully, the kids will have burned off enough energy to enjoy my all-time favorite activity — reading stories together snuggled up in some blankets.
