C is for Christmas: Themed Activities

 At first I wondered why I chose Christmas as my theme since there are SO MANY Christmas activities already out there.  I thought about changing to C is for Cats but then I challenged myself to come up with at least ten suggestions for you and the ideas started to flow. Clearly, we have the dot to dots, colouring pages, Christmas carols, tree decorations in our minds, maybe we can add to your ideas with something else from this list.

1. For those who like an advent calendar. Here are two variations.  To make a simplified one, cut out a shape like a tree and draw on boxes (12 or 24).  On each box attach the same treat like a hershey's kiss for the child.  Each day they can randomly remove one until they are all gone (full advent or 12 days of Christmas).  But if you want something more advanced/interactive, you can try an advent seek and find.  Perhaps you could choose one treasure box.  Each day leading up to Christmas you can put a small treat in the box and hide it.  You can just let them look OR you could write out clues to help them find it.  You can stop there or you can include a picture or number in the box and have them come glue it onto a main page. It could be numbers 1-24 to add to a countdown page OR it could be ordered pieces that when put together create a picture of the child or a Christmas scene or a map to their Christmas gift.  Be creative!

2.  Bake clay ornaments as a combination of science and craft.  There are premade ornaments you can paint but why not get messy and roll out, shape and design your own? Your clay may air dry or may require baking first but either way it will be fun to make your own.  You can use them on your tree or as tags on gifts for family and friends.

3. Another 'old fashioned' decoration you could make is stringing popcorn.  In addition to the completed decoration (which could include dried cranberries too for colour), you have a fun evening together.  Perhaps you could work on stringing them while watching a Christmas movie together and popping in a few pieces along the way to enjoy a tasty treat.

4. Wreath making is another idea that I never did with my children until just two years ago.  I was surprised by how simple it was.  We were provided with the resources that were branches cut from the woods.  We bent them and tied them (wire was an alternative option) to make a wreath.  We then hot-glued pinecones, berries and ribbons according to our taste.  It was wonderful.  An alternative was to buy a second hand wreath and add on our own embellishments and another thought is to make a wreath by use hot glue to attach Christmas balls into a wreath shape for a colourful design.

5. Christmas cards is another good activity.  I was thinking of pop-up cards.  Apparently there are online resources that can help you design some cool ones.  But you could create photo cards, turn Christmas art activities into cards or cut out old cards for images to glue onto new ones. You could do sponge or veggie print designs or use stencils or glitter glue designs.  The possibilities are endless and the benefits are the smiles on the recipients' faces when they get a handmade card for Christmas!

6.  Snow globes can be made with glass jars or with clear craft balls mounted on a base.  You can choose your contents but fake snow or glycerin and sparkles are options as are tiny styrofoam balls.  If you have a jar with a lid, you can glue a scene onto the inside of the lid before adding the 'snow' and sealing the unit up.  Be sure to use hot glue to seal it so it doesn't leak when flipped over and shaken up.

7. Pin the nose on the reindeer or the star on the tree is a variation on the game that is ever popular.  Blindfold a person, spin them three times then let them try to attach their 'nose' or 'star' to the correct place.  Let people take turns and see who comes closest of them all to the correct placement. Fun and games create great memories for families and friends and should be part of the festivities of the season!

8. Where's the elf? Dollarama has a toy elf for sale that can be used for the "Elf on a Shelf" Christmas activity. Even if you do not want to promote the concept of Santa having his elves watching to see who is naughty or nice, this elf is fun.  Every so often the elf goes on an adventure and you need to find out where the elf is.  Maybe he is on a shelf, or in the fridge, on the sofa or behind the lamp.  You can make up stories of his adventures or what naughty things he caught you doing while hiding there.  The elf can be found on his head, laying down or peeking out.  It can be fun for all members of the family/group.

9. Gift wrapping is a good fine motor activity with meaning.  But if your child is not at that skill level yet, you can still include them in the activity but giving those little leftover pieces for them to create with.  Perhaps you can cut up little squares and they can do a random gluing activity or they can create  mosaics or they can decorate a cut out of a gift with gift wrap. The key here isn't the product but the comradery and developing of fine motor skills and the activity itself that matters.

10. Christmas crackers were adapted by us as a fun activity.  While it is possible to make them from scratch, we carefully loosened the ties on dollar store versions and then added in our own items.  You could sneak in your own jokes or an item specific to the person who will later receive it. 

The idea is to spend time together and have fun making memories with the child(ren) in your life.

What is your favourite holiday activity? Please share it with us all to enjoy!