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Discover 21 interactive, educational, and entertaining Christmas family activities during the break. Foster learning while having fun with your kids! Also check out our post Keeping Christ in Christmas.
Below is a list of interactive, entertaining and educational activities for you and your children this holiday season. Some modifications may be needed based on where your kiddo is developmentally.
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Christmas Family Activities During Break
Family Photos - Incorporating Youth in the Planning Process
1. Allow children to assist with a photo holiday card creation. Allowing the children to take part in decisions regarding wardrobe, background, props and posing will stimulate their creative thought processes and incorporate planning and problem solving.
Creating Holiday Cards- Community & Creativity
2. Create handmade holiday cards, using magazine cut outs, stickers, drawings from the children, tinsel, and whatever else the children can imagine will promote creativity, imagination, fine motor skills and allow an opportunity to discuss the importance of community and the reason for the season.
Forgotten Art of Written Correspondence
3. Addressing envelopes for holiday cards will promote penmanship and allow the opportunity to discuss the postal service and often forgotten art of written correspondence.
Penmanship and Grammar
"If Santa can't read your writing, he won't know what to get you!"
4. Writing letters to Santa, family members and loved ones will allow another opportunity to practice penmanship, grammar and written communication as well as give you an idea of what your kiddos would like for Christmas!
Exploration
5. A holiday themed scavenger hunt, incorporating nature will promote problem solving skills as well allow an opportunity to discuss the different seasons and cycles of plants and wildlife and ecosystems.
Measurements and Baking
6. Baking cookies and holiday treats allows the opportunity for math skills, both in measuring ingredients and using the timer! Also, for the younger children, mixing, scooping, rolling and using (safe) cookie cutters are excellent ways to practice their fine motor skills!
Important of Traditions
7. Explore and discuss family holiday traditions and their origins, both your own personal families and also others from around the world.
Creativity and Craftiness
8. Create Christmas Ornaments using photos, pipe cleaners, cinnamon recipes, handprints etc. and allow the children to use these to decorate the tree.
Incorporate Science
9. Winter themed science experiments, such as making homemade frost, snow storm in a can or maple syrup snow candy.
Reading and Comprehension
10. Read (or have your children read to you) holiday books and discuss the stories and themes together. Allow children to act out their favorite parts of the story.
Motor Skills & Acting
11. Charades, holiday style. This fosters fine and gross motor skills, creativity, reading and problem solving.
Engineering
12. Build a gingerbread house, incorporating geometry and engineering concepts.
Explore Days and Time
13. Practice math by creating a paper countdown to the next holiday chain and removing one piece each day leading up to the holiday.
God's Wonderful Design
14. Watch educational videos on winter animals and ecosystems, discuss God's intelligent design.
The Gift of Music
15. Learn a festive song together and explore the musical elements involved. Bring back the tradition of caroling!
Dance- Gross Motor Skills
16. Turn on some holiday music and participate in a family holiday dance off.
Turn Games into Learning
17. Play educational board or card games with some modifications. Allow children to provide silly input for new festive twists.
Puzzles
18. Create a holiday-themed puzzle (using cardboard from shipping boxes works well) for fine motor skills and problem solving fun.
Have Meaningful Conversations about Holiday Movies
19. Watch holiday themed educational movies as a family and discuss lessons.
Gratitude & Giving
20. Create DIY gifts together, ornaments, sugar salt scrubs, cookies and other goodies . Allow your kiddos to wrap and deliver said gifts to friends, family and loved ones.
Volunteer
21. Find age appropriate volunteer opportunities, so that youth understand the needs of the surrounding communities and how giving of their time is just as precious as giving gifts. Check with your church, the local food pantries or even your local park and recreation office!
Do you have any additional ideas or family traditions? We are always eager to try new things! Feel free to add them in the comment box below.
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