The holidays are right around the chimney - and will be here before
you can say "Season's Greetings!" This is an exciting time for children,
but sometimes can be overwhelming for parents, who try to juggle
shopping, decorating, and hosting parties for family and friends. Here
are some fun and easy tips for enjoying the holidays together, hasslefree.
Christmas Countdown
Many children have no real concept of when Santa will be coming
down the chimney. To help them count the days, make a Christmas
Countdown Calendar, with suggestions for daily activities. Buy a large
sheet of white poster board or cardstock paper, and another sheet of
red construction paper the same size. Cut 25 "doors" in the
construction paper, then glue the paper to the poster board (be careful
not to glue down the doors). Inside each door, write a holiday activity
such as "Make Cookies," "Read a Christmas Story," "Visit Santa,"
"Make Gifts," "Decorate the Tree," and so on. Close the doors and seal
them with holiday stickers, then number them on the outside from one
to 25. Let the kids open a door each day and do the activity written
inside.
For even more fun, write the activities on small pieces of paper, roll
them up and insert one each into 25 red, green, or white balloons,
along with a small toy or candy. Put them somewhere safe and out of
reach of small children. Inflate one balloon each day with a Balloon
Time Helium Balloon Kit and tie or tape it to the mantel. Let the kids
pop the balloon each day and discover not only an activity but a treat
too! When all the stuffed balloons you set aside have been inflated and
are gone, Christmas has arrived!
Hanukkah Game
Spend an evening as a family playing the Dreidel Game. Buy an
inexpensive Dreidel - a top with four sides, each side containing a
Hebrew letter - or make one out of clay. Give each player 10 chocolate
coins, candies or pennies. Have them each put a coin in the pot (the
middle of the table). Take turns spinning the Dreidel. Each time it
lands, the player must do what the letter indicates: Shin = the player
adds two coins to the pot; Hay = the player takes half the pot; Gimel
= the player takes the whole pot; Nun = the player does nothing.
When the pot is gone, everyone adds another coin to the pot, and play
continues until someone has won it all.
Holiday Ornaments
You can keep the kids busy for hours with this ornament-making
activity. Buy colorful clay that hardens, or mix up your own homemade
Baker's Clay by combining four cups flour, one cup salt, and 1 3/4 cups
water. Knead dough until smooth, divide into thirds or fourths, and tint
each part with food coloring. Let the kids roll out the dough and cut
out holiday shapes with cookie cutters. Poke a hole near the top of the
ornament with a skewer (so you can tie them to the tree with ribbon).
Follow the directions on the clay or bake the dough for an hour, until
firm. Let the kids add details with paint, glitter, and other
embellishments.
Festive Decorations
Fill the house with holiday decorations, made by the family. Make
"Floating Santa's" by inflating red balloons with a Balloon Time Helium
Balloon Kit and decorating them with markers, stickers, and cotton
balls for a beard, then float them around the house. Use the same
materials to make floating elves, reindeer or ornaments. When you
look up, you'll see Santa and his friends hovering overhead!
String up red, green, and white balloon garlands by tying the balloons
together, then swag them from corner to corner. Twist red and white
crepe paper down the walls to make North Poles. Turn candy canes
into Reindeer Canes by twisting a glittery pipe cleaner under the candy
cane curve, then glue on a red pompon nose and wiggly eyes at the
top of the candy cane.
Let the kids make their own Snowstorm Jars. Fill an empty baby food
or similar jar with baby oil or corn syrup mixed with a little water. Add
glitter, star sparkles, metallic confetti or other decorations to act as
snow. Glue tiny holiday figurines, such as a Santa, Reindeer, or
Menorah to the inside of the lid with glue (not water soluble), and
allow to dry. Add glue around the lid, then seal it shut. Turn the jar
upside down and give it a shake. Watch the "snow" fall on the tiny
figurines.
Happy Holidays!
Penny Warner has more than 25 years of experience as an author
and party planner. She has published more than 50 books, including 16
specific to parties. Additionally, Warner writes a weekly newspaper
column on family life, penned a column for Sesame Street Parents
magazine and has appeared on several regional and national TV morning
programs. Her latest book, HOW TO HOST A KILLER PARTY, debuted in
February 2010 from NAL/Penguin.
Balloon Time is the leading brand of consumer helium balloon kits
in North America. Balloon Time kits feature a helium-filled tank, latex
or foil balloons and ribbon, and are available at national retail
chains, party goods and grocery stores nationwide.