Boredom buster ideas for kids waiting for the big day
I have a confession to make. I’m not a naturally gifted crafter.
I’m not the type of mom who will pick up some Popsicle sticks and wonder what I can do with them today. No, I’m the mom who looks up what OTHER women are doing with them.
I am the mom, however, that could get the kids past the hard levels in Mario Bros. Or the mom who played kickball or baseball with them.
I don’t think it matters if you have any talent for these types of things, it’s the quality of the time spent together.
So for all the moms out there struggling to come up with some creative ways to keep your kids entertained during the Christmas season, I see you.
Here are 25 activity ideas for kids or families this Christmas season. Try one a day or repeat them if you’d like. Either way, it will help them pass the time before Santa arrives on the big day.
1. Have a family game night
Not only are games fun, they’re a great way to bond the family. Lots of memories can be made playing games.
Life, Uno and Monopoly are popular games but there are a lot of alternatives that are just as entertaining. Pictionary and Charades often reveal the sillier side of family members. They can also inspire your inner artist by provoking creativity.
2. Build a Snowman
If you live in the Midwest or northern states, this might be an option. If you live in Florida or the southwest, maybe not.
No matter where you live, there are many ways to build a snowman. If you live in colder weather and can build one outside, get creative with it by using items you might already have around the house or yard.
You can always go with the old standbys of carrots, coal and scarves, but why not try to mix it up with these suggestions: sunglasses, old costumes, ski poles, ice skates, sleds, party hats, briefcase and tie, shovel, ball cap, clown nose and wig, or any household item. If nothing else, it will keep the neighborhood entertained.
If the outdoors are out, try making your own craft snowman. Kids Craft Room has an adorable paper plate snowman wreath made of (you guessed it) paper plates, cotton balls and other household items.
For a sillier project, One Little Project has a tutorial on melted snowman ornaments.
For even more ideas, check out these 51 Cutest Snowman Crafts suggestions from Heathered Nest.
3. Bake Christmas Cookies
Ever since they were little my kids would bake Christmas sugar cookies with my mom. They are all adults and still want to help decorate the cookies. This is a tradition in our house that goes back to when I was a kid and I am so glad my kids get to experience it with my mom too. And bonus, there’s a sweet reward at the end!
Try this sugar cookie recipe from Sally’s Baking Addiction. I have never made a bad recipe from her site.
4. Write a Letter to Santa
One of the most exciting things to do before Christmas as a kid is to write out your wish list. I remember the old days of waiting for the Sears catalog, frantically flipping through the pages and circling my favorites, then sitting down and writing a letter to Santa with my requests. Those days are behind us but the tradition of writing a letter to Santa lives on.
Your child may choose to write to Santa just to say hello and wish him well. Or they may tell him all the goodies they want this year. Either way, it’s great insight into what is going on in their little minds.
5. Dress Up Your Pet
Pets may disagree on this one, but a reindeer hat on a dog probably won’t hurt them. If your pet isn’t too keen on the idea, grab a stuffed animal and let your child dress them up in winter gear and pretend they are going sleigh riding. Or break out the whole gang of stuffed animals and create a Christmas scene.
Felt makes a great material for creating elf or snowman costumes. Or use old baby clothes and other items lying around the house, like hats and gloves.
6. Go Bird Watching
Depending on where you live, you might have the opportunity to catch a peek at birds on snowy days. Cool Green Science put together a list of 10 birds to look for in winter.
Growing up in Ohio, we would frequently see cardinals in our backyard. The brilliant red against the pearly white snow makes for a beautiful winter scene.
PHOTO: Getty Images
Weather permitting, you may even go on a hike to look for your favorites. If that’s not an option, there are many that can be spotted from your window.
7. Build a Gingerbread House
The sky is the limit with gingerbread houses. Amazon has great gingerbread house kits for sale and they have a huge assortment for all different tastes. Go with the Gingerbread House Kit or mix it up with Barbie houses, M&M kits, any many others.
Not a fan of gingerbread cookies but love to build the houses? Try the Lego Gingerbread House toy set. All the fun without the mess.
If you’re up for the challenge, try Sally’s Baking Addictions’ gingerbread house recipe, complete with full instructions on how to bake, construct, and decorate. This recipe is perfect for beginners and has a great tutorial.
8. Hang up Christmas lights
It’s fairly common for families to decorate their house during Christmas. Let children participate by decorating the lower height furniture and areas. Banisters and fireplaces are often low enough for little ones and the older kids can help with the higher areas.
One great tradition we had when my children were growing up was to allow them to decorate their rooms. Each of my 3 children were allowed to pick out some inexpensive decorations from the dollar tree and make their room extra special for the holidays. We hung lights up around their windows and doors and let them create their own little winter wonderland. Homemade crafts are another great way to let them decorate and it’s uniquely personal.
9. Go on a Scavenger Hunt
Have an adventure with this free Nativity Scavenger Hunt game. Cut out the items and hide them around the house, then let the kids try to find them as fast as they can. Check out the full Nativity Story Activity Set for more great ways to teach about the Nativity.
Or create your own scavenger hunt with a homemade map of your house. Hide items like toys, treats, decorations or any unique item you can think of.
This game can be redone in so many variations. Make it a themed hunt (snowman items that can be later pieced together) or try one of these great scavenger hunt ideas from Play Party Plan. The sky is the limit!
10. Make a Popcorn Garland
Fun and delicious, a popcorn garland is a great holiday pastime that has been around for over a century. Long before Christmas lights, the early settlers decorated their trees with fruits and other food items.
The key to a good popcorn garland is to use a very fine needle and strong thread. Rather than stringing one long piece together, try using 20 foot sections then tying the ends together for stability. If you’d like, you can freeze it and reuse it the next year, replacing sections as needed.
Waxed dental floss can also be used or a needle and thread coated in beeswax for easier stringing. For best results, use day old popcorn, as fresh popcorn breaks easily.
11. Watch a Christmas Movie
While you’ve got the popcorn out, turn on your favorite Christmas movie. Every year we watch Elf, The Grinch Who Stole Christmas, A Christmas Story and It’s a Wonderful Life. Some of my favorite memories are of family movie nights.
Fortunately, most cable networks run these shows throughout the holiday season, so check your local listings for times. Libraries also carry free rentals and we used those on more than one occasion.
12. Go Sled Riding
Again, this is dependent on where you live. We grew up in a hilly area so there were plenty of opportunities to sled ride. We also had Oglebay Resort, which had skiing and sled riding hills. My grandparents would take us there and it seemed like their biggest hill was a mile long! Fun going down, not so much climbing back up.
13. Sip on Some Hot Cocoa
There’s something so comforting about hot cocoa. On a cold winter day of playing in the snow, I would warm up a big batch of hot cocoa and let the kids top it with their favorite toppings. Whipped cream, marshmallows, candy canes, chocolates, and caramel are some great ones to try.
Prudent Penny Pincher put together a list of 60 Best Hot Chocolate Bar Ideas. Try one of these excellent ideas and make it a party.
14. Have a Snowball Fight
Who doesn’t love a good snowball fight? Cold cheeks burning with excitement as you dodge flying snowballs sounds like an exhilarating way to spend the afternoon. If you’re really feeling up to it, build a fort for protection. Just don’t forget to come inside at regular intervals to prevent frostbite.
If the weather’s too cold (or hot), try an indoor snowball fight. The quickest way to create an indoor snowball is to roll up some tissue paper and secure it with some string or tape. Erin at A Parenting Production has a great tutorial on how to make DIY Indoor Snowballs out of fluffy white yarn.
15. Watch Old Home Movies
Our first video recorder looked like something out of a Hollywood production set. I remember my dad lugging around this huge contraption everywhere we went. He would always tease me, trying to embarrass me or get me to say something on camera. I would whine and “yell” at him, but I was always the first to watch those recordings. To this day, 30 years later, I love to watch those old home movies.
When my children were born, we purchased a camcorder and recorded holidays, birthdays or any occasion. Technology has evolved since then and pretty much everything is now recorded on my cell phone. With a phone or laptop and TV hooked up together, I’m now able to watch my children grow up again. Those memories have been so important to us and I’ll always be thankful to have caught those moments on tape.
16. Read the Nativity Story
Teaching your kids the true meaning of Christmas is a tradition that surpasses all others. Hearing the story of Jesus’s birth is a good reminder of why we really celebrate Christmas and how we can carry those good tidings all through the year.
Lacy at Catholic Icing created this adorable Printable Nativity Craft for kids to teach them the Nativity story. They can color each one or print and cut already made colored items and create the scene at Bethlehem.
17. Make Homemade Ornaments
The sky is the limit with homemade ornaments. From super simple pine cone ornaments to pipe cleaner candy canes, there’s no end to the many crafty ideas you can come up with this Christmas.
Looking for a little inspiration? Check out 75 Ornaments Kids Can Make at kidsactivities.com. Who doesn’t have at least one homemade ornament on their tree?
18. Light Advent Candles
Every year at the start of Advent we put out our Advent candles on the table. Before we say grace, we light the candle(s). Our church also lights Advent candles. Advent is a great time to reflect on our many blessings from God and how He sent His only Son into the world to save us.
19. Make Paper Snowflakes
Create your own winter wonderland with DIY paper snowflakes. Kinder Art has a collection of paper snowflake pattern templates that are easy enough for young ones.
For a more advanced challenge, try making these 3D Snowflakes from Chaotically Yours. Follow the easy instructions for a beautiful masterpiece that can be hung up all through your home.
20. Go Visit Santa (In Person or Virtually)
This seems like a must do on every young child’s list, but the truth is, some children get scared of Santa easily. The big white beard and bellowing laugh can be intimidating for youngsters. And taking young children to the mall can be a nightmare for parents.
If your child is old enough and doesn’t scare easily, this is a great opportunity for them to visit Santa and tell him their Christmas wishes. But if you feel like this is too much stimulation for your child, try a virtual visit with Santa.
JingleRing, Visit With Santa, and Santa’s Club all give your child a personalized experience, but they do come with a price tag. But if malls and screaming children aren’t your thing, this might be the ticket.
21. Hang Stockings on the Fireplace
No fireplace? No problem. We never had a fireplace when I grew up and my kids never had one either. I did have a banister though and that’s where I always hung up my kids’ stockings.
Hanging their stockings was part of our house decorating traditions. As I’m stringing the lights on the tree, my children would help with the easier tasks, like hanging stockings. They would stay on the banister until Christmas morning, but I would take them down after they were filled because they were too heavy.
I never was big on expensive items in their stockings and aimed for trinkety type gifts and candy. Most often they would get inexpensive games from the dollar store, new crayons or colored pencils, cards and some candy. But they were always just as excited to dig into their stockings as the rest of their gifts, looking for their fun little surprises.
22. Decorate the Tree
Also part of our holiday traditions, I love the memories we have of decorating the tree together. I would hang the lights and the kids would place the ornaments. And I might have to re-place some ornaments (lol), all to the tunes of traditional Christmas songs. Afterwards we had some hot chocolate and watched a Christmas movie. Those are some of my best memories of my kids growing up.
23. Donate Gifts to a Shelter
Teach young ones the true meaning of Christmas and get them in the giving spirit by donating to others in need. Most churches, schools and malls have adopt-a-family or giving trees you can participate in.
Focusing on helping others is a great way to instill appreciation for all of our gifts and blessings. And there’s no greater time to teach those lessons than during the Christmas season.
You can also take them to a food pantry or serve meals at shelters. Charity doesn’t have to have a monetary value, it’s the act of giving to another in need that is the real lesson.
24. Make Reindeer Food
Besides leaving cookies for Santa, try whipping up a batch of reindeer food for Santa’s reindeer. This Magic Reindeer Food recipe from I Heart Naptime not only has a great recipe, but there is also a cute poem attached so these can be handed out as gifts.
Besides feeding Santa’s reindeer, try making up a batch the family can enjoy. Christmas Puppy Chow is a yummy treat for good little boys and girls and is easy enough for little ones to help make.
25. Go to Christmas Services
My favorite Christmas tradition, we attend Christmas Eve mass every year as a family. When my children were younger we attended the children’s services where they got to participate in the Nativity story. As they got older we started attending midnight mass. I love the feeling of sitting in church on Christmas Eve, candles flickering and music playing. When we sing Joy to the World at the end, I can feel my heart soar!
No matter how you choose to celebrate this Christmas season, just remember the true meaning behind why we celebrate. The newborn baby Jesus came into the world for all of mankind. We should try to emulate his actions and be charitable and loving to all our friends, family, neighbors and more. He is the reason for the season, and it’s a great time to teach children the lesson of humility and love.
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