We are fully convinced that the only thing more magical than the Christmas season itself, is capturing it through the eyes of your sweet little ones! Today we are sharing five traditions we adore when it comes to cultivating festive family fun with our own little ones during this special time of year!
1. A Tree for Every Child's Bedroom
One of the first things we do when we pull out our box of decor at the start of each season, is help our little ones to setup their very own Christmas tree! Whether you choose to use a tabletop tree or one that is just their height....our children have come to love the tradition of having their very own tree in their bedrooms! Here are a few of our personal favorites, along with simple kits to make decorating them a breeze:
Top Picks for Trees:
*2ft Pre-lit Alberta Spruce Clear Lights Mini Artificial Christmas Tree - Wondershop™ : Target
*Artificial Christmas Trees - Christmas | Hobby Lobby
*Tangkula 3ft Pink Artificial Christmas Tree Mini Christmas Decoration Tree With Plastic Stand : Target
Simple Decorating Kits:
*8ct Glittered Pinecone Christmas Tree Ornament Set - Wondershop™ : Target
*25ct Round Mini Christmas Tree Ornament Set - Wondershop™ : Target
*4ct Jingle Bell Christmas Ornament Set - Wondershop™ : Target
Don't Forget a Mini Tree Topper:
*https://www.target.com/p/4ct-jingle-bell-christmas-ornament-set-wondershop/-/A-87533537?preselect=79500584#lnk=sametab
2. Celebrating the Reason for the Season
This next tradition is one we love as a whole family throughout the month of December! It teaches young children all about the true meaning of Christmas and encourages all family members to be intentional about why we celebrate Christmas. It makes a great item to gift to other families you love as well!
*The Giving Manger: A Christmas Family Tradition: Allison Hottinger, Lisa Kalberer: 9781546034223 - Christianbook.com
3. Homemade Winter Sensory Kit:
You all know how much we love a little screen-free, hands-on playtime! Each winter, we assemble our very own sensory kit. Sensory kits are a great way to encourage fine motor development, facilitate child led play, build conversational skills and are overall packed full of fun! You can tailor them anyway you choose, whether you prefer a nativity theme, an outdoor winter scene, gingerbread, etc.
Here are a few items we like to include in our homemade kits:
*Start with a jar of white playdoh and add a dash of silver glitter to it to resemble snow! You can make your own playdoh or just pick up a jar at the store to keep it simple.
*Add in some manipulatives! Oriental Trading is a great place to look for these items. We usually use party favors as add-ins for our kits and they work great:
Nativity Finger Puppets - 24 Pc. | Oriental Trading
Mini Gingerbread Men - 48 Pc. | Oriental Trading
Snowman Bendables - 24 Pc. | Oriental Trading
*Incorporate some extras such as mini rolling pins, buttons, pompoms, mini cookie cutters:
Creativity Street® Rolling Pins - 4 Pc. | Oriental Trading
Mini cookie cutter snow Search Result | Oriental Trading
White Tinsel Pom-Poms - 100 Pc. | Oriental Trading/
*Pack all of the items into a plastic storage tote and gift them to your child! The kits below are great as they are stackable and can be used to store multiple kits across the seasons:
Amazon.com: BTSKY 6 Colors Mini Small Plastic Storage Box with Locking Lid Clear Plastic Organizer and Assorted Color Boxes Hold Crafts, Stationery, Jewelry, Sewing and More in Classroom or Home Supplies
4. Peppermint Science
This next idea is a super easy science activity to try! While it is an activity that is geared towards peppermints, you could easily try it with various multi-colored candies.
To try the activity, gather the following:
*1 dozen peppermint candies (red & white are best for this)
*1 small dessert sized plate
*1 cup warm water
Directions: Line the edge of the plate with peppermints so that they span around the entire plate. Next, carefully pour the warm water in the center of the plate. Watch as the colors from the candies swirl right into the middle!
5. Reindeer Food
This last one is reserved for Christmas Eve! We always mix up a quick snack for Santa's reindeer and have the kids sprinkle it on our lawn before tucking into bed. Mix together the following, place into individual baggies (one for each child) and have them put it out on the grass on the night before Christmas!
Ingredients:
*1/2 cup oatmeal
*1 tsp sparkly sprinkles
Mix it all up and it is ready for the reindeer!
We hope these ideas helped to spark a little creativity for ways to celebrate the magic this time of year. From our family to yours, we wish you a beautiful Christmas season!
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