Almost as soon as the Thanksgiving leftovers were put away when I was a kid, you could find me riding in the back of my parent’s car while we sought out holiday lights. These days, you’ll see me in my mommyvan with husband and kids in tow making several treks to look at lights, only we add the extra touch of snacks and hot chocolate. I also love to make fudge and sugar cookies with my kids to give as gifts like my mom did with me. Check out these traditions, designed to make the holidays fun for everyone!
Traditions with your family
1. Drive around your city looking at holiday lights. Do something crazy like grab an ice cream cone to eat in the car while you look at lights. Play Christmas music or winter songs on the radio to get in the spirit or go just the opposite and play silly kid songs or rock-and-roll! Jot down your favorite places to go so you won’t forget to see them again next year.
2. Have a special meal. Kids love having company over for a special meal and some playtime. Plan a fun brunch with an egg casserole, monkey bread and juice. If this idea doesn’t thrill you, consider going out to a special kid-friendly restaurant you’ve never been to before (no cooking or cleanup for you… love it!).
3. Enjoy a movie night or three! Pop up some popcorn, grab those Twizzlers and drag every pillow and blanket in the house to the TV room.
My movie picks for you, depending on the ages of your kids, include:
Elf
A Christmas Story
National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation
The Polar Express
Scrooged
How the Grinch Stole Christmas
Home Alone
Don’t forget the classics and newbies alike for the little ones like:
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
A Charlie Brown Christmas
Frosty the Snowman
The SpongeBob SquarePants Christmas Special
Merry Madagascar
4. Relax. Sounds simple, but it’s one tradition your kids will absolutely love. Something happens in my house around December 1 called ‘Full-on Stress Freak-out’. It’s often hard for me to stay in the moment and do things like play new games with the kids, sit down and color, be silly and just let the dishes and laundry go. I think we spend too much time trying to make our home look perfect for the holidays when we should focus more on what we can do for and with our children. I try to make December the month that is dedicated to the kids.
Traditions with your family... for others
1. Take food and treats to a fire station for the firefighters who live there 24 hours at a time. Consider a frozen lasagna with some French bread, a bagged salad and some cookies to make their lives easier for just one night. Don’t forget about nursing home residents who might not get many visitors… how they love to see little kids, whether they bring treats or not!
2. Bake cookies for friends, family, teachers, neighbors and absolute strangers. You can make them in any shapes you want: bells, dreidels, Christmas trees, stars of David or plain old circles, animals and candy canes. Then frost them in different colors with either store-bought or homemade frosting (just add food coloring!). Add sprinkles and crushed-up candy canes as a finishing touch.
3. Help someone in need. Head to Volunteer Calgary, volunteercalgary.ab.ca, to check out volunteer opportunities for families like helping at the Oops-a-Dazy Rescue and Sanctuary Society, helping out at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Calgary by babysitting at their daycare or visit the Father Lacombe Care Centre to hang out and chat with some residents who rarely receive visitors.
4. Adopt a family that can’t afford to celebrate this year. The North East Calgary Adopt a Family Society is a great place to start to get a list of needs for each member of a local family. You could also contact a local battered women’s shelter, homeless shelter or church to learn about needy families. Take your kids out for a shopping trip for someone else, and I promise you they will never forget it. My kids love buying ‘need’ items like clothes, coats and books, then picking out ‘extras’ like small electronics, dolls, candy and stuffed animals.
Holiday resources for everyone
The Jewish Family Fun Book: Holiday Projects, Everyday Activities, and Travel Ideas with Jewish Themes by Danielle Dardashti and Roni Sarig
Holidays Around The World: Celebrate Christmas: With Carols, Presents, and Peace by Deborah Heiligman
The Children’s Book of Kwanzaa: A Guide to Celebrating the Holiday by Dolores Johnson
Jewish Holiday Style by Rita Milos Brownstein and Donna Wolf Koplowitz
A Christmas Cookbook: Simple Recipes for Kids (First Facts: First Cookbooks) by Sarah L. Schuette
Kids in the Holiday Kitchen: Making, Baking, Giving by Jessica Strand and Tammy Massman-Joh
Kerrie is a mom of five and the author of The Kerrie Show Takes on Christmas. Catch up with her at www.thekerrieshow.com.
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