While the holiday season can be a busy time of year, taking time to slow down and start a new tradition with your kids can reap rewards for years to come.
In this article, we will explore some ideas to help you and your kids to get into the holiday spirit.
Holiday Traditions Start at Your Local Library
As the holiday season kicks off, it is always fun to go to your public library to pick out books for your kids. The librarians often set aside an aisle of books that are holiday themed. It is a great way to expand your child’s mind while also getting into the holiday spirit.
Maybe you have young kids and you go and choose holiday picture books to read together as a family. On the other hand, perhaps your kids are older and instead of reading a holiday story, they would prefer to learn about the history of the holiday itself.
This year at school, my daughter learned about how different people around the world celebrate during this time of year. At her young age, this helped her to understand cultures that differ from her own.
Start a Holiday Collection
Normally, I am a person that does not like to have stuff for the sake of having things. However, during the holidays, I make an exception to this rule. My daughter and I love to collect Nutcracker figurines. We started this tradition a few years ago. Each Christmas season, we have attended the Nutcracker ballet and after the performance, we pick out a new Nutcracker to take home. As we set up holiday decorations, we get to reminisce about years past.
There are many different things that you can collect with your children over the years. Many families will pick out a special holiday ornament each year, pick different colored tree lights or tree decorating themes, or even just try a new family board game to play together. Holiday decorations and favorite board games put everyone in a festive spirit to enjoy quality time together.
Homemade Holiday Scents
Another fun tradition is to fill your home with holiday scents. Gather some pine cones, cinnamon sticks and cloves to make your own potpourri. Alternatively, you could put cut up oranges, cinnamon sticks and cranberries in a crock pot to simmer with some water. This will fill the air with the warm scents of the holiday season.
Another idea is to put on a pot of apple cider or hot chocolate on the stove to simmer. Not only will the scents be amazing, but you can include drinking these hot beverages as part of your holiday celebrations.
Make Holiday Cards for Hospitalized Kids
Each year around the holidays, there are many children who are stuck in the hospital with illness. It could be a short lived illness like flu or RSV or a longer term sickness that is keeping them from being home for the holiday. This has been especially true in the winter months for many kids who have experienced hospitalization due to respiratory viruses.
Helping your child to create holiday cards for other kids is a great opportunity to teach your own children how to give back to others. Another wonderful way to get them involved in thinking about others is to make special treats to bring to the children in the hospital. This could also be a family tradition that you involve the extended family in as well. Handmade cards or small gifts will bring holiday cheer to kids and families who are unable to spend Christmas at home.
Adopt a Family In Need
With the cost of everything increasing so much, many families are struggling to put food on their table for the holidays.
If you are in the position to have money to be able to share with others, there are many area food banks that could use your help or donations. Chose a family to adopt and buy a holiday meal for is also a great way to teach your kids how to give back to others. You could do some holiday shopping as a family and buy things for your adopted family to help make this season a little brighter for them.
Decorate a Gingerbread House
Whether you buy a store bought kit or you make your own, building a gingerbread house can become a fun family holiday tradition. Your materials could be as simple as graham crackers, frosting and some candy pieces all the way to home made and cut out gingerbread pieces. This year, we bought a gingerbread house kit from a local retail store. Some years, we make our own.
Take Holiday Treats to Neighbors
If you are like my family, many of our neighbors live alone and several of them are widows or widowers. Each year, we bake tasty treats for them to enjoy during the holiday season. My daughter and I create a fun memory each year by baking together and delivering treats to our neighbors. Baking our favorite cookie recipes is a fun activity for us. In addition, giving these as gifts to our neighbors teaches my daughter a spirit of generosity.
Try a New Holiday Craft
My daughter and I love to craft. Each year at Christmas, we make crafts while we watch holiday movies or listen to holiday music. There are many things to make. The sky is the limit.
If you have a young child, hand and foot print crafts are fun (but messy) to make. You can dip your child’s hand or foot in washable paint and imprint it onto a piece of paper, a paper plate or even an actual dinner plate. After it dries, you can decorate it to look like a Christmas tree, a reindeer or any other holiday image of your choosing.
Older kids can contribute to the holiday decorating with their crafts. In years past, we have made wreaths, Santa garlands and fun holiday signs. Each year when we pull down the box of Christmas stuff, we reminisce about past holidays.
Christmas Light Tour
Viewing holiday lights from the car window while sipping hot chocolate is a tradition that many families already enjoy. Maybe this year, your kids could put on their holiday PJs and load up in the car to explore different places that display holiday lights. Whether that is driving through a new neighborhood or paying to drive through a large light display, trying some place new is always fun.
In addition, there are also many places that have outdoor winter activities for your family to enjoy together. One of my family’s favorite places to go each year is Grapevine, TX. We go and enjoy our favorite restaurant and then stick around until dark to see all of the beautiful holiday light displays. We have many pictures and fond memories from years past.
Save Your Holiday Cards
Every year, we receive beautiful holiday picture cards from our friends and family. Throughout December, they are displayed in our kitchen for us to enjoy. At the end of the month, when all of the decorations come down, it used to sadden me to have to collect those cards and throw them away. I know all of the effort that it takes to make those cards happen.
About 3 years ago, I started a new tradition at the end of the Christmas season. I punched a hole in the corner of each card and put them together with a binder ring. Now, throughout the year, during our family devotional time, we use those cards to pray over one of those families each night. If we don’t get a new card for a particular family that year, we use their card from years past. This has become a special family tradition that we carry throughout the year. It has taught my daughter how to be intentional in loving others.
How can 127 Pediatric help you?
At 127 Pediatrics, we offer concierge level pediatric and breastfeeding care. If you are near Colleyville, Texas and would like to know more about our in person services, fill out a contact form on our website for a free meet and greet. If you are not close to our practice, but would like breastfeeding support, we offer an array of services. From free resources like this blog or our YouTube channel all the way up to paid resources such as our online breastfeeding overview course. We would be honored to be part of your breastfeeding journey.
© 127 Pediatrics, originally published December 2022, updated February 2024
Please note that this article is purely for informational purposes and should not be interpreted as medical advice.
Dr. Andrea Wadley owns and operates 127 Pediatrics, a pediatric and lactation practice in Colleyville, TX. She specializes in pediatrics, breastfeeding medicine and offers house calls only. Additionally, Dr. Wadley is the owner of the 127 Pediatrics Online Breastfeeding Medicine and Education Center. We have many free resources for breastfeeding mothers. Subscribe to our YouTube channel or download a free breastfeeding checklist.
