Guest post from Becky of My Ink Dance
I’d like to say that December only brings cozy opportunities for family bonding and reflecting on the meaning of the season. The reality is, however, that we are bombarded with long lists of things to do. And the list is only part of the problem. The tightened purse strings make it feel even more difficult to shower people with love.
If you’d like this coming December to be different, you can! Here are 7 ideas to show your children how much you love them without throwing out your list or digging deeper in your pockets.
1. Read to Them
This is about more than homework reading assignments. This is about time and bonding.
There are few things more special than reading a book with your little (or not so little) one. Take 10 minutes, because usually that’s about all it takes, and snuggle up. Get close, grab a blanket and share a great Christmas story. You can find plenty at the library to enjoy together. You can even wrap a library book for a special surprise.
Some of our family’s favorite books are:
- The Littlest Angel by Charles Tazewell
- The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey by Susan Wojciechowski
- Jacob’s Gift by Max Lucado
2. Have a Winter Picnic
Who says picnics are just for summertime? Not kids!
Make some hot chocolate or some tea and put it in a thermos. Bundle up and head outside with a big blanket or two and some mugs. You don’t have to go anywhere fancy; we’ve even done this on our back deck! Just enjoy being together in the fresh air.
The kids may give you a crazy look at first, but giggles are soon to follow. For an extra special treat, try doing this under the stars.
3. Enjoy a Candlelight Dinner
Think about what everyday life was like when Jesus was born. Enjoy dinner by candlelight and feel how peaceful it can be to sit by the warm glow of a flickering flame.
Kids are sure to love blowing out the candles when you’re done… so make sure to have a candle for each child!
4. Give a “Gift for a Day”
Before you think this involves reaching for your wallet, keep reading.
My kids are almost always asking to use something that belongs to my husband or me. Maybe it is a lip gloss or a flashlight or tool. It could be a pretty scarf or even a special mug.
Wrap up the coveted item and give it to your child with a note reading, “This is something of Mommy’s that is usually just for me. I’d like for you to use it today because you are special as can be.”
5. Bake Together
The holidays usually have us mixing and baking at some point. Take some extra time and hand over the wooden spoon.
Sure, it may take longer. Yes, it will be messier. But letting children help shows that you value their abilities, and that they are more important than a stress-filled to do list.
And I’ve never met a child (young or old) who doesn’t like to lick the spoon!
6. Enjoy the Lights
There are few things that evoke squeals like twinkling Christmas lights. You don’t have to make a big night of searching for lights (although that’s fun too!) Just take time to enjoy the ones you see.
Maybe take a different route home from basketball so you can see the great lights on the street you don’t usually drive on. Go a block or two out of your way to drive by the town tree.
If little ones cry, “I didn’t get to see it,” like mine sometimes do, make a quick u-turn and go back by again. You’ll only be losing minutes, but it sure adds up to them. And the squeals are worth it!
7. Designate Family Movie Time
Christmas is filled with all kinds of movies. Whether you’re looking for something funny or heartwarming, taking an evening and watching a Christmas movie together is a memory worth making.
There is a bonding that occurs when you sit together and enjoy a holiday movie. So don’t worry about addressing the Christmas cards for a night. No one will remember when they got the card anyway.
A tradition of the family watching a Christmas movie together will be held dear for years to come. Whether it’s Buddy the Elf, Charlie Brown, or A Wonderful Life, you’ll feel good knowing you took the time to be together.
These are just a few of the ways we’ve been able to show our children love and create memorable family Christmases without spending a dime. However, I’d love to know…
What would you add to my list?
Becky is a wife and mom of three who believes the things that matter don’t cost a lot of money. After all, she’s just as happy with Hershey as Godiva. A juxtaposition of head and heart, Becky explores life at My Ink Dance.
Elizabeth Spencer says
Wonderful ideas! I can wait to try some.
Amy M says
I love these ideas and your reader’s ideas. Thank you so much! This isn’t free, but we go and buy a Christmas ornament for each child every year. They pick one out and then use a sharpie to write their name, age and year somewhere on them. They love looking back at what they picked when they were younger every year. Once they’re grown up and living on their own I plan on giving them their ornaments as a special gift.
Also, many large churches (and small) will hold free Christmas concerts/plays. We enjoy going to these a lot!
Becky @ My Ink Dance says
My parents did this for me (and we do it for our kids). It was so great when my husband and I got married to have meaningful ornaments for our first tree! Great idea!
Brandy @ The Prudent Homemaker says
Last night we watched a free live Christmas concert! They are performing again tonight and you can watch online. It is choirs and philharmonic at 7:30 p.m. MST.
http://cfac.byu.edu/music/live-web-streaming/
Next week there is a performance on the 10th using that same link. It is a Wind Symphony and Symphonic band.
The performance last night was excellent!
Becky @ My Ink Dance says
Great tip to check out! Thanks
Rose says
My girls and I ring Salvation Army bells on Christmas Eve day. It’s so fun to get ready for the day. They play Christmas music on their school instruments or sing. We are able wish everyone a Merry Christmas and see people we might not have seen for the holiday. Plus it’s one of the least day for volunteers. Really gives you a full heart going into Christmas Eve night and Christmas Day.
Becky @ My Ink Dance says
This sounds so beautiful! What great memories you are making with your girls!
Judy Kotnik says
Serve together as a family. Our family serve as an Ushers ESP this Christmas Church needs a lot of volunteers.
Adopt a family or cook a meal to less fortunate family.
Visit an elderly (bring gifts )with your family or kids. Some elderly has no family to visit them.
Becky @ My Ink Dance says
Great ideas for showing others love at the holidays!
Amy R says
We make salt dough ornament every year and the kids hang the ones they made on their own tree. (Each of my kids have a small tree in their room that was purchased during after Christmas sales before they were old enough to want it!) I also buy up Christmas craft kits after Christmas. Every year when the Christmas decorations come back out, there are plenty of new activities for us and most purchased for less than $1. Also, if you happen to live near a Bass Pro Shop, they have a wonderful FREE Christmas Wonderland including free crafts and a free photo with Santa. We go every year and it is definitely one of our highlights. Headed there to day to make a foam elf and get our pic with Santa. Much better than the fortune you’ll spend at the mall!!
Becky @ My Ink Dance says
Great tips Amy! I’ll have to look for a Bass Pro Shop now!
Becky @ My Ink Dance says
Sounds like fun! I’ll have to look for a Bass Pro Shop near me!
Becky @ My Ink Dance says
What a fun idea for each of them to have their own little tree! And I’ll have to check to see if there is a Bass Pro Shop near me!
Becky @ My Ink Dance says
What a great idea to make Christmas personal for your kids!
AJ says
Of all of our Christmas activities the two the kids love the most are the night we eat supper just by candlelight and the night they are allowed to sleep in the living room with the Christmas lights on. They don’t cost us much of anything but the kids look forward to them every year.
Becky @ My Ink Dance says
Such great memories you are making for them AJ!
PamAlabam says
I would really like to hear some ideas that I could do with older teens/early twenties (guys.) This is going to be a slim Christmas so I need ideas. I like the movie night and I think I can make that special with hot chocolate and cookies. My only other idea was to get them all nerf guns with extra ammo and put it all in one box under the tree. Maybe that will get some light-hearted competition going. I’d love to hear anyone else’s ideas.
bethany says
I have a college aged son and several teen guys and that would be a lot of fun for my guys! So I am sure that is a good idea!
Lana says
Ours had an absolute blast with homemade marshmallow guns (in the house) one Christmas at that age. Unfortunately, I found marshmallows for an entire year afterward and I am a cleanie and clean all the time! Also at that age ours enjoyed competitive board games since some were home from college and they did not get to play together regularly. Getting them in the kitchen together to make pizzas or Mexican food is fun. And this always cracked me up but ours liked to play Legos together and I have pictures of them gathered around the Lego tub on the living room floor well into their twenties. I loved it when our three boys where that age. They are so much fun and they love their Mommies so much at that age! Enjoy!
Brandy @ The Prudent Homemaker says
How about playing board games together? Use the ones you already have and spend time doing them together.
If you need some free Christmas movies and don’t have cable, Hulu has some here: http://www.hulu.com/holidays
PamAlabam says
Thanks to all the suggestions for board games. We will likely play some but the hubby rarely plays them. I play but I loose consistently…sigh. I still think I know more than my guys and want to cling to that illusion, lol. A possible kink is that an adult child with two toddlers will stay here for two weeks around Christmas and I am sure I will be the default babysitter when other adults are distracted by their phones. I think I am going to need simple fun ideas as much as possible. I want to little ones to have fun but am especially wanting the college aged son to have fun while he is home.
Lana says
Ugh! The phones…….the biggest deterrent to family time. 🙁
Becky @ My Ink Dance says
The nerf guns sound like fun! I also haven’t met a person who doesn’t love some sort of challenge. You can get a bag of mini marshmallows and some toothpicks and have a challenge to create something with them or a sugar cube sculpture challenge works great too!
Dee Wolters says
Plan and do something for someone less fortunate. This does not have to be expensive. Sometimes a gift of time is priceless! Go to a assisted living center and play checkers or bingo with the folks. Or just sit and talk. I was so proud of my 17 year old son last year when we did this. He sat for over 30 minutes and visited with a precious lady. Her conversation was about 3-4 minutes long, then would start over. He just listed, answered her questions and smiled again and again and again.
Other ideas could include shoveling snow, raking leaves, decorating for Xmas. Taking baked goods. Volunteer to serve a meal for the less fortunate.
For younger kids- I would go the bank and get a couple of rolls of pennies and keep them in the car and my purse. Each time there was a Salvation Army bell ringer I would hand out coins and the kids would deposit in the kettle. Planning ahead made it easy.
Snuggle with your kids! I am missing #2 this year as she begins a 2 year missionary assignment far away.
Becky @ My Ink Dance says
Those are great ideas Dee. I can’t tell you how often I’ve found myself without coins as little ones begged to put some in the bucket. I’ll have to stock up!
Theresa says
Great ideas! Except the winter picnic. Where does she live? If we tried to have an outdoor picnic during the winter in the Upper Midwest, we’d freeze to death! I think we’ll keep our picnic indoors.
Christy says
Ha, ha! I saw the winter picnic idea and thought to myself, “It’s not unusual for us to picnic in the winter.” 70s here all week in SC.
Becky @ My Ink Dance says
That’s so funny! Sometimes I forget that we all live in different climates (silly, I know!) By all means, adjust your plans accordingly 🙂
Joanne Peterson says
We like to sing Christmas songs. We also have the Christmas creche that we use and talk about the Christmas story.
Laura says
Singing Christmas songs is my favorite part of Christmas! We go caroling with family or friends if we can, but either way we make time to sing at home. I have a jar with some song names on little slips of paper, and the kids love taking turns picking a song from the jar. It’s my sneaky way of making them learn some new ones!
Becky @ My Ink Dance says
“The best way to spread Christmas Cheer, is singing loud for all to hear. ” A great tip from Buddy the Elf! Thanks for sharing!
Jill says
The first Saturday in December (tomorrow) my children will go to the Home Depot kids clinic (free) to build a holiday project with their dad. The Christmas Parade right after thanksgiving usually kicks off the holiday season & I think most towns have these. The local libraries usually have fun Christmas themed programs around this time of year too.
Becky @ My Ink Dance says
I never thought of one of the home depot clinics; what a great idea! And I agree, the library is a great resource!
JD says
Your ideas are great! One thing we did while raising our children was either go to nursing homes or pick a card off a tree for a need child.
Becky @ My Ink Dance says
Great ideas JD. Sometimes we forget to look beyond our immediate circles to people who are often forgotten. Thanks for the reminder!
Karen says
Have a day with nothing planned. Nothing required. Just a day of rest. Don’t try to fill it with anything special. Just let it be. Even kids need that sometimes.
Becky @ My Ink Dance says
This is so true Karen! That’s exactly what we did today and it was fantastic!
Rosemarie @ Busy Budgeter says
I loved the gift for a day idea! I’ll have to try that. My favorite two family traditions are decorating our own mugs and hosting a hot cocoa party. We buy the mugs at thrift stores for about 50 cents a piece and an oil based sharpie to decorate them is about $2.50, we make a giant batch of crock pot cocoa and have whipped cream, marshmellows, candy canes, vanilla syrup and sprinkles to mix in. We can invite all of our friends, and watch Disney’s Prep and Landing and National Lampoons Christmas Vacation for less than $20!
http://www.busybudgeter.com
Becky @ My Ink Dance says
Rosemarie, I love that idea for a hot cocoa party! I’ll have to put a night for that on the calendar with some friends!
bethany says
What fun and practical ideas! Because in reality it is the “simple” things the Kids really love and what they will remember!
Thanks for sharing!
Becky @ My Ink Dance says
Thanks Bethany!
Jennifer says
My son and I take a little time to select a new ornament to add to our collection. Some years we string popcorn and cranberries for a garland.
And we also go to chop down our own Christmas tree. We tend to end going on the coldest day of the year for some reason and turn absolutely numb trying to all agree on the best one 🙂
Becky @ My Ink Dance says
It’s all about making memories Jennifer! Sometimes those crazy ones on freezing days are the warmest!
Carol says
Spend an hour together making paper snowflakes and hanging them all over the windows. Decorate together with Christmas Carols on the radio, kids love to help decorate their rooms. Make special Cards for Grandparents, Parents or siblings. When waxing & cleaning floors for the holiday – give your kids a pair of socks that they can “skate” over the floors to shine them, then serve up some hot cocoa and make it an official skating party!
Becky @ My Ink Dance says
I love the snowflake idea Carol! Such a fun way to get in the spirit together. Great ideas for after the holidays during those long, cold winter months!
Kim says
Thanks for the reminder to slow down so that we can enjoy the season. Great tips for all year long too!
Becky @ My Ink Dance says
Thanks Kim!