The holidays are here! Here are 12 simple and super-fun ideas to create wonderful family memories and spread some socially distanced holiday cheer!
Virtual & Socially Distant ideas:
White Elephant Gift Exchange— Whether it’s all the cousins or a group of neighborhood friends, have everyone draw names virtually, then you can just mail gifts to your recipient. Don’t forget to call and see how they like their gift!
Kids get to play holiday DJ—Ask your kiddos what their favorite holiday songs are and build a digital playlist that you can put on repeat or send out to friends and family. It’s a fun opportunity to hear what your kid’s favorite holiday tunes are, and to introduce them to some classics, both old and new.
Virtual gingerbread house challenge— Get a little friendly holiday competition going by inviting other families to participate in a gingerbread house challenge. Each participant/family builds their own showstopping gingerbread house, and you can post all the pictures on social media and let your friends and family vote on their favorites.
Craft/Home ideas:
Add a Pop of Joy!– Add a pop of excitement to your holiday and New Year’s Eve with these easy homemade party poppers
Deck out the Doors–We’re all going to spend more time at home this holiday season, so you might as well make your space feel extra special by decorating everyone’s bedroom doors. As a family, you can brainstorm ways to capture each child’s holiday décor personality and share the joy of the season through the whole house!
Jolly Joke Off—Most kiddos are natural-born comedians and love a good joke! Help your kids look up some kid-friendly holiday jokes and riddles, and then host a family joke off around the dinner table. It’ll have everyone belly-laughing like Santa.
School/Teachers ideas:
Wrap-up the Goodness–School holiday parties may be on hold this year, but you can still help your kids make a little holiday gift bundle for their classmates with holiday-themed snacks, pencils and festively wrapped Juicy Juice boxes.
Handmade gift card holders—Gift cards are always a great go-to gift for teachers. Show your teachers how much you appreciate them this year by mailing or giving gift cards inside homemade holiday cards your child created and designed.
Virtual holiday storybook reading—Ask your child’s teacher if you can get a list of some of the student’s favorite holiday books and arrange for you and possibly other parents to pop in to virtually to read stories. It’ll give teachers a much-needed break in their day and spread some holiday cheer.
Neighborhood/Community Ideas:
Set a time, gather the family and discuss how you can impact the people in your community and teach your little ones it is truly better to give than to receive. Here are some ideas to get you started:
Thank your community helpers— Encourage you kids to brainstorm ways they can help bring the spirit of the holidays to the local heroes that help them so much throughout the year. Think about your community garbage collectors, postal workers, firefighters, etc. Draw and write thank you notes, posters and signs to spread around the community.
Share the Warmth—The holidays are always about giving, but this year the need for generosity is greater than ever. Set-up a porch donation station to collect new or gently used warm blankets or kids winter coats for those in need. It’s a great opportunity to show your children that they can help other kids right in their own communities. Encourage your kids to spread the word that you are collecting these items.
Brighten Their Day—Surprise your neighbors with goodies and a fun reason to pass along the joy of the holidays from house to house. There are many versions of this tradition online, your family can choose the one that works best for you and your neighbors.
