Is Christmas always a big event in your household? In mine it is! I’ve got a young family who love this time of year, with the food and the presents and all the magic that comes along with the big day. And let’s face it, Christmas can be celebrated in a number of ways. You can go away for a couple of weeks and be surrounded by Christmas magic at Dollywood, or you can stay home and create your own Winter Wonderland throughout your yard, kitchen, and living room.
However, sometimes I can feel that my ideas for a fun Christmas season are running dry. Maybe you feel this too. You seem to have done everything, and there’s no way to escalate the event for the year ahead – what are you supposed to do now? Well, it’s time to think about ways to add a touch more of that trademark Christmas magic to the festive season, and I’ve listed plenty of ideas below to help you with that. And no matter what you choose to do for Christmas, you can guarantee that your methods will have plenty of Christmas cheer this year.
Instead of an Advent Calendar, Set Up a Chocolate Scavenger Hunt
Let’s try something new! Sure, advent calendars are very popular thanks to all the yummy chocolate inside, and it’s exciting to open up each door every morning to find what shape and size the chocolate is this time, but there are so many more creative things you can do with the same idea.
For example, why not set up a little chocolate scavenger hunt of your own? Hide a chocolate candy somewhere in the house before the kids get up, and then send them off to find one each. You can give them little clues if you like, but it’s also just a lot of fun letting them loose to run off and find some chocolate as fast as they can! Hide the chocolate at the top of the Christmas tree, in books on the shelves or in a drawer in their bedroom, and even set a few outside.
And if you don’t like the idea of putting a chocolate out once a day, every day, you can throw a few out at once and then give your kids a little basket each. See who gathers the most, who then can win a little extra festive prize, such as a traditional stocking filler. And this way, you can set up the hunt weekly!
Hang Snow and Lights, Everywhere!
The way you decorate your home during Christmas is a big deal. If you’re looking to create a really festive atmosphere, and if you want to make your home look magical as soon as the holidays hit, then you’re going to go all out with the decorations! However, we can take this a step even further this year, and buy a double helping of lights, and get some fake snow to sprinkle around as well.
More lights means more of a visual celebration, and that always means there’s a little more magic in the air. With fairy lights dancing off of each surface, and with your house lit up like a mega Christmas tree every single night, you’ll feel like you’re living in a bona fide Santa’s village of your own creation.
And if you’ve never used fake snow before, don’t worry! It’s super easy to get a hold of – simply head down to the store to see if they’ve got a jar in the seasonal aisle, or simply grab a few bags of cotton wool and stick it to/lay it on any surface you like. Either that, or you can even make extra special fake snow yourself by watching this handy video tutorial right here:
(Video by Aira Tran)
Leave Hints of Santa Around
The closer it gets to Christmas day, the better this idea will be to do – however, if you like leaving a hint of Santa around from day one, go ahead! It’ll certainly get the kids excited for even catching a glimpse of him on Christmas Eve, and when the kids are all fired up, it’s easy to join in on the fun too.
Think about what Santa brings with him when he ‘visits’; Reindeer, presents, snacks, and a sleigh to carry it all in. So, leave around little hints of each of these things around the house, and let the kids ‘find them’ from time to time. Maybe a half eaten carrot in the backyard, or even a little sleigh bell that’s clearly dropped off of the sleigh itself – dust it with some of that fake snow for good measure!
Similarly, maybe some small, fake ‘Reindeer fur’ patches, or even surprise presents that have turned up unexpectedly under the tree. Say you’ve been sworn to secrecy, but Santa wants to get the presents out a bit earlier this year, and he’s asked you for a bit of help with leaving them under the tree.
And then on Christmas morning itself, leave a message somewhere around the house from Santa himself, wishing your kids a very Merry Christmas – they’ll remember this message forever!
Bring Disney Home to You
If you’re a big Disney fan yourself, and your kids absolutely adore watching Disney movies and have at least 5 cuddly toys of the various characters, why not bring Disney to you this Christmas? Disney is known for its magical Christmas times, and there’s been at least 20 good festive films you could put on for a long movie marathon, but more on that later!
In the meantime, you can dress your home up with a lot of Disney’s Christmas decorations, and you can even find and print out Disney Christmas coloring sheets and other themed activities that the kids will love. So, just throw them altogether and have a very Disney day!
Have a Daily Movie Marathon
As we mentioned above, there are quite a few famous movies you can put on at this time of year, with many of them being made by Disney. However, you’ll be able to find plenty of other movies that steer clear of this connection that are still just as worthy of being put on for your Christmas movie marathon.
Pick out your own favorites, and make sure there’s an animated or family classic on every other day for the kids to enjoy, and then sit down at the same time each night in your own little festive cinema. Make some Christmas popcorn to enjoy at the same time, make sure you’ve got blankets to snuggle under, and turn the lights down low so those fairy lights you put up earlier really sparkle off of the TV screen.
Drink Cocoa Under the Stars
Cocoa is a great drink at all times of the year, but it’s extra special when Christmas is coming and the days get dark at 5pm. Make a cup for you and the kids, and then set out some chairs outside in your yard and slowly sip as you watch the stars twinkle in the sky. Teach the kids to point out constellations from what they can see, and even tell some stories together.
It’ll be a fun little thing to do on certain nights in the days up to Christmas, and the kids will love the novelty of being able to stay up a bit later than usual. Make sure you’ve got plenty of marshmallows to enjoy with the cocoa, and you might even need a couple cans of whipped creams in the fridge for an extra special treat!
What Will You Do for Christmas This Year?
If you want to make Christmas time more magical for your family, it’s time to upturn your traditions and lay down some new ones in your household. Change can be really fun at this time of year, and if you want the festive season to always be that special kind of fun and whimsical for your kids, you’re going to need plenty of new things to do as the years go by.
And it can be hard to come up with all of this on your own, so make sure you keep our ideas above in mind for your future celebrations! They’ll be fun to do, and you can choose your favorite as you try them.
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