Free Family Fun Ideas for the Holidays

Christmas is almost upon us and the anticipation of the excitement of Christmas ‘morn is in the air. Perhaps the kids are a little more antsy than usual and you’re growing a little weary being cooped up in a hubbub of noise. I find that children are very keen to play calmly by themselves, and allow you some much needed rest or time to knock some items off your to-do list, if you will first spend some quality time devoted to interacting with them. Today, I am a sharing some fun and free ideas to engage and entertain your little ones and hopefully you’ll find some joy partaking in as well.

These photos are from an afternoon of free family fun spent at a local flower nursery. They have tons of farm animals, a fish pond, as well as a huge playground! We usually purchase something small whenever we visit such as a plant or some ice cream. A poinsettia makes a beautiful hostess gift this time of year. 

If the kiddos are nipping at your feet and generally being loud and you need to restore a little peace and calm to the home then I always find that taking time to pause and read a story to the children is the best way to bring everyone together and calm the home environment down. I like to lay out our story time blanket and have them sit on it or you can just gather them around on you, cuddled into a chair and read to them! It’s a nice way for you, as a mother, to get off of your feet, forget about life’s stressors and just enjoy those little blessings God has given you. Children love to be read to. Make it fun and use a variety of voices as you’re reading. I know that for parents variety is the spice of life but children really need and enjoy hearing the same storybooks read over and over again. So pull out an old favorite, cuddle up and R-E-A-D! 

My precious babies. I really enjoyed practicing my photography on this December morning. My husband had bought me some red roses so I styled those up and thought they made a lovely picture. I put the kiddos in matching outfits and a blanket on the floor and captured so many precious memories. I don’t like to share their faces on this public platform but I will cherish the photos forever.

I had a Christmas photoshoot of the children in front our our Christmas tree. You can make your own Christmas cards with a family photo. Everyone can comb their hair and put on coordinating outfits. There’s no need to be matchy-matchy, just use coordinating colors or neutrals. We have a tripod but if you do not then just prop your phone up against a book or a vase and set the auto timer. You can share these images to friends and family digitally or have them printed at your local store. I have a Canon photo printer at home. (I wrote a blog post about how I print and store my photographs here if you’re interested). Another tip for taking photo’s of young children is they can rarely hold their gaze and smile so take more candid photos and offer the children a treat afterwards for all of their hard work. It’s not easy sitting still and smiling :-)

If the weather is suitable how about going outside? Unless there is a thunderstorm outside then the weather is usually not the issue; simply dress for the weather outdoors. Even if it is not pleasant you can at least spend 15 minutes outside in the fresh air. Nothing is better for children than playing outside. You can take them to the park or a stroll around the neighborhood. If you can all go on a little walk, even better. The exercise, sunshine and fresh air will do you all good. Try to be fully present. I promise if you will fully allow yourself to be a part of this moment and of their lives you will forget about what is troubling you and be enthralled in their happy world. Oh, how little ones love to see your eyes. “Mommy, look at me. Mommy, look what I made.” They don’t even like when you wear sunglasses because they need to see your eyes looking at them. 

We had nice, cool, sun shining weather today and on a whim, decided to eat our lunch outside on the patio. Afterwards, we layed our giant camping mat out in the backyard with a few toys for the baby and my daughter enjoyed swinging while dad and I cleaned up their play cabin. It needed a good wiping down, a few screws tightened and the batteries replaced in the doorbell. I felt productive and the children enjoyed themselves. 

Remember, it’s just an average day for you in your adult life but to them this is their childhood.

Get in the kitchen! Release the reigns. Bake Christmas cookies or prepare your own pizza for lunch. It doesn’t need to be fancy, children just enjoy the process. Teach your children to cook. We all need to know how to do this for ourselves. Boys and girls alike should know kitchen basics and by the time a child is the age of ten they can prepare dinner for the entire family. (Sooner really but I wanted to provide some leniency). Let them help you from the youngest to the oldest. The baby can be set on the floor or in their high chair and included in the cooking as well. Give him or her a bowl and spoon and ask him to stir it for mommy. Show him how and praise him for his job well done. You can then move your focus to your toddler or older children and direct the next steps. Every now and then take the spoon from the baby, praise him and replace it with a new item so they feel like they are helping. If you think they’re too young to help then that’s usually how you wind up with an older child who would rather play than do the chores you now feel are age appropriate. Start them young and let them work alongside you. 

Check your Facebook events tab and look for any free events in your area. There is always a fun, free event going on nearby where I live. Most towns have a Christmas parade, a free meet and greet with Santa Claus and other fun events. Just check your local news station events calendar. One of our favorite Christmas traditions is to load up the kiddos in the truck and go look at Christmas lights. You could also wrap some fresh baked cookies and pass them around to your neighbors and wish them a Merry Christmas. This is also a good opportunity to talk to and teach your child about neighborly love as well as how to knock on the door, wait for an answer, no- you may not step inside the home, small talk, etc. A great social learning lesson as well as fun. We often do this around holidays or just anytime I have leftover treats. On Thanksgiving day I saw our neighbor who lives alone come out and check her mail. She mentioned she was going to work soon and would be there until late. My daughter and I made her a plate of food and walked it next door. These are the things we need to give our children and let them see us doing: moments and time of kindness, of offering and giving. 

If you are musically inclined and have an instrument at home then now is the time to pull it out. Play a song for everyone and then give the kids a little lesson. We have a piano, trumpet and a guitar and the children love to hear us play and take a turn playing. You can also just turn in some Christmas music and have a fancy party! It’s a free and fun way to spend some quality time together.

Since most of us all give gifts on Christmas, now would be a great time to help a child create a gift for their sibling, parent or grandma. They will feel an immense sense of pride in making their own gift to give. You can then facilitate them in the wrapping process as well. Provide them everything they need and only be there as assistance. 

~We always make a Happy Birthday Jesus banner for Christmas!

Here’s a great idea to brighten up a ho hum day: Have a fancy dinner! Our daughter loves when we have fancy dinner night. I try to plan a couple more courses specifically for this meal than we normally have at dinner. Put a nice tablecloth on your table and light some candles. Even if all you’ve planned is chicken nuggets- you can still make it fancy and fun. Have the children help decorate and set the table. Ask everyone to dress fancy and help the kids pick out fancy clothes. Get them all excited and remind them the importance of using good manners at the fancy dinner. Try to be as fancy as possible! Have dad pull the chair out for mom, pick some wildflowers and put them in a vase as a centerpiece, and talk very proper (and have a good laugh). It’s a lighthearted thing, not a serious one so be sure to keep the fun alive in it and not focus harshly on good table manners.

Some other free and fun things that children love:

Board games- (your local library sometimes has some you can borrow for free). Charades is also a great family game to play together. 

Coloring- enjoy a nice conversation and some peaceful downtime coloring a picture with your child. Of course, you can get as crafty as you want, but sometimes those can be overwhelming. Simply grab some crayons and a coloring sheet and just color together! No need to be extravagant. Bonus points if you color a picture for someone and mail it to them. We do this often and I teach my daughter how to address an envelope, use a stamp and place it in the mailbox with the flag up for the mailman.

Create something homemade to hang on the Christmas tree. Dehydrate some oranges, hang candy canes, make a popcorn and cranberry garland, craft a paper chain, or craft a handmade ornament. There’s a plethora of clay recipes you can create using simple pantry ingredients to make your own heirloom ornament.

Art by John Sloane “The Greatest Gift”

I encourage you to take some time to slow down and enjoy those tiny greatest gifts that God has bestowed upon you. Children won’t remember what they got for Christmas when they were eight years old but they’ll never forget the warmth, laughter and peace in their home. Try to create more of that and you’ll have an enjoyable Christmas season. Merry Christmas!

~Crissy