We’re into December, and Christmas magic is taking hold! At Jelson, we’re all about creating magical moments at home and making the most of time at home with the family. We’ve recently talked about preparations for Christmas, and also looked at Halloween family activities.
To help you create enchanting in the everyday, we’ve pulled together a list of Christmas activities that can be enjoyed at home, and suited to different ages, abilities, and budgets.
Make (and Devour) A Gingerbread House
Cliché, yes, but what is there not to like? Fun, festive activity - check. Everyone can do their own - check. Delicious snack perfect for watching a Christmas film - check. Making or decorating a gingerbread house encompasses all that is good about Christmas activities at home and can be adapted to your circumstances.
So whether you want to bake your own, or buy a pre-made kit, you can have fun assembling and decorating. Maybe you and your partner are competing for which decoration is best, and the winner gets to pick the movie you watch that night. Maybe the kids each have their own so they can personalise it with their favourite treats? Or maybe even you’ve surprised your gran with an activity that she used to do with you when you were a child.
Write a Christmas Eve Story
It may already be a bit of a night-time routine or tradition to do a bedtime story, but what about writing your own? There are classic Christmas stories, but writing your own can make it even more special, and completely personalised to you. Not to mention, if this is an activity for your kids, it can work two fold. First, the time to write or draw out the story itself, then to actually read the story later on.
If your little ones are keen writers, this can be a great chance for an educational activity that is fun! And if your older children choose to write a story for their younger siblings, it can be a bonding experience too. For older families who maybe live a bit further away from each other, writing and sharing a personalised fictional story can be a funny and fond way to retell old stories in a new magical way.
DIY Christmas Place Settings
Christmas crafts are always a great go-to, and this is a great activity for craft lovers, or for keeping kids entertained at crucially busy times of the Christmas process. Within the wealth of Christmas craft ideas, there is one that can be overlooked - the place settings for Christmas dinner. This is a good way to add in a personal touch and have everyone feel involved in the Christmas dinner prep, without having too many people lurking about the kitchen.
From place cards, and cutlery holders, to placemats, there are a lot of simple crafts to keep kids entertained (we’re thinking snowman plates, name cards attached to candy canes and paper wreath placemats). Or if you’re feeling a bit more adventurous then maybe decorated plates, glasses or seat covers. Personalise your plates with Sharpie designs that can then be baked on, so you have plates you can pull out every year.
A Christmas Video Message
Christmas is all about traditions, whether that’s passed down from generation to generation, or starting new ones in your new home. One easy-to-do idea is starting a Christmas ‘video diary’. This would see one new diary entry each year, and viewing all the old ones back so you can see how things have changed, kids, pets and the family as a whole has grown.
There only needs to be one entry from each family member at some point in December, and you can pick a festive spot maybe in front of the tree, or even tucked up in festive bedding. Each family member can get involved, grandad in his favourite chair, your aunty when she pops around a Christmas card, or even your pawed pals if they are well enough behaved! You can talk about anything! But in the festive spirit, and what might be nice to look back on in years to come, we think things like - what’s your favourite Christmas film this year, what have you asked for Christmas or what’s the favourite Christmas moment so far this year are good base questions..
However you decide to spend your Christmas, from all of us at Jelson Homes we wish you a happy and healthy festive period.