5 Fun Easy Ways to Keep Children Creative on Holiday Break!
- Bracelet Art
- Simple Homemade Slime
- Activity Advent Calendar
- Baking and Decorating Cookies
- Holiday Movie Trivia Games
Which One of These Would We Recommend to Others?
We actually would recommend all 5 of these fun activities to keep the children busy. Every one of these 5 activities for kids are very enjoyable and simple to set up and not to mention clean up when done. All these can also be a fun family bonding experience no matter how small or big your family may be. You should even try to add your own personal family touches to these activities to make them even more entertaining than they already are. Look below for a brief “how-to” on the ideas we suggested above.
Bracelet Art:
Simply get some ordinary pipe cleaners or if you feel a little more festive and want to add color just get the multi-color pack.
Pipe cleaners are very inexpensive even if you choose the colored ones. You can purchase approximately 100 colored pipe cleaners that are 12 inches long for under $7.00 (less than .07 cents). The letter beads are even more budget friendly even if you chose letters with colored squares. These prices were based off Amazon, but you can get them from any hobby or craft store from your local area.
Simple Homemade Slime:
This literally takes 3 ingredients that we most likely have already in your cupboard or junk drawer. Start by grabbing a mixing
bowl (enough to hold 3-4 cups liquid). Add 1oz of Elmer’s school glue in mixing bowl. Next you will measure 1/4 cup room temperature water. Lastly (we use a wooden skewer stick) mix the 2 ingredients well. Using the skewer stick lift out of the bowl and watch the magic unfold in the form of slime. You can add a few drops of food coloring to the bowl when mixing the glue and water to add some awesome personal touch. Elmer’s school glue can also be purchased with color already mixed in from factory if you choose this route. Also, to all the parents out there this makes an awesome vehicle detailing too to pick dirt out of car vents/ cup holders/ steering wheel/ etc. Simply take the slime firmly press against the dusty and dirty item and simply peel away!
Advent Calendar:
This can be done with a piece of construction paper (the kids can color or draw in any way they choose)! We use some left
over Christmas wrapping paper to make the calendar days. If you child is too young or has trouble with scissors adult supervision may be required at this point. Simply cut 25 – 1inch x 2inch rectangles and fold the 2inch side in half with the decorated side facing outward. This will leave you with a 1inch x 1inch square when the fold is closed. We use a children glue stick to make it easier. Cover one on the decorated sides on the square to the previously decorated construction paper. Simulate the December calendar for the location of the days to glue your paper in the same fashion.
When the glue is fully dried open each fold and write a fun activity or movie to participate in that particular evening! Please don’t hesitate to have a little goofy fun doing this and make it suitable for the enjoyments you family loves to do together. One year we used this idea to decorate or tree and house! Briefly to elaborate what I mean is on December 1st we put up the Christmas tree together. The 2nd we picked the lights and decorated the tree with them. Then the 3rd we chose the ornaments and hung them all over the limbs. We continued this until we completed it and enjoyed the beautiful decorations we did together. Just make sure if you use our idea, you plan so it is completed early enough to sit back and enjoy!
Cookies And Decorating: 
This is just as simple as parents and kids baking together! Let the little one pick the cookies and icing. All these items can be purchased from almost any grocery store or bakery. Young ones love to show their creativeness and gives them a nice sense of accomplishment and positivity. We allow ours to bake and decorate for family’s vs simply letting him purchase material items to gift. When the family opens the cookies and smile and say thank you it is heartwarming for the youngsters!
Holiday Trivia:
Ok most of us when we start getting into the spirit what comes to mind? We know it’s either the Christmas music (which
every store is playing) or the good OL Christmas movies. C’mon we all know Frosty, Rudolph, or even The Year Without a Santa Clause! Some of these are what I grew up watching with my family and it has turned into sort of tradition now with my own family. We try to make a fun trivia to go along with it to see how much we know and what are the names of certain character. We may even ask what year it was originally released, and I bet some will be surprised because I sure was on some facts! I hope making these memories with my own son and Wife will continue down the family tree to what we hope someday to be our future grand kids.
In Conclusion:
We hope that our family gave your family some inexpensive and possibly free ideas to do some family bonding over the holidays. Sometimes these holidays towards the end of a year can seem overwhelming and stressful but remember to end the year strong and with a new calm aspect to life. Not a single one of use what to carry that burden on into the new year.
We all have been through the hustle and bustle and tell ourselves let’s just make it through this year and start fresh next year! Sometimes it works for some and if you are like us it seems to follow us. Let’s start now and not wait! Who says calm family bonding or relieving of stress needs to start on a certain day. I am certain if you’re like me when the tables are turned your worries and anguish didn’t say we are going to find him/her next Monday it just hits you at any time and place.
Please feel free to leave any ideas and comments in the comment section below. We will love to hear from you, and we will get back to you as soon as possible.
Thanks Again!!