March 10th, 2007
10 Magical Christmas Ideas for Parents
Christmas can be a very special time when memories of a lifetime are made. What can you do to make your child’s Christmas that much more special? Make some of these ideas part of your Christmas traditions and you will be sure to pass on that magical feeling of Christmas to your children.
1) Cook Together - Gingerbread houses are always a winner. Start out simple and as the years go by they can get more elaborate. Another great idea is to cook your Christmas cookies in the cookie cutters. You can hang them on the tree or give them away as gifts. Not only are they fun, but they add to the decor!
2) Christmas Stories - Have at least one story that is uniquely yours, then read it every Christmas Eve. It doesn’t have to be a traditional story. My mother was from Louisiana and our story was Gaston, the Green Nosed Alligator. When we go home she still reads it to us!
3) More Than Cookies and Milk - Leave out food for the reindeer too! Carrots work well. If you want to make it more involved add glitter to some dry oatmeal for magical reindeer food and leave on the lawn. (The glitter will shine in the moonlight to draw the reindeer down.)
4) Let Santa In! - If you don’t have a fireplace then leave Santa a key. Take an old key, tie a pretty ribbon on it and hang on the front door.
5) Boot prints - When Santa comes to our house he always makes a huge mess! The fireplace screen is knocked over and ash is tracked everywhere! Rubber garden boots work well for this one. Just dip in the ashes and leave “Santa tracks”.
6) Letter from Santa - Send your child a personal letter straight from the North Pole. Make sure to add personal touches like accomplishments and items from his or her wishlist. Santa loves to write letters!
7) Christmas Lights - For some reason Christmas lights are one of the most magical things. Turn off all of your room lights lay on the floor under the tree and just enjoy!
8) Jingle Bells - Early Christmas morning after all the presents are out, sneak outside your child’s room and lightly jingle some bells. (Make sure that your child knows they have to stay in their room until daylight.) Be prepared for some excitement when they tell you how they heard Santa’s sleigh bells last night!
9) Homemade Gifts - Making Christmas presents together can be a great way to spend time with your little ones! Bundles of cookies, homemade ornaments, and chocolate dipped coffee spoons are all simple yet wonderful presents to make together!
10) Countdown the Days - Making a creative advent calendar can help your child pass the days until Christmas! One way to do this is to make a paper chain calendar by cutting 25 strips of construction paper and linking them together to form a chain. The kids can then remove a link every day until Christmas.
One of my favorites is to purchase 25 miniature felt stockings and use writing paint to label each with a day. Place a small candy or prize for each child within each stocking. Every day your child can take down that day’s stocking and get a small present!
Spending time with your child is the most magical gift of all. Christmas is one of the best times to focus on your children and make new traditions and memories they will treasure for a lifetime!