The winter holiday is just around the corner! Are you ready to enjoy the holiday break with activities now reopened? In this blog post, we share ideas about what to do with your child during the holiday season!
Create A Sensory Bin
Colorful sensory bins/tubs are a great activity to keep your little ones engaged for hours. Fill them with brightly colored noodles, bells, fake candy canes or marshmallows (remember, please only do this activity if your child does not put items in their mouth!)
Frozen Pom Poms by happytoddlerplaytime.com
Christmas Colors by domandhismoms
Hot Coco Sensory Bin by Firdevs
Legos for the Holidays!
Legos are everyone's favorite and a great family time activity. Below are some popular lego toys to build with your child. There are some wonderful DUPLO sets for the younger builders.
Holiday Art Craft
Visit your local art store for some fun kits. Michael's always has some creative pieces for under $5.
Create A Mistletoe
Children at our daycare love this activity because you get to literally "get your feet dirty" when making it.
Source: Christmas Activities for Babies by Kid Activities with Alexa
Instruction:
Paint 1 foot green and press down with the heel in the center of the plate and the toes going out on a slight angle. Repeat with the other foot. It will end up looking like an upside-down "V." If you are not happy with how it looks, quickly wipe it off before it dries and start over.
After it is completely dry, press the thumb into red paint and press at the very top of where the footprints meet. Repeat as many times as you want.
Draw a darker green squiggly line around the footprint mistletoe.
Paint on tiny squares come off of the squiggly line in various places where you want the Christmas lights to be.
Using one color, press the child's fingertip into a paint color and then press onto the plate where you made the tiny squares. I started with red paint and placed her fingerprint in every 3rd spot. I let the paint completely dry before doing a 2nd color and so on. If you are doing this with an older child than my daughter (almost 1 yr old), you probably wouldn't have to wait in between colors.
Let it dry and the next day I went with black paint and wrote "Mistletoes" and the year.
Yummy Hot Chocolate Mats
Incorporate some math concepts when you enjoy a cup of hot chocolate with marshmallows.
Source: Marshmallow Math by The Measured Mom
Instruction:
Print these twenty colorful hot chocolate cups and get out some mini-marshmallows.
The mini-marshmallows will be a real motivator.
You can also use white pom poms, which are much more expensive than mini-marshmallows but are also much less tempting.
This printable has twenty colorful cups of hot chocolate, labeled 1-20.
Other Fun Suggestions
Build A Snowman- Ask your crew, "Do you wanna build a snowman?" Band together to craft one big Frosty or split up into teams to turn it into a friendly competition. Last one done has to make the cocoa!
Construct A Holiday Photo Booth- Whether your holiday guest list is as long as Santa's own or you're a small but mighty gathering, a DIY photo booth will make photos of the day so much more fun. It's also a great way to repurpose old decorations you aren't using this year.
Make Decorations Out of Cards- Recycle last year's holiday cards by turning them into decor this year. Cut them into shapes for a recycled take on garland, collage some of the pretty patterns to craft whole new cards on white stock or simply string them on some jute or string for festive decor.
Go Sledding or Tubing- If you've got a hill the neighborhood, you're already halfway to a favorite seasonal activity. Even if you have to hop in a car, bundling up and hitting the sledding slopes can work off some cabin fever especially if you have guests staying over for a few days.
Include Your Child in Wrapping Gifts- Given the number of gifts needed for Christmas, it is always a great idea to ask for your kid’s help when preparing some homemade gifts. Right from bundling the sweets to wrapping gifts and arranging them, your child will not only have fun but also pick up a lot of skills in the process.
Have a Christmas Movie Marathon- Even better than Christmas stories is holiday movies – this is one of the most fun things to do with kids for Christmas, and can develop into a family tradition. On Christmas day, you can huddle up with your entire family and watch happy Christmas movies for kids. Your child will love this tradition and will look forward to it every year.
Go on a Donation Drive- Christmas is a season of joy, but it is also the season of giving. This is one of the best family things to do on Christmas – it can even become a yearly tradition in your family! Take your child’s old toys and clothes and donate them to the shelter closest to you. You can do the same for your own belongings as well – someone out there will thank you for it. Not to mention, this can teach your kid the value of being kind and giving more than taking.
Local Events in the Peninsula
Hometown Holidays Parade in Redwood City
Hometown Holidays 15th Annual Celebration will be taking place in Redwood City on December 4th, at 10 AM. The event will include pictures with Santa, music and dance performances, local food vendors, and lighting of the holiday tree in Courthouse Square. Click here to find more information.
Photos with Santa at Hillsdale Shopping Center
Visit Santa and have a holiday photo taken. He's here all season to greet children in Macy's Center Court. Wander through Santa's wonderland with festive décor, leading to Santa sitting in his cozy corner ready to meet little ones. Capture that keepsake moment with a variety of Santa photo packages for purchase.
Address: Sixty 31st Avenue, San Mateo, CA 94403
Dates: November 19, 2021 - December 24, 2021
Santa's Hours: Thu - Mon 11:00am - 7:00pm; Tue - Wed 12:00pm - 8:00pm
Winterfest at California's Great America
The Bay Area's most immersive holiday event returns this year, sparkling brighter than ever before. WinterFest brings holiday cheer to California's Great America as the park is magically transformed into a winter wonderland and holiday festival. Guests can ice-skate in front of the iconic Carousel Columbia, take in the dazzling sights, sip on crafted hot chocolate and marvel at spectacular live shows. Check the website for prices.
Address: 4701 Great America Parkway, Santa Clara, CA 95054
Brunch with Santa at Pinstripes
Snap a picture with Santa while enjoying your favorite brunch menu items at Pinstripes!
Saturday brunch includes our new fall menu brunch entrees, and Sunday brunch features the all time favorite brunch buffet. Kids may also enjoy the special Reindeer Waffle, available only on the Saturday brunch menu. Make a reservation here.
Dates: December 4, 2021 - December 19, 2021
Address:36 Hillsdale Mall, San Mateo, CA 9440
Time: 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM
Kid's Carnival at Hiller Aviation Museum
Join the excitement with special activities just for kids! Aircraft checkouts, cockpit exploration, glider and helicopter construction and more are just some of the activities available. The Kids' Carnival is on Sundays: December 12, January 9, February 13, and March 13, which includes the Leprechaun Leap.
Advance tickets are available here. (Free for Museum members.)
Noon" Year's Eve
Kids and parents, come celebrate the New Year with music, activities, face painting, Broadway Babies & Kids, and Puppet show. and a countdown to TWO GIANT balloon drops at noon!
Date: Friday, December 31, 2021.
Time : 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM PST
Location: Hiller Aviation Museum, 601 Skyway Rd. San Carlos, CA 94070
Get your tickets here
Holiday At Filoli
Your family time on Christmas will be happy with festive finery and sparkling with garden lights every day and night here. There are also other activities such as Santa Weekend, Shopping & Dining, or Woodland Garden Court.
Date: November 20, 2021- January 2, 2022
Location: 86 Cañada Road, Woodside, CA 94062
Get your tickets here
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