Christmas Activities that Keep Your Kids Jolly (and Safe!)

If you’ve been a parent for the past year during the covid-19 pandemic, you’ve also probably been a lot of other things. We’ve found ourselves playing teacher, referee, and sometimes we even fill in as the weakest link in whatever video game they’re playing this week!

As nice as it has been to get plenty of quality time this year, as we get closer to the holidays we may find ourselves with less time to actively engage with our kids. While they may be keeping out of trouble so they can land on Santa’s Nice List, that doesn’t mean they won’t get bored while we’re sending out cards and cruising last-minute online sales.

Video games and television are a fine time-waster any time of year, but the Holidays are a special time to come together and celebrate the things that matter most to us. Make some new memories with some fun Holiday activities that will always remind you of the year we all got a little closer.

All I Want For Christmas is Zoom

Let’s face it – we’ve all spent a lot more time on video calls this year. Zoom has been the MVP of covid-19, allowing us to stay connected with family, attend social events that would have otherwise been canceled, and keep our kids learning with their classmates in online school. Sure, you’ve probably had a much harder time staying awake during your company’s Friday morning meetings. But if it weren’t for video calls, we’d all be playing a lot more phone tag.

Social distancing has made video calls one of the best ways we can catch up with loved ones, even if we can’t be in the same room. Since most of us will be staying home this Christmas, we can still share this special time with our long-distance loved ones with Zoom.

The best way to inject some Holiday cheer into our video calls is with one of these downloadable holiday Zoom backgrounds. Sit by a giant stack of beautifully festive gifts, or place you and your family outside in a snowy wonderland. 

Now that you’re all in the holiday mood, play some Christmas music and join along in a virtual caroling session! Singing together is sure to put a smile on the faces of every family member, old and new.

Hide and Seek with Christmas Treats

School’s out for the holidays, and now it’s your turn to keep the kiddos busy all day. It’s not easy, especially if you’re still in work-from-home mode. Sure, the snow provides a good distraction for a few hours of snowman construction and snowball fights. But if your kids are coming in from a long, hard day of igloo-building, you may want to keep them engaged with another festive game.

For a new tradition, your kids will want to play every year, set up a holiday-themed scavenger hunt in your own home! You could use small stocking stuffers, advent calendar surprises, or bake up some Christmas cookies using a Christmas cookie cutter to hide all around the house. Make sure to hide some in places they’d never think to look! Hint: try putting some under the tree skirt or hiding among the ornaments on your tree. They won’t suspect a thing!

Print out a scavenger hunt checklist or make one of your own. Whoever collects the most points can redeem them for a fun treat (or, if you’re a cool mom, let them open one present early!).

How Ho-Ho-Ho Can You Go?

Keeping safe this year means holiday parties are a no-go. While you may be relieved that you’re avoiding coming into work on your day off for your boss’s yearly Christmas shindig, you may also feel more distant than ever from your closest friends and loved ones.

Our kids are feeling the same way. While we may go months without seeing distant relatives, Christmastime is usually the one time a year where everyone is invited to catch up and celebrate together. And it’s also one of the most fun times of the year!

Play a game of Santa Limbo to bring the holiday party cheer home to your family. It’s easy – set up a limbo bar (you can use anything – even a shower rod!) and put on your holly-jolliest outfits. Stuff pillows into your shirts and don your most festive caps. Set the pole lower and lower as your family takes turns ducking and shimmying underneath! Whoever can get the most rounds in without letting their pillow-belly or Santa Hat touching the pole is the victor! Print out this scorecard to keep track, and treat the winner to a mug filled with candy canes and other treats!

Red and Green and Every Color In Between

Not every winter day can be spent outside making snow angels and sledding. When the snow starts to melt or there’s just too much of it to play safely, our kids are most likely to turn to their screens for entertainment.

While healthy amounts of screen time can be beneficial for our kids, it’s also important to encourage their creativity and help them deal with their own stress. Winter can be a frustrating time to be a kid, especially this year when they can’t join up with their friends for their usual winter shenanigans.

Coloring has been proven to help kids relax, improve motor skills, and enhance their creativity. If your kids’ craft supplies have been neglected these last few months, bring some holiday flavor into the mix by printing out these holiday coloring placements. Level up their coloring time by putting out glitter glue, pom poms, and pipe cleaners to create 3-D pieces of art you’ll want to keep on the fridge all year long. 

You can even repurpose them as Christmas cards! Slip one of your child’s creations into a padded envelope (make sure to write “do not bend”!) and address it to a special loved one who could use some extra holiday cheer this year. They’ll appreciate the gesture, and your family will feel the love.

New Memories for the New Year

This year has given us the rare opportunity to reconnect with ourselves and our families. We’ve had to get a lot more creative in keeping our kids healthy, safe, and entertained. While this holiday season has brought a whole new set of challenges, that doesn’t mean our families should miss out on the feelings of joy and togetherness that we look forward to all year.

For more ways to keep your kids safe and engaged all year long, check out these Christmas downloadables and more from Hippo.