- Study the history of Christmas. Engage your children with the history of Christmas such as a look into the background of Christmas carols, the history of the candy cane, history of Santa, the biblical story of Christ’s birth.
- Study Christmas celebrations around the world. Start with the country of your family and move on from there depending on interest. Perhaps you could enjoy a traditional meal of a particular country?
- Practice giving. There are so many ways to share the Christmas spirit with your children and those around you. The best way is to demonstrate giving. Donate toys to a children’s hospital or children’s charity. Donate blankets and pet food to an animal shelter. Shovel a neighbor’s driveway or bring a neighbor who is shoveling a cup of hot chocolate.
- Bake Christmas cookies. Christmas cookie baking is one of my favorite activities. We all have our favorites and mine are the gingerbread cookies. We have so much decorating them, not to mention eating them.
- Watch Christmas cartoons. I love that the same cartoons I enjoyed are still on today. It is so sweet to sit and watch those old comforting shows with the kids. Maybe you can eat some of those Christmas cookies while you watch!
- Make Christmas tree ornaments. Just about every year we make Christmas tree ornaments. I still have some my 14 and 12 year old made about a ten years ago. You don’t have to make it complicated. You can simply get a clear bulb and fill it with tinsel, glitter, sequins and such and hang on the tree.
- Advent calendars. Do you have any advent traditions? If not, this year is as good as year to start. You can do something easy and frugal by making a paper chain using red and green construction paper. Write a biblical verse or message on each strip of paper for the chain. Each day rip off a piece of the chain and read the verse or message. It is a wonderful tradition to share.