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Frugal Fun, Save More Christmas came! The presents are all unwrapped and now the kids are home for the next seven days! What to do? Here are creative, no-cost activities your whole family will love doing together. Read full article
Christmas came! The presents are all unwrapped and now the kids are home for the next seven days! What to do? Here are creative, no-cost activities your whole family will love doing together.
By Laura Himmelein
1. Throw a magical wishing party.
Gather your family and let each member write a wish in pencil on a 4x4-inch square of tissue paper. Then, taking turns one at a time, roll up each square into a cylinder. Stand the cylinder in the center of a plate or other heat-resistant surface (pick a non-drafty place!) and light the top with a match. As it burns down, concentrate on the wish. Then, just before it burns completely, watch the paper as it flies toward the ceiling. Kids and grownups can’t help but get caught up in the magic and excitement of seeing their wish fly. And what better way to ring in the New Year than to make a special wish for the future?
2. Create your own special story.
This is a great way to enjoy winter evenings together. Simply sit around a fire or cozy up in your den and have one of the grownups start telling a made-up holiday or winter-themed story that includes family, friends, and familiar places. Then, let each member of the family add to the story. Borrow from familiar story lines if you like and change the characters to make it your own. Or make it all up—the sillier and more suspenseful the better. The most important thing to remember is there’s no wrong way to do it. If you want to save it, record the story as it’s being told and transcribe it later.
3. Go Global!
Discover how people around the world celebrate the holiday season. With the help of the web or your local library you can explore these traditions with your family. Choose a few locations that interest you or choose a different one each night and take a few minutes to learn how they celebrate the season. It’s sure to spark great conversation and may even inspire you to give some a try. Here’s a great link to help you get started: kaboose.com/christmas/traditions/xmas-around.html. Enjoy your break!
Laura Himmelein is an editor and writer in New Jersey who also runs Party Cake, Party Cake, a business that specializes in creating handcrafted cupcakes, crafts, and sweets.
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