As the holiday season begins and there’s plenty of time together as a family you may be wondering how to keep your little ones learning and entertained. The activities below are just some of the ways that you can keep your child involved in the season.
Laying the table & sorting silverware
As you prepare for special meals and get-togethers let your child help by sorting the cutlery into categories or groups, or teach them how to lay the table. This practical life skill will help your child to feel involved in the hustle and bustle of the preparations and enhance their categorising skills, which is important for pre-mathematics.
Baking
Baking with real tools and real ingredients is an excellent activity for children of all ages. Very young ones will need more support, but even just allowing them to watch is an opportunity for learning. Young children love to be involved in daily life and know what their parents and carers are up to. Older children might like to take the lead on this by selecting a recipe and following it, support them with reading the recipe out but allow them to do as much of the preparation as possible themselves. Mixing, rubbing and whisking improve gross and fine motor skills and mathematics is used as children weigh and measure.
Sorting decorations
Sorting activities help children learn to categorise, which is an important skill for life as well as vital for learning mathematical concepts. A jumble of Christmas ornaments and some empty bowls or boxes are all you need to provide your child with a great, absorbing activity. Encourage your little one to categorise by colour, or shape, or size, or one after the other!
Decorate their own Christmas tree
Whilst it can be really nice having your children decorate the tree with you it can equally be stressful and frustrating, and many parents report re-doing it privately afterwards! So why not give them their own tree to decorate? Whether it’s a full-size one that they share or their own individual mini tree, giving your child the opportunity to have full creative control over their tree sparks their creativity and encourages their sense of independence.
Treasure baskets
Christmas is a rich sensory experience, and a treasure basket of related sensory items can help babies to explore all the sights, sounds and smells of the holiday season. Gather together a selection of interesting items and allow your baby or toddler to explore them. For safety make sure you supervise closely and watch what is mouthed. Babies’ gums are very sensitive and contain many nerve endings which is why babies are so keen on exploring with their mouths; if it is safe for them to do so then don’t discourage this!
Art activities
Whilst hand and footprint crafts are cute, they are generally not the child’s own design or work so try to avoid these and allow your childfree choice on what to create. Let your child be inspired by the holidays and get creative with their own art supplies. An authentic creative piece from your child can just as easily be given as a gift in a nice frame, and this celebrates the work your child has done for themselves rather than what they have been directed to do.
Family Games Night
With family travelling from out of town and everyone getting together it could be a nice idea to start a games night tradition. There are some wonderful board games for very small children on the market, and older cousins are often great helpers, learning to take turns and interact with a range of ages is so beneficial to young children as well as the learning that comes from the games. Plus, having everyone together, with a bit of competition, creates a real festive buzz!
Religious services
Focus in on the reason for the season and take your children along to a religious service, whether that’s at a church, synagogue or mosque. Lots of places of worship will put on special services and events for families with children, this gives your child the opportunity to discover more about the reason for all the celebrations and explore the spiritual aspect of life.
We hope that the holidays are a special time for you and your family and that these activities inspire you to try a few new things with your children this season.
