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By Jill Holtz+

50 Christmas Activities for Kids

It’s that Christmassy time of year again! The Christmas songs are playing on the radio or iPod, the house is full ofgood smells, the lights are twinkling on the Christmas Tree. Here are 50 Christmas activities for kids inassociation with Allianz WeatherSafe.

1. Make pine cone decorations

Collect pine cones, dry them out and then decorate with either glue & glitter, white paint with glitter mixed in, spraypaints.

2. Make a mantelpiece Christmas Advent decoration

You will need 4 white church style candles, candle holders, then assorted holly or other greenery, ivy leaves arenice too, set up the 4 candles along the mantelpiece and wrap the greenery around the candles. Decorate withbits of tinsel or glitter to make them sparkle. Light a new candle on the 4 Sundays before Christmas.

3. Make delicious things for Christmas presents

Here are some fun food gifts to try. Of course you’ll need to make a few batches to practice and test before you dothe real ones!

4. Make Santa Ornaments

Perfect to dress up your Christmas tree. This cute lolly-pop stick Santa ornament ismade out of only a few items (8 miniature lollypop sticks, red, while and flesh colouredpaint, cardboard, and some string), but the result is absolutely amazing.

5. Make Christmas Trees as gifts

Use paint, lolly pop sticks, and a few decorations to make this lovely Christmas ornament craft to give as a gift tofamily and friends! This is a great project for a winters’ day.

6. Paint a Hand-Print Snowflake

Paint 6 handprints in a circle but not overlapping. With your finger draw 3 white lines to connect the oppositeprints and make a star shape.

Related: 15 Christmas Craft Ideas

7. Christmas Tree Walk

Wrap up well and go for an evening walk to look at all the neighbours’ Christmasdecorations, lights and trees.

Download the free Allianz WeatherSafe APP with 3 hour forecasts that letyou plan ahead for getting outdoors with the kids. WeatherSafe is availablefor iOS and for Android.

8. Make mulled drinks

Why not mix up some mulled wine for adults and some spiced apple juice for kids. This will really get the housesmelling delicious! Here’s a lovely recipe for non-alcoholic Hot Mulled Cider.

9. Wrap Presents

Take it in turns with each child to wrap the other child’s present (or if only 1 child get them to help wrap Nana andGrandad’s presents).

We like these free printable holiday gift tags to make your own tags to go with the presents.

10. See the Christmas Lights

Go see the Christmas Lights in your nearby village or town or city. Or if you know of nearby householders thatdecorate their house and garden with fancy Christmas lights, take a drive by to “ooh and aah” at them.

11. Go Ice Skating

Head off to one of the Ice Skating venues located round the country and enjoy some ice skating. Many of themhave special kiddie rinks and penguins to hold onto if your child is new to ice skating.

12.Make a Penguin Mask

Here’s a quick and easy paper plate penguin mask craft for little kids. All you need are2 paper plates, yellow card or paper, Glue, Scissors and Elastic!

#13. Sing some Christmas Carols

See how many Christmas Carols you can remember the words to and enjoy somecarolling together!

#14. Watch some Christmas Movies together

The Mykidstime Team have chosen 5 of the Best Christmas Movies for Families for you.

#15. Bake some Christmas Cookies

Have fun making some Christmas Cookies together. We have lots of festive recipe ideas in 15 Easy ChristmasRecipes.

#16. Watch The Snowman

Settle down in front of the laptop or iPad and watch one of the best Christmas films, the wonderful The Snowmananimated film.

#17. Enjoy some Games together

Play board games or cards together.

#18. Make a Gingerbread House

Make an old fashioned gingerbread house.

#19. Make Homemade Bird Treats

Be kind to our feathered friends by making some homemade bird treats for them.

#20. Create a Christmas Play

Have the children put on a Christmas play or a puppet show. (Don’t forget to film it!)

#21. Visit Santa

Make a special trip to see Santa. Check out our Santa Visits page for Santa’s Grotto near you.

#22. Buy and donate a toy

Buy and donate a toy to the SVP Appeal or to your local hospital.

#23. Find some Christmas books at the Library

Our local library always sets out their Christmas story books in the run up to Christmas.

#24. Make Cards and Gifts for Teachers

Here are 10 great gift suggestions for your child’s teacher, creche or scout leader.

#25. Make special cards to send to cousins

Use stamps, glitter, paints and create a special set of Christmas cards to send or give to their cousins.

#26. Make an Orange Pomander

Make an orange pomander studded with scented cloves as a special gift for Nanny orGrandma.

#27. Look over last year’s Christmas Cards

We always tuck in last year’s Christmas Cards into the Christmas decorations storageboxes so that when we take them out to decorate the house and tree we can have a nice time reading them over. It also helps for making this year’s card list!

#28. Write and Address the Christmas Cards

Share the workload and have an assembly line going to write and address this year’s Christmas Cards. Youngerskids could help lick stamps or tick off the list.

#29. Make a Christmas newsletter

For your friends and family abroad, why not create a short newsletter that can be printed and included in yourChristmas cards to update them on your family’s news.

#30. Make reindeer dust

Mix some readybrek and glitter in a decorated envelope to help the Rudolph find your house.

#31. Make Gingerbread Men

Make your own gingerbread men and decorate them. Gingerbread men are fun tomake, decorate and eat – and they make the house smell deliciously Christmassy too,so there’s no excuse not to have a go!

#32. Create a Snow Globe

Using a jam jar, glitter, some baby oil (to make the glitter fall more slowly), water and any little Christmasdecoration figure e.g. a snowman. Glue figure to the inside of the lid, add glitter & baby oil and fill up to water(allow room for your figure). Screw lid on tightly and shake!

#33. Make Christmas Present Gift Tags

Make your own Christmas Gift Tags – Cut up last year’s Christmas cards (use a craft scissors with a decorativeedge if you have one), make a hole with a hole punch, and thread through some ribbon. Use them for labellingthis year’s Christmas gifts.

#34. Make Reindeer Poop

Reindeer Poop makes a funny gift (good one for kids’ friends or for uncles!). Get a clean jar with a lid, fill withchocolate covered raisins/white marshmallows, decorate with stickers/ribbons etc. Stick on a label sayingReindeer/Snowman poo!

#35. Make a Dish for Christmas Dinner

Get each child to make one part of the Christmas dinner, many things can be made inadvance and frozen or stored. They feel such a sense of achievement and part of thefestivities when they serve their contirbution. e.g. Christmas Pudding, CranberrySauce, Stuffing, Bread Sauce, Trifle, Soup etc…

#36. Christmas colouring

Print off some Christmas printables /colouring sheets, get out all the pens and crayons and set up a colouringstation at the kitchen table. Then set up an Art Gallery once the fabulous pictures are finished to show them off toother family members.

#37. Crack Some Christmas Jokes

See who can tell the funniest Christmas Joke that gets everyone giggling or rolling about laughing. The winningjoke is the one that gets the most laughs! Here are some Christmas jokes to get you started!

#38. Make a Christmas Magazine

Set up a family News Desk at the kitchen table!

Decide on what stories are going to go in the magazine. Could be a profile of someone in the family, maybean interview with a grandparent, will someone take photos or draw pictures. Maybe there could be a funcorner with a puzzle or a joke in it.

Decide on what story or item will go on what page, maybe write down on a mini magazine plan on a sheet ofpaper.

Gather together the materials you’ll need to make up the magazine: paper, pens, photos, any othermaterials to decorate the magazine.

Have fun putting the magazine together!

#39. Follow Santa’s Progress on Christmas Eve

Check out our Santa Watch page and follow Santa as he whizzes round the globe on Christmas Eve!

#40. Try out Christmas Apps on your Smartphone or Tablet

Try out some of the free Christmas Apps available for smartphones or Tablets. Hereare 5 Free Christmas Smartphone Apps reviewed by Mykidstime parents.

#41. Head to the Panto or a Christmas Concert

There is always a local panto near you to enjoy with the kids over the holidays. Check our Local Events section and get practising your Boos and “He’s BehindYou”‘s!

#42. Read “The Night Before Christmas” to the kids just before bedtime

Get everyone in their PJs with some hot chocolate or warm milk and read the old classic “The Night BeforeChristmas”

Related : Christmas Stories for Children

#43. Name your favourite recipe after a family member

Have fun naming your favourite Christmas recipes after a family member e.g. Teresa’s Terrific Trifle or Sammy’sSage Stuffing.

#44. Have a clear-out to make room for new presents

In the run up to Christmas, it’s a great excuse to have a good clear out to make room for new presents and dropoff old unwanted ones to a charity shop.

#45. Visit a Christmas Market

There are lots of fun Christmas Markets around the country, check our feature onChristmas Markets for ideas of where to go near you or in a nearby county.

#46. Get the knitting needles out

Find your knitting needles and some wool and help the kids create a scarf.

#47. Collect holly

Take some scissors, a shopping bag and some gardening gloves, put on the warm boots & coats and head off forsome holly collecting at a woods or hedgerow near you. This is such a lovely seasonal plant to show off by yourChristmas candles or as a centrepiece for your Christmas table.

#48. Go Star Spotting

Bundle up warmly and head outside to see if you can spot the stars as the weather becomes colder and the skiesare clearer and darkness falls earlier so you should get the ideal conditions on a clear night to see some of theconstellations.

#49. Make your own mincemeat

Have a go at making your own mincemeat and mince pies!

#50. Make a Family Christmas video message

Make a special family Christmas video message to send to relatives abroad. Smilebox is also nice for makingpersonalised photo style e-cards with music.

Have you got any other suggestions for Christmassy things to do with your child? Let us know in the commentsbelow

Related: Lots more festive ideas in our Christmas Fun feature, including recipes, crafts and lots more!

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