mom & dad
You don’t need to break the bank to have some quality bonding time with the kids this Christmas. Here are 12 easy and budget-friendly ways to celebrate the Yuletide season with the family.
By Nyx Martinez
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Whoever said Christmas has to be costly has probably forgotten the real meaning of it—which is easy to do, given the amount of commercialism the season has come to be associated with. Let’s break so-called tradition, and have ourselves a merry Christmas, the meaningful way!
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2. Have a home theater.
For this Christmas treat, have a movie marathon and watch Christmas classics (see list of Christmas films below) together with hot (or cold) chocolate, snacks, and lots of throw pillows on the living room floor. (See list of classic Christmas films below)CLASSIC CHRISTMAS MOVIES
A Christmas Carol (1984, George C. Scott)
It’s a Wonderful Life (1947, Jimmy Stewart)
White Christmas (1954, Bing Cosby, Danny Kaye)
Godspell (1973, musical)
Jesus of Nazareth (1977, Olivia Hussey)
The Fourth Wiseman (1985, Martin Sheen)
Elf (2003, Will Ferrell)
Home Alone (1990, Macaulay Culkin)
Jesus (1999, Jeremy Sisto)
The Nativity Story (2006, Keisha-Castle-Hughes)
Photo from sxc.hu
4. Play the Christmas Angel game.
This game can last all month! Secretly draw names, then you become the ‘Christmas Angel’ of the person you choose. Do special things for them like make them snacks, help them with their house chores—but all secretly! On Christmas Day, everyone has to guess who their ‘Christmas Angel’ was!Photography by Jun Pinzon
5. Bake Christmas cookies.
Or cakes, sweets, pastries—anything your kids enjoy eating. Make it a day activity, and don’t worry about the kitchen mess. Play Christmas music as you bake together, and if your recipe is passed down from Grandma, use the time to tell your kids stories of Christmases when you were their age, and what Grandma used to do.Photo from sxc.hu
7. Make a Christmas memories book.
Collect photos of past memorable Christmases and compile them into one giant album. Have fun cutting them up and pasting the pictures in artsy ways, with the kids adding little captions and art to the book.Photo from sxc.hu
8. Organize a gift giving.
…but give to those who actually need it! Starting way before December, start piling boxes of old clothes and toys the kids don’t use anymore, then, come Christmas time, you’ll have plenty of presents to give away to needier kids at orphanages and hospitals. This is a great way to teach your kids about the rewards of giving, and the happiness that comes from sharing.Photo from sxc.hu
9. Write Christmas wishlists.
The catch: these lists have to be things that can’t be bought! What do you wish the world was like? What do you wish your country was like? This is a good way to get the kids thinking about deeper, meaningful things during this special time, which could lead to great family conversations.Photo from commons.wikimedia.org
10. D.I.Y. Nativity Scene
You and your kids can save a lot of money by crafting your own nativity scenes from Paper Mache, or dad can build a wire and wood display. Everyone can have fun painting, and the set can be boxed and stored for years to come!Photo from upload.wikimedia.org
12. Party Potluck
Invite other families over to share a Christmas dinner together. Everyone has to bring a dish that the children helped to make, or a dish that originated in another country. Over dinner, discuss how people celebrate Christmas in different ways around the world. Include a child-friendly Christmas punch with sparkling ‘wine’ in pretty glasses to make it extra special.Photo from sxc.hu
TAGS : family, activities, bonding, bonding activities, bonding activity, bonding time, bonding time activities, bonding with your child, easy ways, family bonding, family bonding activity, holiday, holidays, ways, yuletide, yuletide season
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dora_explorer
Dec 08 2010 @ 09:12am
Very nice article! Just goes to show that fun, bonding with kids
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