1. Music First!

No occasion is complete without the power of tasteful music (although that’s relative!). Plug in your stereo system or media player dock and crank up some fun tunes. You can even choose a Christmas playlist so the whole family still feels the warmth!

Photo from sxc.hu

2. Organize items

You’ll need boxes, paper for labeling (recycled is always better), scissors (to be used with extreme supervision of course), plastic or mesh bags, newspaper, glue, crayons, pens and other art materials.  You can even find old ribbons, tags and whatnots for this project. Anything goes when creativity flows!

Photo from sxc.hu

3. Prepare the boxes and bags

Get the kids involved by decorating and labeling all the boxes and bags. Set aside a place for “Christmas Balls”, “Christmas Leaves and Other Décor”, “Christmas Lights” (For parents and older children to handle), “Parol” (Christmas Stars), “Signs” and other posters and anything hung on walls, “Christmas Stockings”, and a special place for your Belen (Nativity figurines) which should be wrapped in paper before boxed. Kids can go crazy with crayons and poster paint, while Mom and Dad assemble and stack the boxes. Later, glue the labels accordingly. You can also make boxes for items to throw, stuff to recycle or give away.

Photo from sxc.hu

4. Everybody loves a contest!

The festivities for the New Year are just beginning if you employ this simple strategy. Arrange a “Bring Me” contest for kids, and call out items such as the “Merry Christmas” sign on a door, a particular color of a tree ball or star, and other small and unbreakable décor. Speed is a factor, but the items brought to you must be in perfect condition.  Make sure all these items are easy to reach for the little ones.

Another game is splitting the kids into teams. Team Mom and Team Dad.  Each respective group should gather around the Christmas tree, employ a cell phone timer set to three minutes, with each set having a box or bag, and see who gets to most decorations down in set time frame.  After this, you may also choose to reset the timer and have the children properly classify the trappings into their respective places. Like gold balls here, red leaves there. Aside from being a riotous activity that will surely generate a lot of laughs, it also is a learning experience, as kids are taught responsibility and organization.

Photo from brucebriscoe.com

5. Re-Gift!

It’s practical to re-gift, or to give presents that you don’t like or need away again.  This can be done all together, but nobody should be forced to part with anything they like.  Jot down and tape who the gift came from so it doesn’t accidentally come back to their doorstep on their birthday!  It may seem a tad tacky to some, but in this environment, with rising costs, we ought to be pragmatic but never cheap.

Photo from sxc.hu

6. Recycle!

Any wrapping, ribbons, unused cards and the like should be sorted by the family and placed neatly in a little container, preferably a shoebox.  You’re not just saving money, but teaching the kids how to be eco-aware.

Photo from flickr.com

7. A Christmas Time Capsule

This is an old 1930s concept. A cache of assortments buried deep underground for future generations to marvel at. Although this may be a good family activity to plan out, a simpler version can be employed.

Get everyone to write down their favorite holiday moments. Short and sweet, maybe a top ten list, or a top ten wish list for the next holiday season. Younger kids can draw, and even babies can have their hands or feet traced with non toxic crayons. Gather together miscellaneous items such as a favorite Christmas card or note, a small item symbolic of the season for the individual, a CD mix of family favorites, whether they be traditional carols or Justin Bieber, pictures, and practically anything.

Put all these in a regular cardboard box, tape securely, and mark the date for the family to open together.  It can be at 2011’s Christmas Eve, or the same day next year you will all take down the items together. This could be a new family tradition if you make it. When the box is opened in the future, all the good energy of memories will come rushing back.  Also, the lists read together can also be both sentimental and humorous.

Photo from sxc.hu