Explore Christmas & Have Fun with Your Child!

The season to be merry is here again! What with decorated Christmas trees in every corner, people dressed as Santa spreading joy, festive lights, jingling bells, the aroma of plum cake and the sweet melodies of age old carols, Christmas sure brings plenty of cheer, fun and happiness for one and all. So, how about letting your child explore Christmas and learn all about this heart warming festival? Read on for some ideas-

1. Shopping with Your Child- Buy a Christmas tree (big or small, depending on your budget). Ask your child to select some small bells, balls, candy sticks, holy leaves,gifts, stars etc to decorate the tree. You can also make your own Christmas tree at home, if your do not wish to buy one.
2. Create a Backdrop- Give your child chart paper, colours, glitter, glue, stencils etc. Let her create a backdrop based on Christmas with these materials. Allow her to be creative and make the backdrop as she likes.
3. Set the stage- Choose a small space in your home to celebrate Christmas. Put up your child’s backdrop on the wall. Place the tree in front of the backdrop. Get your child to decorate the tree on her own. Give her cotton wool to use as snow on the tree. You can also use pieces of thermocol or cotton wool around the base of the tree to represent snow, as shown in the images. 
4. Fun with Cooking & Stories on Christmas Eve- If you have an oven at home, bake a plum cake together with your child on Christmas Eve. If not, you can always get one from a bakery. Sit in front of the tree and take a few minutes to learn about the significance of Christmas. Tell your child the story of Christmas, with carols playing softly in the background. Keep the story short and sweet.  Invite her contributions to the story. If your child can read, encourage her to read the Christmas story from a book or from the internet.  Sing some carols together. Eat some cake. Have fun!
5. Christmas Gift- Buy your child a Christmas present secretly. On Christmas Eve, after your child goes to bed, place it near the Christmas tree. Once your child wakes up in the morning, tell her you have a surprise for her. Let her open her Christmas present and feel special J

 Points to Remember

The above ideas are pointers to letting children explore and enjoy Christmas. The same ideas can be executed in several different ways depending on your budget and the child’s preferences. All children would not enjoy doing activities exactly as I have described them. Hence, it is important that you tailor the ideas to suit your child’s personality.

Merry Christmas!!