With the best holiday of the year just a month away, it is time to start planning. The special thing about Christmas and other holiday around this time of year is the traditions. Family traditions can help shape who we are, can give up something to look forward to every year, and can help us bond with our families. When you were a kid, you probably have a few traditions of your own—making cookies with the family, having a midnight snowball fight, writing letters for Santa, and so many other traditions are fun for kids and parents.
Creating special holiday traditions is simple but can change the way you view the holiday. What once was a time when your children were most excited about receiving gifts, can now be a time full of traditions your children get excited about.
As we grow older, the holidays become more about family and loved one, but it takes a while for children to figure that out. But with different traditions they have to look forward to, they will be more excited about spending time with their family. At Inch By Inch Child Care, we encourage families to be families, to adopt these activities and traditions and bond with their children. These special bonds are more important than you may think.
In this blog, we will go over some of the traditions that many families have adopted over the years. Get some ideas and create your own! Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, or Kwanzaa, we will give you some ideas!
Christmas
There are many traditions that revolve around Christmas, and your family can adopt some national favorites or create your own!
Cutting Down a Tree
While getting an artificial Christmas tree is easier, cleaner, and a lot less maintenance, a real Christmas tree can make Christmas even more special. There are places all over that allow you to cut down your own Christmas tree. Bundle the kiddos up, pack up the car, and head into the wilderness. Your children will love the experience (maybe not the first year) and as they get used to doing it every year it will become part of their Christmas celebration. Cutting down a tree and decorating it while listening to Christmas music is a fun way to get excited for the holiday.
Cookies and Movies
There are a ton of classic Christmas movies that your kids will love to watch year after year. Even though these movies have poor graphics compared to nowadays, they are movies that we will love and want our Children to love as well. Watching these old movies, like Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer, Frosty The Snowman, and other classics while baking Christmas cookies is a great way to spread the holiday cheer. If you spend a night doing this every year, your children will start looking forward to it.
Other Traditions
Again, there are many different Christmas traditions and many that your family can create. Some families go to a movie on Christmas, others play out in the snow. Some open one present on Christmas Eve and others open them all the night before the holiday. Writing letters to Santa is always a hit with the kiddos. Read “The Night Before Christmas” on Christmas Eve in front of the fire. Try different things until your children find something they look forward to each year.
Hanukkah
Hanukkah already has a ton of traditions that are perfect for the family—the lighting of the menorah and playing dreidel are some popular choices. But there are others that you may not have thought about.
Gelt Hunt
Gelt are a traditional part of Hanukkah and these little chocolate coins are perfect to keep the kids busy. Hide them throughout your house and have your children rush to find the most. You can reward the child who finds the most with a prize or just allow the prize to be the chocolate. This scavenger hunt is a fun way to keep the children excited and the holiday spirit alive!
Baking
Have a Hanukkah baking party. Make tasty treats that are Hanukkah themed. Your kids will have fun helping you make these treats and will be excited to see the fun Hanukkah themed goodies. Get menorah shaped cookie cutters and allow your children to decorate their own cookies. Make dreidels with marshmallows or other creative treats. These are fun for the family to make together and will be a fun tradition to carry on year after year.
Kwanzaa
This holiday is centered around traditions, culture, and community. So finding fun traditions that your family will love should be pretty simple. Many families will celebrate Christmas and Kwanzaa, so if you celebrate both, don’t be afraid to go overboard with the traditions. It will just make the season more exciting for the whole family.
Crafts
While all holidays are a great time to get crafty, Kwanzaa is a holiday that encourages creativity, meaning that it is easy and important to do crafts while celebrating. Spend a days making homemade decorations, cards, and crafts to exchange on the last day of Kwanzaa. This is a fun way to spend time with your children and help them learn more about this holiday.
Focus on Family
Kwanzaa was originally created to help restore pride in African-American culture, history, and community. This is a great time to spend time with your family and take part in your community. Bond with your children and spend time paying full attention to your children. Make traditional Kwanzaa meals, that may not turn out as you hoped but the experience will be fun and memorable. Do crafts, bake, and spend time together. That is what this holiday is really about.
There are many different holidays out there, and this time of year is perfect for starting different traditions with your family. These traditions can bring your family closer together, help everyone reconnect, and can allow you to find a special meaning in these holidays. It is simple to get caught up in the hectic holiday tasks without enjoy them. Take a moment and enjoy the family time and help your children find excitement in the holidays, besides the excitement involving gifts.
At Inch By Inch Child Care, we know the importance of family. We encourage you to spend quality time with your kiddos and enjoy the holiday season. Don’t let holiday stress or anything else distract you from what the holidays are really about—family. Start special traditions and start enjoying the holidays again. Learn more about our center by contacting us and schedule a tour today.