Christmas activities: Things you can do together as a family

Things you can do together as a family

Puzzles and board Games

Early on you should start playing age-appropriate board games and do puzzles together. This will help your child’s development by practicing task solving. Board games and Puzzles develop hand and eye coordination and fine motor skills. It also develops attention, concentration, and thinking skills such as recognizing, remembering, matching, and sorting.

DIY upcycling projects

Do-It-Yourself projects, can be the ideal thing to do together as a family. Upcycling old toilet paper rolls, egg boxes or plastic bottles can be the perfect opportunity to teach your child about upcycling, recycling and the environment. Plus it so much fun spending time together to do something creative. Encouraging your child to use the imagination and be creative.

GO ON A HIKE

Hiking is a great way to explore the world and stay active as a family. Walk in beautiful environments that are calm, no traffic, without loud noise and polluted air, if possible. And with a good baby carrier you can easily bring your baby. They are safe in the carrier, have plenty to look at and a place to sleep. If you bring your stroller, use a babynest. This way you can easily go in for a coffee or hot cocoa when you need a break. During wintertime, use a footmuff or weather cover. So you can make sure that your baby keeps warm and cozy.

Cleaning

Cleaning the house can easily be made into fun family activity. Put on some nice music, put the baby in the baby carrier and clean the house together. Making this a weekly routine, rewarded with coffee and cake or popcorn and a movie. When your children get older they will learn to participate in the household chores and they will learn to work in a team. Making cleaning and tidying into a fun activity and a weekly tradition will create positive memories.

COOK AND/OR BAKE TOGETHER

Cooking is not only fun but it also engages all of the senses: seeing, hearing, smelling, touching and tasting. It is a great way to encourage imagination, empowerment and creativity. Cooking with your child and/or toddler can be helpful for brain development. But hey, don’t go for the masterchef recipes just yet. Keep it simple!

Read more: Here you can find a few easy recipes to do with your kids.

Visit the local library

Making a trip to the library is ideal on cold winter days or during a rainy spring. Libraries usually welcome young children and often have events scheduled, like story reading sessions or some crafting activities. From very young age, children love "reading" books, looking at colorful picture and spending quality time with their parent. Borrowing books from the library also contributes to a more environmentally friendly lifestyle. Limits the stuff you keep in your home and is at the same time a fun activity for your child and the whole family.

LEARN SOMETHING NEW

Have you always wanted to know more about dinosaurs? Or do you want to learn how to scrapbook, crochet or paint? Learning something together, sharing hobbies and showing interest in each other’s activities have positive effects on family relationships. Dig deep and plunge into youtube videos, watch movies and read books at the library.

Go to museums

Museums are often the perfect place to bring your children, even though you might think the opposite. Kids love to learn about history and have great imagination when looking at and experiencing art. Seeing art through their eyes makes the experience even more wonderful for you. Many museums are kids friendly and even have a special children section where they offer different kind of crafting options for example. With a baby or a toddler, always bring a baby carrier. Being able to put the baby in the carrier makes everything easier. It's easier to get around and you can offer the baby to change positions.

Read more: Read about what the MET has to offer for kids and families for example.