When it comes to Christmas we have always tried to get the kids to think more about spending time together as a family and less about the presents under the Christmas tree. To do this we make a list of all of the fun things that we want to do during the month of December and then try to tick off as many as possible.
Christmas for us is about spending time being together baking, making and playing. It is being outdoors and enjoying the wintery weather. It is about enjoying all things festive and making some amazing memories to look back on.
Earlier this evening we sat down as a family and discussed some of the things that we would like to do in the next five weeks. It was great to see how many of these things don’t require any money and how much the kids are grasping the fact that family time is what is really important.
The activities which don’t require us to spend money (apart from on ingredients) are as follows:
Christmas Film Night
Baking Christmas Cookies
Baking Mince Pies
Bake a Christmas Cake
Making Xmas Presents (we make truffles etc)
Decorate the tree
Feed the squirrels
Make Christmas Cards
Build a Snowman
Make Snow Angels
Sledging
Visit Christmas Lights
Wrap Presents
Toast Marshmallows
Play Board Games Together
Go to the park
Pyjama Day
Visit Family
There are also a few that doesn’t cost too much such as going Ice Skating, the cinema, bowling and enjoy a hot chocolate at the Christmas markets. We will also host a small Christmas party for some of their friends from school as a nice way to end the term. We do also have a few luxury days in there such as Winter Wonderland (which is a fantastic event in Manchester) and a trip to the Pantomime but those are part of our Christmas traditions so we will always do that.
I wanted to share our list with you in the way it will be displayed on our fridge so that as we do each activity, we will cross it off. I hope it inspires you to create your own list and hopefully spend more time with your family rather than more time spending. Christmas really is about spending time together doing the things you all enjoy and those will be the memories your children will look back on in years to come, not whether you managed to buy them a Hatchimal or not.
I screenshot your list Laura when you put it on social media the other week. I think it’s a fab idea and will definitely do some with the kids. Though having a teen it may require some thinking outside the box. Hope you manage to tick off lots of lovely things for you all to do this Christmas x
Gorgeous Laura, so important to be teaching your girls this, well done. Mich x