The holiday period is a busy time for most people but it can be particularly stressful for parents. You need to juggle your job, gift-buying, and parenting responsibilities, and this presents a number of challenges.
When your children are off school around Christmas time, it can be tough to keep them occupied. Unlike in summer, when they can go outside and play with their friends, the frosty winters mean it’s too cold for your little ones to go outdoors for extended periods of time.
Having your kids running around the house all day over the festive period can be a nightmare for you as a busy parent. To ensure that you have some peace and quiet this Christmas, we’ve got some top tips to keep your kids occupied over the festive period.
How to Keep Your Kids Occupied Over the Holidays
Keep reading for five top ways to keep your little ones occupied during Christmas time.
Buy them some new toys
Christmas is the perfect time to treat your kids to some new toys. Give them each an early Christmas present to open when they finish school for the year, so that they are occupied with a new toy.
Children love the novelty of brand-new toys, so they will happily play with them all day, every day. Whether it’s realistic nerf guns, new Barbie dolls, or a ball game, find toys that you know your little ones won’t be able to put down so you can enjoy a few hours of peace each day!
Find educational videos
Even though your kids will be away from school over the festive period, it doesn’t mean that the learning has to stop. Instead of your kids streaming movies http://elivestory.com/123movies/ all day, they can stimulate their minds with fun and educational content. Not only will this keep them occupied but it also encourages new learning, which boosts their cognitive development.
Find some educational content that is also entertaining; otherwise, your little ones will quickly get bored. Consider their interests and passions. Do they love music or art? If so, gather tutorial videos or clips of professional musicians and artists doing what they love.
There are lots of companies that provide educational videos covering a wide selection of topics. You can either purchase these videos on a one-off basis or sign up for a regular subscription, depending on what the company offers.
YouTube is another great online platform for educational video content. There are hundreds of channels that are dedicated to providing early learning videos that are not only educational but also enjoyable to watch. Your children might find a new favorite YouTube creator to watch regularly, even once Christmas has passed!
Get them out into the garden
If it’s not too cold and frosty outside, encourage your kids to get involved with gardening. This keeps them occupied and also teaches them the importance of hard work and responsibility.
Assign each of them a task, such as weeding, planting, or watering the flowers. They can work together and learn about teamwork and collaboration while having lots of fun.
Being outside in the sunshine (even if it’s a cloudy day) enables your little ones to get some fresh air and produce vitamin D, both of which are essential for their physical and mental health. Make sure they’re wrapped up warm and keep a close eye on them while they’re outside. You might even want to join in with the gardening activities yourself!
Bake something delicious
If you’ve got some spare time over Christmas, take this time as an opportunity to bond with your little ones in the kitchen. Find some simple kids’ recipes to follow and allocate each child a task, such as mixing, pouring, or icing, so that everybody has a duty during the baking process.
Cooking and baking are great ways to introduce your children to food and nutrition too. As you follow each recipe, teach them more about which ingredients contain which nutrients, and why they are important.
Invest in lots of great books
You can’t beat reading! It’s an activity that is entertaining and educational for your little ones when they’re not at school. See if you can find some Christmas storybooks for your children to dive into, as this will make them feel excited about Santa Claus’s arrival!
If you don’t want to purchase physical books, you can find lots of children’s audiobooks online. All you need is a laptop or tablet and some headphones, and your little ones will be occupied for hours.
