Tis the season for you and your family to set your own holiday and winter traditions. Combining customs from different family members and then adding your own new ones to the mix is fun! All of these activities — old and new— will be remembered fondly by your kids. They may continue them with their own families.
Here in the north, we have several frosty months of long nights. Make them special, cozy family times by adding a few simple activities everyone can join in on. To get started, brainstorm, do some research on-line and/or at the library and ask your friends about their favorite traditions.
Here are just a few ideas you may wish to add to your list.
1. Everyone picks a book of any type and reads it to the rest of the family.
2. Decorate a gingerbread house or other baked goods like cupcakes or cookies.
3. Go caroling or sing songs together at home.
4. Bake a variety of cookies, have a cookie tasting party and decide together what types you want to make every year. Package them in creative ways and give them as gifts.
5. Make decorations together not only for the holidays but to grace the house for the whole winter to brighten up your home.
6. Bundle up and go skiing, snowshoeing or for a walk during a full moon. Come in and drink hot chocolate and paint or draw pictures of what you saw.
7. Make and exchange small gifts for each other.
8. Decorate old (or new) shoes with glitter glue, sparkles, feathers, paint, and ribbons.
9. Make a bunch of paper bag puppets and have a puppet show.
10. Get some face paints and paint each other like your favorite animals.
Kelly Dupre of Grand Marais is an artist, children’s author, and educator with over 20 years teaching experience with all age groups in a variety of settings. The activities in this once-amonth column are spin-offs and combinations of ideas she has used and learned from teachers, parents, kids, books, and workshops. Only some of the activities has she actually thought of herself! Do you have a project or an idea you would like to see on the Whirligigs page? Let us know! Send your suggestion to starnews@boreal.org.
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