Arrange a tour of New Year’s places
It is not necessary to go to Veliky Ustyug to see Santa Claus to feel the spirit of the New Year. In all cities they arrange a real fairy tale! In the evenings, the city is especially magical: LED lights are lit, festive installations, New Year’s music sounds. Arrange a tour with your children to beautiful places, which often host a large number of activities for the little ones. Take the kids and go for a walk with them! Also, look at the poster of New Year’s events and festivals and invite your child to visit a couple of them.
By the way, if you go to some event by car, be sure to turn on New Year’s songs, charging everyone with a festive mood. And sing along with the kids!
Make a Christmas wreath
Go for a walk in the forest for fallen pine branches, spruce and cones. You can also buy all paraphernalia in the store, but still go to the forest – for magic. Attach the branches to a styrofoam or wire ring and let the kids decorate them with whatever they want. You can make some wreaths and decorate with your kids! For you, this will be a very meditative activity, and for children – great fun!
Have a winter movie night
This is a must for the New Year! Choose one or more of your favorite New Year’s movies, prepare cookies, cover yourself with a blanket and stock up on tea (you can pour it into a thermos to keep it warm). Turn off the lights, turn on the Christmas tree and LED lights and start browsing!
popcorn garland
Recently went to the cinema or watched it at home, and you have leftover popcorn? Don’t throw it away! Invite the children to use it to make a garland for the Christmas tree, doorways, or walls. All you need is a needle, thread or fishing line, and the popcorn itself. You can also use fresh cranberries, candies in beautiful wrappers and alternate them with popcorn. Take on the stringing of treats on a string, and entrust the younger ones with the main thing – thinking through the garland! Have them count how many berries, candies, and popcorn they need and how they should alternate.
Cook the cookies
Another must-have Christmas item! The Internet is full of recipes for delicious and beautiful holiday cookies! Peanut, chocolate, citrus cookies, gingerbread – choose new and not yet tested recipes and cook with your children! Let them add pre-measured ingredients to the bowl and stir the dough. Buy colorful icing and edible decorations and let the kids decorate their cooled baked goods with them!
Give cookies
If you’ve made too many cookies and you can’t eat them, invite the kids to give them as gifts! Pack your baked goods in beautiful boxes or just wrap them in craft paper, wrap with ribbon and go outside to give them to passers-by! Or you can go to visit friends, grandparents and present sweet gifts to them.
Build a gingerbread house
Get a big gingerbread house kit or look up the recipe online, gather all your family and friends and get creative! Give each participant a task to have someone responsible for the roof, someone for the walls, and so on. Follow the instructions as if you are building a real house! This activity will be enjoyed by everyone!
Make your own jewelry
Decorating a Christmas tree is probably already on your New Year’s to-do list. Make this holiday tradition even more special! Get inspired by pictures on the Internet, magazines, books, come up with your own toy with your children and bring it to life. Be sure to mark the date on the product to keep track of when each toy was made.
Have a hot chocolate night
After a walk on a cold winter evening, there is nothing better than a mug of hot chocolate. Make the drink a game: let the kids decorate it however they want, giving them plenty of choice. Shop for healthy marshmallows, whipped cream, coconut cream, crushed hard candies, chocolate chips and more. Be creative! Once your child has made their own mug of hot chocolate, go watch some Christmas movies.
Make a donation
Tell the children why it is important to donate, and invite them to choose toys they no longer need and take them to the orphanage. Explain that there are children somewhere who also want a holiday for the New Year, and you can help them with this. You can also bring sweet gifts to the children, cookies that were prepared with the children. This will decorate not only your holiday, but also someone else’s.
Ekaterina Romanova