Have Yourself A Quirky Little Christmas

It’s that time of year again…

Are you ready yet?

The decorations are out of the attic, the turkey’s on order and the presents are - almost - bought, wrapped and ready to go.

But every day the children open another door on their advent calendar, the excitement starts all over again, and you have to magic yourself into that ever cheerful Christmas angel. Are you starting to run out of ideas to amuse the children, while you escape for the vital cup of coffee and a few moments for yourself? Need some help? You’re in the right place.

We’ve all done the classic paper chains and snowflakes so why wait until January for something new? Have a quick look below for a bit of inspiration for something different.

‘Grow’ your edible Christmas tree

Are the children begging to put the tree, but you think it’s too early still? Get them to make their own! Pick up a box of ice cream cones from your local supermarket and whip up a bowl of green icing sugar, and let their imagination do the rest. Dolly mixture, smarties, and jelly beans all make fantastic baubles, and you can’t possibly forget the strawberry lace tinsel. A biscuit stuck to the bottom helps them stand, and a chocolate flake inside the cone makes an irresistibly yummy tree trunk. While you’re enjoying that sneaky glass of something special they can be happily building their Christmas tree forest.

Help Santa Scavenger Hunt

Oh no! The delivery sleigh to Santa’s workshop hit a stray shooting star and lost the elves building materials, how are they going to finish the presents in time for Christmas Eve? Well, it just so happens, the crash was in the sky above your house, wasn’t it? Wink wink, nudge nudge… Grab a box from the recycling and take a leisurely walk outside while the children hunt for the missing materials. Who knows what those talented elves could make out of pine cones, bottles, and a few oddly shaped stones? To keep them amused for longer, they could find something beginning with each letter of present, workshop, Santa or whatever else you fancy.  

Christmas Angels

Fancy a change from the Christmas jumper? We’ve all heard of making snow angels, and you’ve probably already made some angels out of empty kitchen roll tubes. Why not let your little angels become real Christmas angels? A basic metal wire can be bent into a basic outline, and pick your preference of fabric to create the rest of the wings. Add two elastic loops for armholes and plenty of glitter, and you’re all done! Why not get involved yourself and pair colorful circle lens with a white dress for a truly angelic look?

They may be simple ideas but let your imagination run wild and go as inventive as you like. Wheel these ideas out again with a little tweak for variety and further fun of games. For example;

1. Instead of edible Christmas trees, experiment with colors and create Santa and elf hats
2. Hide letters around your house which will eventually spell out a Christmas word.
3. Pick a cheap hair band and use it as a base for a halo to complete your angel outfits.

Hopefully, you’re feeling festively full of ideas to entertain the children in the run up to Christmas, and are eager to get started. Have a wonderful Christmas, everybody! UPDATE: Check out: NICO'S QUEST TO RECYCLE: A KID'S GUIDE TO RECYCLING

(Image by Petr)