Half the fun of spending Christmas with your family is being able to celebrate time-honored traditions with the people closest to you—and the other half is starting new traditions you and your loved ones can look forward to observing in the coming years. Between natural disasters and the challenging economic climate, however, you may be having trouble finding activities that won’t break the bank. If you’re looking to try something different, here are a few new family activities you might want to try over the holidays:
Go hands-on with handicrafts. Why spend on store-bought Christmas cards when you and your kids can make your own? Homemade cards will have an extra element of love your friends and family will appreciate. These can be as simple or as elaborate as you want them to be, but either way, recipients will love that you took the time to make them yourselves. You can also make homemade decorations or homemade penholders to give away as gifts or use as to brighten up your own home.
Plan for next year’s family activities. Make sure you start the coming year right—as early as now, set monthly activities for the whole family. These can be anything from out-of-town (or around-town) trips to a regular family movie night. Out of ideas? Check out Smart Parenting’s suggestions for bonding time. The important thing is to mark these activities on your calendar so you won’t forget, and follow through when the dates arrive, so family fun becomes a regular activity in your kids’ lives. Plotting these on a family calendar accessible to everyone will get the rest of the family involved in planning; having it all laid out in advance will remind you to budget for special events as well.
Prepare your holiday meals as a family. Cooking with your kids is a great way to kill two birds with one stone: you get to spend time with your family, and you get some much-needed help in the kitchen. Even your younger kids can help out with washing dishes, setting the table, garnishing the dishes, and so on. If you’re baking cookies or cakes, let your kids help you decorate them. Not sure what to cook? You can find thousands of recipes on the Internet—check out Yummy.ph for quick, easy, and delicious meals. Or you can go international and serve traditional Christmas dishes from around the world.
Spread the love: donate in kind. Just because you may be strapped for cash doesn’t mean you can’t donate to those less fortunate than you; get your kids involved and you’ll be teaching your kids the joy of giving as well as receiving. Prepare food or leftovers of your Noche Buena and bring them to the nearest orphanage or shelter. You can even get your neighbors in on the act and form a village or street donation drive. Have your kids gather the toys and clothes they’ve outgrown and donate them to others who can use them. Collect medicines, vitamins, toiletries, and canned goods, and bring them to the nearest branch of the Philippine National Red Cross. If there aren’t any aid organizations near your home, you can ask your helpers or your kids’ yayas if they have any relatives who can use your donations. Nothing to donate? You can donate your time, and volunteer your whole family for home building and other projects via organizations like Gawad Kalinga.
Go green. With global warming a hot issue and resource management becoming more of a challenge each year, it’s important to teach your kids to be conscious of the environment. Plan a trip to one of the many national parks and protected areas around the Philippines or go on a tree-planting expedition so they can experience Mother Nature hands on. You can go camping, book a room at a hotel or resort, or just go on a day trip. Take your kids to the beach and teach them to snorkel, or if you don’t want to leave the city, visit Manila Ocean Park. Find ways to practice green living as a family in the coming year. Teach your kids the three Rs: reduce, reuse, recycle; a lifelong awareness of social responsibility is one of the best gifts you can give them.
What are your plans for the holidays with your kids? Share your ideas! Leave a comment below or talk it up with other GIRLTalkers on our forum!
