brownlands Posted November 8, 2005 Share Posted November 8, 2005 I need some ideas on different activities our family can do together. Ususally we like to go see a Christmas movie, decorate the tree, etc. But this year, we have a 14 month old. So, no movies (unless we want to get throwed out) and I am thinking that the tree may have more decorations on the floor this year than on the branches. My other two kids are 10 yrs and 6 yrs. What is something we can ALL do together. Any ideas?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neice0510 Posted November 8, 2005 Share Posted November 8, 2005 I can relate to you because I have a six year old, a three year old (as of yesterday), and a 13 month old that will be 15 mths by the time Christmas comes. I will be doing as we have had to do for the last 3-6 years. We have a gate I think it's called a supergate that is octagonal shaped and we put it around the tree and don't put any breakables on. One year we put it behind the couch with no decorations down low. Just try different things, depends on how curious and active your toddler is. As for family activities, find out what is going on in your town, we are going to drive to the mountains to go sledding, drive around and see lights, make some special time like putting the baby down early and having hot coco with the fire on and and watching rented Christmas movies. We live 30 away from Seattle and they always have something going on like having Santa at storytime for the kids. Hope this helps and remember that they remember the little things that you do every year such as buying them each an ornament that is just theirs to put on the tree or making them. One year I got kits at Micheals and did all their handprints to give out to grandparents. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrsbmb Posted November 8, 2005 Share Posted November 8, 2005 i put a similar gate around mine also it wasnt the best to look at but it made christmas more bearable during those younger years. let the baby make a garland out of fruitloops while you guys do a different job. probably have to start teaching that she/he cant do everything his older siblings can do. otherwise your going to run into this kind of problem alot with that much age difference inbetween them all. kathy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fairydustcrissy Posted November 8, 2005 Share Posted November 8, 2005 I didnt even think about this. I have a 12 month old, will be 14 mo at Christmas! But now I remember all the torn apart trees from years past. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrsbmb Posted November 8, 2005 Share Posted November 8, 2005 bummer of a thought isnt it...lol next yr will be better as far as that goes. kathy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
treasure60 Posted November 8, 2005 Share Posted November 8, 2005 How about going for a sleigh ride? Or have the children decorate plastic Christmas bulbs with Elmer's glue and glitter. I had my grandchildren do this last year ,,,they really enjoyed it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gporter34 Posted November 9, 2005 Share Posted November 9, 2005 Starting the first Saturday of December we will be going to our town's Christmas parade (all of my kids are in it this year), opening of Winter Wonderland (local park where different groups will play and sing Christmas music every night and you can walk through the park and see all kinds of decorations), local Christmas craft fair, drive through town to look at lights, go to Christmas plays and concerts that the kids will be having, go to local churches for living Nativitys, go to church choir Christmas concerts, and the Community Theatre is doing "A Christmas Story" this year. Can't wait to see that.lol Other than that, we just look in the local paper and find out what's happening in our area. I take the Garden Clubs' "Tour of Homes" every year but that's not for the kids,lol. It's a tour sponsored by the local Garden Clubs of some of the Historic homes and other homes all decorated for Christmas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
berry Posted November 9, 2005 Share Posted November 9, 2005 There's riding around looking at the Christmas lights. Alot of the museums have open house. Really cool because they are free. A family of 4 at $15 a head can get real expensive quick so we only make it at Christmas. Normally they have punch and cookies too. You can make some of the gifts. Pick something you like to do at the holidays and make it yours. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shopping mom Posted November 9, 2005 Share Posted November 9, 2005 I need some ideas on different activities our family can do together. Ususally we like to go see a Christmas movie, decorate the tree, etc. But this year, we have a 14 month old. So, no movies (unless we want to get throwed out) and I am thinking that the tree may have more decorations on the floor this year than on the branches. My other two kids are 10 yrs and 6 yrs. What is something we can ALL do together. Any ideas??I use to buy Christmas coloring books and we would color the pictures, cut them out, mount them on construction paper and use for decorations. We also made snow men and christmas trees for the walls out of poster board. We make colored chains for around the room. We have also made gifts for local nursing homes, an ornament or bookmark. Puzzles are another good idea if you have the room. You might also find a book that can be read a little at a time that is about Christmas and read it out loud together. And you can always get some good old Christmas videos or DVD's and have movie night at home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
orangedaisy Posted November 9, 2005 Share Posted November 9, 2005 You can buy wooden ornaments and door hangers at the craft store (I get them at Michael's) that have pictures on them for the kids to decorate. You can use markers or paint. My kids love to do these - even the older kids. We have so many door hangers and not enough doors! We also go around looking at lights. There is a very famous house in my county that people come from miles away to see. It's amazing, the amount of stuff they do to decorate this house. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brownlands Posted November 9, 2005 Author Share Posted November 9, 2005 Thanks so much for the great ideas!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
knittingarrows Posted November 9, 2005 Share Posted November 9, 2005 How about volunteering? Delivering cookies/small presents to a children's hospital (call to see what they might need). Visiting a nursing home. Hugging Puppies. April Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brownlands Posted November 10, 2005 Author Share Posted November 10, 2005 How about volunteering? Delivering cookies/small presents to a children's hospital (call to see what they might need). Visiting a nursing home. Hugging Puppies. AprilThat is a wonderful idea. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sbaldasare Posted November 10, 2005 Share Posted November 10, 2005 Don't know what area you are from but in the Cleveland OH, the Cuyahoga Valley Railroad does a Polar Express theme train ride. They dress in pj's, get hot cocoa and cookie, listen to the story, go for a train ride and best of all Santa comes on board to hand out the 1st gift of Christmas - the reindeer's bell. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gottashop Posted November 10, 2005 Share Posted November 10, 2005 This year we are having a gingerbread house decorating party. 6-8 four year olds, I think it will be a blast! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
treasures4me Posted November 10, 2005 Share Posted November 10, 2005 We drive around town looking at all the lights. Make homemade ornaments and decorations, and make lots of cookies.. We also rent alot of christmas movies.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texjoybell Posted November 11, 2005 Share Posted November 11, 2005 As far as the Christmas tree goes, I have a 3-year old and a newborn (7 weeks) and I just let him decorate the bottom of the tree with plastic ornaments and candy canes. He really enjoys it and he thinks he's helping me. Activities you can do with your kids. There are a lot of things you can do. You could drive around and look at Christmas Lights, make Christmas crafts that fall into you children's age group. I like the foam crafts that they have out now. I got mine at Michaels. And on Christmas Eve we always make sugar cookies and decorate them for Santa. You would have to help your 14-month old, but it is a lot of fun to do as a family. I hope that helps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenniferharrison82 Posted November 14, 2005 Share Posted November 14, 2005 Don't know what area you are from but in the Cleveland OH, the Cuyahoga Valley Railroad does a Polar Express theme train ride. They dress in pj's, get hot cocoa and cookie, listen to the story, go for a train ride and best of all Santa comes on board to hand out the 1st gift of Christmas - the reindeer's bell.I wish they had something like that here. They turn the local drive in to a kind of santas village with a miniature train ride and petting zoo..but I love the Polar Express Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WELUVKDS79 Posted November 14, 2005 Share Posted November 14, 2005 We play LIFE, watch the Grinch, The Christmas Carol, go caroling... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peanut92973 Posted November 14, 2005 Share Posted November 14, 2005 we make the cookies,wrap presents, make christmas crafts,and we take a night and drive around and look at all the christmas lights. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
outnumbered Posted November 14, 2005 Share Posted November 14, 2005 You can do holiday-themed crafts with your older ones. Your youngest doesn't HAVE to participate in everything--there is naptime, LOL. I have 3 as well, ages 5 (almost 6), 4 and 2. I bake a lot with my boys and this year the 2 y/o might be helping too. We'll see. She is into EVERYTHING like my oldest was at her age and so it may be easier to just do all the baking at naptime this year still. But there are all kinds of crafts out there. Your 10 y/o might enjoy painting one of those porcelein houses--they make painted Christmas villages and unpainted ones you can do yourself. There are those suncatchers you can hang on your window. Make paper snowflakes and tape them up to the window. Play Christmas music and decorate the house, not just the tree. Let the 10 y/o help with some of the gift wrapping. I have the fondest memories of my mom and I locking ourselves in her bedroom (to keep other family members out), sitting down at a card table and wrapping gifts for an hour or two. Watch some holiday movies--maybe one night a week, let the older 2 stay up late, have hot chocolate and cookies (or milk and cookies if they don't like hot chocolate--my kids won't drink anything warm) and watch a Christmas movie. Oooh, I should print this out for me, LOL, so I remember my own ideas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrsbmb Posted November 14, 2005 Share Posted November 14, 2005 This year we are having a gingerbread house decorating party. 6-8 four year olds, I think it will be a blast! i did this for my sons birthday a few years ago and they all had a blast. he has a dec. birthday. he is too old now but they really enjoyed it. i made the individual houses ahead of time (i had bought these cookie cutters that made small sized ones) i assembled them and bought all kinds of candy for the kids to use. I also made the houses out of sugar cookie dough instead of gingerbread. To keep it less confusing i gave each kid a baggie full of candies to use and a cup of frosting each. it was structured before they got here . it went really nice and they loved bringing it home to use for a table centerpiece. this year i'm going to use the "frosting doodle" frosting if i decide to make a house for the holiday. that stuff is the bomb.. dries fast, hardens, and comes in a writing tip squeeze bottle. i got it at AC Moore. kathy http://www.goldingcraft.com/picture2/FrostDo.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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