Holiday Memories With Your Kiddos

Top 5 Things You Can Do to Create AWESOME Holiday Memories With Your Kiddos this Season is a guest post from Courtney over at The Running Mama.

Hello, I’m Courtney Stich! I’m a stay at home mama and prior educator turned writer/ blogger and Pinterest VA fanatic! I absolutely love everything to do with creating and crafting with my kiddos as well as designing & planning parties! I’m the proud founder/creator/developer of the site The Running Mama. This site is dedicated to helping mamas with everything from playtime with the kiddos to downtime for the mama, (all rolled up with a little bit of running here and there). I’m a firm believer in the “do what you love, love what you do” mantra and have been living that way since starting The Running Mama. I love teaching as much as I love to learn, and I’m constantly inspired by the countless stories of focused, self-starters out there who are crafting life their way. Aside from my passion for helping others, I’m a very blessed mama to three beautiful kiddos and a wife to one amazingly supportive, loving hubby. I love everything about being seaside, most things chocolate and a vase, (or five), filled with sunflowers.

Top 5 Things You Can Do to Create AWESOME Holiday Memories With Your Kiddos this Season

It’s the most wonderful time of year– again! Can you feel it? I’m certain your home is BURSTING with excitement and anticipation for the holidays– just like ours! This time of year can also be a bit overwhelming and it might be hard to think of making new holiday memories with a list of to-dos growing bigger and bigger by the minute. With getting in “the spirit” of it all, I began to reflect on some awesome, simple activities that we’ve begun as part of our holiday traditions each year. Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukah or another amazing holiday this season, there’s something on this list for EVERYONE!

1. Sleigh Rides

If you live in the big city, a sleigh ride might already be on your list (or at least a horse and buggy ride?) but if you’re more in the country, check in with your local farms! Some have sleigh rides running throughout the winter, (snow pending of course!), and what better way to celebrate the season than on a one-horse open sleigh?

2. Create a Simple Candy House

Whether you know how to make your very own gingerbread from scratch (by the way—I absolutely DO NOT!) or you’re all about using graham crackers and frosting to create a candy house, this activity is fun for ALL ages! We began this tradition just two years ago when my daughter’s kindergarten class created these simple candy houses. Outside of buying a gingerbread house kit from your local grocery or craft store (done that too!) I found the easiest way to create a “candy house” or “gingerbread house” is to simply grab cardboard milk cartons, (the small ones that they sell at schools work best) and use frosting to “glue” graham crackers to form a house! Then add in some candy or whatever you and your little one’s desire! Done and done!

3. Host a cookie making day

Cookie day! Need I say more? Seriously, though, NOTHING is better than cookie day at our house where creating, baking and eating cookies starts promptly at 9:30 a.m! This yummy tradition was started when our daughter was just two years old and it’s one that will keep going right through our kid’s adult lives, I’m certain! Gather up some friends and/or family and host your very own cookie making day! You can send out an Evite or create your own invitation and ask individuals to bring supplies or have cookies premade for some cookie exchanging fun after the baking is done!

Don’t have a huge, Rachel Ray-type kitchen? NO worries! Our kitchen is far from enormous, but we’ve found that for this fun tradition, we’re able to spread out areas into stations with a dough making station, (mixing station), cookie cutting area, cookie decorating and baking station! With areas clearly defined and supplies in each section, an amazingly fun cookie day for you and your little ones is simple and creates memories that will last forever!

4. Go on a train ride

Even if you don’t celebrate Christmas, a winter train ride is oh so much fun! I will say, it’s the one time of year we absolutely ride the train and it’s just a great time. Often the railroad company that hosts these events will decorate the railways and surrounding areas with a beautiful assortment of different lights and holiday-themed items—it’s just so much fun! One train ride near us celebrates with carols, cookies and hot cocoa! Of course, wearing your PJs is encouraged!

5. Find a park that “lights the night!”

Another fun holiday tradition we LOVE is visiting a park or two in one of the cities nearby to check out the holiday light display! Some parks have enormous displays, and some will also charge a small admission fee to get in but it’s completely worth it! Grab your kiddos, friends or extended family, get in your PJs, bring hot cocoa and snacks and enjoy the show! This is another tradition that will certainly last through the years!

Whether you celebrate Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanza or another holiday this season, you’ll find there are no better traditions than the ones you create with your friends and family. These are just a few of some easy activities that have turned into awesome holiday memories each year!