By Michelle Dow
The holidays are fast approaching, and if you are like me, you brainstorm ways to create and implement long-lasting holiday rituals and traditions. My kids are still young, but I hope by starting traditions now, they will continue to grow over the years. In our family we celebrate Christmas, but many of these ideas can fit in regardless of your beliefs. Check out my ideas to start your holiday fun with your toddler.
1. Baking
I’m not the world’s best baker, but making sugar cookies into fun shapes and lots of sprinkles isn’t hard to do. At this age, toddlers are trying to exert their independence and to “help.” My toddler hasn’t grasped the concept of decorating, but he gets joy from making a mess of the sprinkles on the cookies and “helping” to stir the dough.
2. Gingerbread houses
Along with baking, decorating a gingerbread house is a big hit. There are plenty of pre-made houses that come with all the icing and decorating materials. I usually find mine at Costco, but Trader Joe’s and other stores also carry them. We like to host gingerbread house parties: the kids make the gingerbread houses, while the adults enjoy holiday cocktails.
3. Books
As part of the Christmas tradition of Advent, for each night before Christmas, my kids read a new book. When I first started a few years ago, we began with twelve days of books. I wrapped each one separately, and each night my boys really enjoyed unwrapping and discovering a new book.
4. Crafts
I crafted ornaments as a child, and now I do this with my kids. An easy one is the popsicle-stick picture frame. We pick a current photo of each child and frame it with popsicle sticks. The kids paint the sticks and add their special touches with feathers, stones, and whatever other materials we have on hand. Stores like Target and Michael’s have supplies for ornament making, including pre-made ornament kits.
5. Matching Pajamas
My kids are obsessed with themed pajamas! I strive to order all-matching pajamas for the entire family. Now that I have three kids of various ages it can be challenging, but Carter’s now has extended sizes for the whole family!
6. Decorate Family AND Personal Christmas Trees
Pick out and decorate the family Christmas tree together. Our family puts on holiday tunes while decorating the tree. We try to have a box of kid-friendly ornaments they can grab from and add to the tree. In addition, my older son has a fake mini tree in his room, with all the ornaments he picked out. Meanwhile, my toddler has a felt Christmas tree on his wall. Each can have ownership of their tree, which promotes holiday harmony.
7. Visit Santa
We enjoy visiting Santa on the Napa Valley Santa Wine Train! This year will be our third year going with the cousins (similar ages too)! The boys love seeing Santa, riding the train, and hearing all the carols that are sung on the train. Bonus: They serve hot chocolate for the kids, and wine for the parents… special treats all around!
8. Holiday Lights
My kids are always amazed by the twinkling holiday lights. For toddlers it can be overwhelming to attend the big light shows, so a more low-key option is to have a family night walk or drive around your area. If you think your child can handle bigger displays, there are plenty of places with amazing décor. CuriOdyssey currently has a their annual dazzling winter light experience for kids called IlluminOdyssey (running until January 5, 2020). Another great one is the Holidays at Filoli Garden, running until December 29th. Also, cities usually host a tree lighting ceremony. (For Burlingame, it is December 6th, and there is a parade afterwards.)
9. Adopt a Family
Each year we adopt a family in need. I try to choose a family with kids around my kids’ ages. My kids help pick out presents for our adopted family, and we explain to them how much joy they are bringing to the other children. I want my kids to realize the world outside of their bubble, and hopefully this teaches them to give back to their community. Familyholidayhelpers.org lists various organizations that help families during the holidays (besides giving gifts). Another good resource is your local parents’ club.