Have Fun Over Winter Break With These Holiday Activities

winter break

Winter break is an exciting time for families to catch up on quality time now that the kids have time off from school, but some parents may feel overwhelmed at the amount of downtime: how can the kids stay entertained?

Don’t let boredom set in. The staff at Parkland Children’s Academy have some fun suggestions for activities that young children will enjoy: parents, too! From the creative to the educational, here are some activities that capture the holiday spirit.

Bake And Decorate Cookies

Find a favorite cookie recipe, or combine more than one: sugar cookie, chocolate chip, peanut butter, and more. Make it even more fun with cookie cutouts in the shape of Christmas trees, Stars of David, or whatever holiday theme you choose. Colorful frosting is a great way for kids to add their own creative flair to their creations.

Read Holiday-Themed Books

Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Chinese New Year… are just a few of the holidays that fall within the winter break period. Continue your child’s education by choosing an age-appropriate book about a holiday you don’t know much about. Choose old favorite holiday classics, as well.

Look Into Educational Activities In Your Area

Many towns host holiday-themed events during winter break. Perhaps there is a candle lighting ceremony for the first night of Hanukkah open to the public that you can attend. Or maybe Santa is planning to make an appearance at the mall. Many towns have social media pages advertising such events.

Have A Family Vacation Indoors

True, South Florida doesn’t get much in the way of snow. While blizzards may prevent leaving the house in northern states, South Floridians may experience slightly cooler temps and some rain. On one of these days, you can host your own “vacation” right in your own home. Set up a camping tent right in your living room, turn off the lights, and read stories by flashlight.

As a bonus, consider hanging a mock solar system on the ceiling with sticky glow-in-the-dark stars to enhance the illusion of a camping trip.

Create A Winter Break Scrapbook

Smartphones can hold several albums’ worth of photos, but it’s easy to lose track of them. Consider printing out some of your favorites and pasting them into a scrapbook, which you can purchase from a craft store. Have your child add stickers, and drawings, or write on the pages. This will become a keepsake to treasure for years to come.

Bonus: craft stores typically have big sales or coupons at this time of year, so you may want to look at additional crafts as well.

Make Ornaments

While still in crafting mode, kids will love making their own Christmas ornaments. Use wooden discs to decorate with stickers, glitter, or photos to hang on your tree. You can also make “ornaments” for the birds by coating pine cones with peanut butter and birdseed. Hang these with yarn or twine on tree branches outside if you don’t have a bird feeder.

Have A Holiday-Themed Movie Night

Similar to the idea of reading books about different holidays, themed movies can also be fun and educational. Check your library or Netflix for age-appropriate films about Christmas, Hanukkah, or Kwanzaa.

Make Holiday Cards

A fun craft that allows kids to express their creativity while showing loved ones how much they care. Use colored construction paper, markers, glitter glue, sequins, and whatever else you can think of for kids to make cards for Grandma and Grandpa, aunts and uncles, etc. Don’t forget to mail them (you may need to inquire with the post office about extra stamps)!

Zoom Call With Loved Ones

These days, keeping in touch with long-distance friends and relatives is easier than ever. Set up a time to Zoom or FaceTime with Grandma and Grandpa, cousins, and other loved ones. It’s a great way to “spend time” with those who live several states away.

Learn A New Instrument

The downtime during winter break is perfect for learning something new. Kids may enjoy learning the piano, recorder, or other instruments when they can learn the familiar sounds of their favorite holiday tunes.

Write Letters To Santa

A time-honored tradition. Kids can get creative with decorating their letters as they tell Santa what they want for Christmas.

Clean An Area Of The House

Don’t doubt us yet: this can actually be appealing to kids if you can make a game out of it. Give them a space to start – perhaps their bedroom – and play a song. The goal is to get as much done as possible during the duration of the song. If you have more than one child at home, offer a prize for who gets the most done fastest.

Set Up A Spa Day

Bring spa comforts home with cucumber slices for the eyes, nail polish for manicures and pedicures, and DIY face masks. Sip hot chocolate as you all relax in your comfortable bathrobes and slippers.

Winter Break Activities In South Florida

Parkland Children’s Academy is more than a preschool: we also offer a plethora of spring, winter, and summer camps for children ages 5 to 12. We also offer after-school care for children who need a safe place while their parents are still at work. Our trained and compassionate staff are committed to enhancing your child’s learning and development with a hands-on curriculum. There’s no better way to prepare your child for school than to start them in an early childhood education program.

For questions about our preschool or daycare programs, call today at 954-688-5877.


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