Have Fun Over Winter Break With These Holiday Activities

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.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 sy zee 
 
2021-04-18
 
 
  
Stacy is simply the best!! We just adore the way she is; both as a person and  as an early childhood developmental specialist.

I highly recommend Parkland Children’s Academy to all my friends and family in need of responsible and caring children’s preschool services.
  
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 Jamie Celcis 
 
2019-05-15
 
 
  
Where to Begin..... One of the most amazing schools I’ve ever dealt with (and I’ve dealt with a lot) it’s been a tough road trying to find a school that excepts children with ( severe autism ) we’ve been kicked out and  discriminated on! But when I came across Parklands children academy I was in tears about how I’ve been treated by other schools and they made me feel so at home and like family .... I can’t express the  gratitude for all the love they show my kids and support.... if your looking for a school to trust with your children it’s them! They’ll treat them like their own and I couldn’t be more grateful 💜 And Danielle the owner and her mom are such Angels 😇 Thank you ladies for your services and kind hearts and understanding for my situation ❤️🧡💛💚
  
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 A S 
 
2019-03-28
 
 
  
I am leaving this review a bit late, however, due to the feedback I got recently at a PTC (Parent Teacher Conference) for my son, who is in Kindergarten, I wanted to leave a review. The teacher of our son, said that he was exceptionally prepared for Kindergarten and that PCA consistently produces the most prepared students from VPK>K. This is coming from one of the better schools in Broward.
I am surprised to see negative reviews about Miss Donna and staff. They are warm, loving people who, when my son and I recently ran into her at a local store (Hobby Lobby) he ran up to her and hugged her and told her he missed her. I cannot say enough about the school and my wife and I are about to have our 2nd child and will enroll them in the "baby school" (as they call it) which is a secondary location right near the main school. 5 stars. FYI, any negative reviews are likely from spoiled "Parkland" people who think way too much of themselves and not enough about their kids education...…
  
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 Cari Tramontano 
 
2018-09-24
 
 
  
This school is fantastic! I had my kids (2&5) at another daycare in the beginning, then I had friends telling me how amazing Parkland Children's Academy was and how much their kids were learning already, so my husband and I decided to move them over to this school and it was the best decision we could have made! Mrs. Donna and Mrs. Danielle are fantastic to work with in the front and they will walk you through everything they do with the children! My kids have been learning so much and actually get upset when its pickup time!! That was a sign I knew it was the right move. We love this school and everything that our children are learning! Did I mention how clean and organized they are too! If you are looking for a daycare/VPK program, THIS IS YOUR SCHOOL!! We love PCA!!
  
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 Natassia Montagna 
 
2018-06-04
 
 
  
My daughter has attended Parkland Children's Academy for almost a year now. The teachers and staff are absolutely amazing there. My daughter loves going to school every day. They do so many arts and crafts projects and they are super creative. My daughter started attending at 3 mo old and they were always very on top of her schedule for feedings, naps, diaper changes, medicine, etc.  I trust my child with these amazing teachers 100%. My daughter is always happy when I take her to school and happy when I pick her up.
I have recommended Parkland Academy to all my friends and some of them attend here also and they absolutely love it.
  
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 Richard Nieves 
 
2018-06-03
 
 
  
My wife and I have been taking our daughter to PCA for almost a year now and she absolutely loves it. There are some days where she does not want to leave. The teachers are so amazing with the kids; doing arts and crafts, circle time with music and songs and weekly themes that help them learn and interact with one another.  These teachers care for these kids as if they were their own.

Any negative review for PCA should not be taken to heart, especially when it comes from someone that was there for all of five minutes. These teachers are amazing. This school is amazing. We have not had one bad experience and highly recommended this school to other parents because we believe in PCA. If you have toured other schools, you will know that PCA raises the bar as far as quality goes. It’s clean, safe and filled with amazing teachers and kids. We love you PCA and we love the amazing infant/toddler room!!
  
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 Simone Maxwell 
 
2018-06-01
 
 
  
My daughter has been attending PCA for the past four months. I went to several daycares before selecting PCA. First off- the facilities are very clean, secure and the staff is wonderful. She’s my firstborn and I’m overly protective, so I would never leave her in a facility where she’s unhappy. She doesn’t even say bye to myself or her dad when we drop her off because she’s content. She’s well taken care of, happy and learning new things. I was nervous initially and emailed all the time, I always got a response that calmed me down. Plus with the security features, I could always see what’s happening on the cameras.
Normally, I don’t write reviews but I’m very disheartened by the disparaging comments below. These are people’s livelihoods & children, so we have to be careful what we post online, especially when it’s assumptions or conclusions drawn (in this case-during a tour )without all the facts. Keep up the good work Dalea, Stacy, Elizabeth & PCA owners!
  
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Google rating score: 4.8 of 5, based on 24 reviews 
 
  
 
 

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.