Make Christmas Magical – Ideas for Kids that Aren’t Toys!

Every year I find myself searching for Christmas ideas for kids. It’s that most magical time of year again: time for the holidays, Christmas cheer and an American drive to buy, buy buy. Am I the only one who feels this way?

Holy tacos we are so pressured to lavish our children and grandchildren with so much STUFF. It’s completely overwhelming in every sense!

This year, especially in light of it being 2020 and dealing with the chaos of COVID-19 virus, we are on a mission in the Johnson household to make this entire season magical without the materialism.

Want to join us? Keep on reading!

My ideas to make Christmas magic that won’t break the bank:

• Go visit your local park or nature center to look at outdoor holiday decorations and lights. The boys were in awe at all of the shiny ornaments, sparkly lights and greenery! It was truly a special moment to see their faces light up with joy.
• Make homemade cards to send to shut-ins from church, friends, and family. Let the kids have some creative freedom! Bust out the paper, crayons, stickers, but avoid glitter like the plague. Trust me. Unless you want to find glitter on your kitchen table 5 years from now! We get tons of supplies for crafts/homeschooling from Amazon like this construction paper and Amazon brand glue sticks. We go through these like crazy with homeschooling 3 little hobbits!
• Bake cookies, breads or muffins. This is almost guaranteed to leave your kitchen a mess, but I can tell you firsthand my best memories from childhood are from baking with my Granny! You can keep some of these treats for your house, or share them with someone you know needs some joy in their day. Read our recipe for easy Pumpkin Muffins here!
• Play board games together. Just have the realistic expectation that if you have little ones in toddler age, keep the time short! A few we have played recently that are suitable for our toddlers ages 3/5 are: Zingo (which is great for teaching words/reading!) – Don’t Break the Ice (a childhood favorite of mine. The boys whack the cubes like lunatics but it is SO MUCH FUN) – and on Damian’s Christmas wishlist is Pete the Cat and the Missing Cupcakes (which also has a matching book that our boys love to read!).
• Read Christmas stories together. Shown below are a few we have ordered for the boys based on their recent obsessions with Pete the Cat – plus encouraging telling the Biblical story of Jesus birth.

And of Most Importance…

Take this busy Christmas season to slow down. Cherish the small moments with your family! Create traditions for your family that you want your children to remember for the rest of their lives.

If you’re like us, and on a tight budget – know that you CAN create a season of love, giving, service and joy that will be a (good) season to remember.

If the turmoil in the world this year has your heart feeling burdened, please know that you are not alone. There is so much hate, violence, sadness, grief, and missing interaction with other human beings in general due to the events of this year.

All we can do is try to find some joy to get us through.

Post coming soon on DIY ornaments and Christmas gifts! Make sure to subscribe so you get notified on new posts – including more Christmas ideas for kids! XOXO, Lauren

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