We all want Christmas to be magical for our kids. I mean, it’s the whole reason we want to reduce the stressors at the holidays. Sometimes, though, we put so much pressure on making the holidays magical that we strive for “perfection.” And the #1 thing I’ve learned as a parent is that when gets are involved, you can just go right on ahead and throw perfect out the window.
But making magic for our kids at Christmas doesn’t require perfection. We need to let go of perfect and embrace the magic that is found in the imperfections of getting the kids involved in Christmas.
There are obviously a million ways to involve your kids in Christmas, some of which require a ton of planning in advance and patience in the moment. These are not what I’m suggesting you do to get your kids involved in Christmas. Instead, look for the easy ways you can create magic. I have 8 ideas of easy ways to get your kids involved in Christmas that you can use to dip your toe into shaking off the idea of a “perfect” Christmas.
1. Bake
Still groaning about baking with the kids, huh? I promise it’s not as bad as it sounds and it’s totally worth it in the end! You don’t have to involve the kids in baking anything intricate or special. If slice and bake is your style, grab a kid-safe knife and let your kid slice away. If you want to bake from scratch, pick an easy recipe and assign each kid a task. My 1-year-old dumps things into a bowl decently, and my 4-year-old cracks eggs like a chef. Seriously, there is a higher likelihood of shells when I’m cracking the eggs, so he’s a big help.
2. Make a gingerbread house
My oldest is 4 and this was the first year I felt like we could add this activity to the list. They make a ton of different kits – from extremely simple houses to crazy complicated villages – so pick one that is best suited to your kids. Because this was our first year, I chose the mini house from Target and it was perfect. I took care of most of the construction and then he went to town with the decorations. Shockingly, about as much of the icing and candy ended up on the house as in his mouth, so I thought that was a win! Little sister is still too young for this activity, so she played with her dad in the basement. So, this activity had the added bonus of giving each kid a little one-on-one time with a parent. Double win!
3. Visit Santa
This is Christmas magic! These days there are lots of opportunities to sneak in some face time with the big guy. You can stand in line at the mall, schedule a breakfast with Santa, or attend a local event that features Old Saint Nick. Whatever works for your family is perfect. And please don’t get disappointed if your kid bails when it’s time to actually have his or her turn with Santa. My 1-year-old got spooked and declined her one-on-one time at both of our Santa interactions, but she still felt the magic. She loved seeing him across the room and the whole ride home we heard her tiny voice saying, “Bye bye, Ho Ho” all the way home. Don’t skip this one, folks!
4. Get an Advent calendar
Advent is the religious season in the lead-up to Christmas. The purpose of Advent is to ready your heart for the coming of the Christ child. That’s a big concept for young kids to understand, but you can help them get excited for Christmas by using an Advent calendar before they’re ready to fully comprehend the true purpose of Advent.
My 4-year old’s birthday happens to coincide with the beginning of Advent, so he gets an Advent calendar every year for his birthday. It’s a nice way to bridge the gap between his birthday and Christmas and keeps the magic going throughout the month of December. As he has gotten older, he gets super excited to open his Advent calendar each day. This year’s is a Disney book collection, which is something we can all enjoy as a family. We get Christmas magic and family togetherness out of it. It has been such a nice ritual this month!
5. Decorate the Christmas tree
Having your kids help decorate the Christmas tree means that you will not have the Pinterest-perfect tree of your dreams. Channel your inner Elsa and “Let It Go!” Your kids will be so proud of the beautiful tree they’ve helped create and they’ll revel in it every day the tree is up in your house. That’s priceless. Grown-ups, please just make sure that any breakable or particularly sentimental ornaments make it up to the tippy top of the tree where little hands can’t reach. Great grandma’s faberge egg in a million pieces on the floor is guaranteed to ruin the Christmas magic you’re trying so hard to achieve.
6. Take a Christmas lights drive
I love driving around after dark looking at Christmas lights! Part of me wishes we kept Christmas lights up on our houses all year round. It’s just so joyful! To make the most of this joy, make some hot chocolate, make everyone a thermos, grab a few Christmas cookies you baked with your little ones, and hop in the car. Drive around the block, drive around your town, or go on an epic trek to find the best lights in the area. It’s all good!
7. Go Christmas shopping
If you’re anything like me, you do 99% of your Christmas shopping online. It’s easy, you get to comparison shop to ensure you’re getting the best deals, and you can do it bit by bit so it’s not overwhelming. The kids in your life will not appreciate the many pros to online Christmas shopping. They want to browse and pick something off the rack. It’s exciting to be with other people who are also shopping for their loved ones. They want to turn it into an adventure. So take them. Pick a time and take them Christmas shopping. Let them pick something for their dad. If they find something they want to buy you, buy it, wrap it, and act surprised on Christmas morning. If you need to practice in the mirror, you have time.
8. Take an Angel tree tag
Growing up, we always pulled a tag off the Salvation Army’s Angel tree in the mall every holiday season. We would go shopping for the kid we selected and then bring the items back to the mall, glad that we could help a kid have a merry Christmas. Now, as a mom, this is my #1 priority at Christmas. Our church partners with a local foster care foundation to make sure that all of the foster kids in our community have gifts at Christmas. We pick tags that match our kids and then take them shopping to pick out the presents. I follow the guidelines that my mom gave us as kids. They can pick out something to wear, something to read, and something to play with for each kid we select. Not only is this fun for the kids, but it teaches them how fortunate they are and the importance of giving.
My 4-year-old really got into it this year. He had very strong opinions about what to get each kid, and he never once asked what he could have. The brainwashing is working!
These simple ideas are really just the tip of the Christmas magic iceberg. What do you do with your kids during the holidays to get them involved in Christmas?