10 CHRISTMAS ACTIVITIES YOU CAN DO WITH BOYS AND GIRLS

• 

Going to work, taking the boys and girls to school, shopping, going to the gym… We tend to have many obligations in our day-to-day life that prevent us from spending quality time with our children, but Christmas comes, and during vacation days, it is the opportune moment to share family time. We propose several Christmas activities for you to enjoy with the little ones in the house.

Why is family time important?

Before we get into the details of why family time is essential, it is good that we discuss what family time actually is. In any case, family time is not about just spending time with the family, but about spending quality time without interference from calls, messages or other distractions. When we talk about family time, it means interacting with the child, that is talking to them, doing fun things, showing them affection and lots of love etc. rather than merely being present. So, to enjoy this family time, one thing that you have to do is put away all the devices for a certain time. I know, it is challenging to keep kids away from their devices as they become prey of boredom very easily and the first thing that they think about in their free time is their devices. So, the nice idea is to install a parental control app on their device and keep their devices locked so they can focus on the activities you have planned. One app that you can use in this regard is FamilyTime. It is really a nice app that offers many parental controls in addition to locking kids’ devices. 

And now that you know what family time is, here are some benefits of spending quality family time:

• Improved communication. Spending time with your children builds trust and an environment in which they will feel comfortable talking and expressing their opinions.
• Strengthening of emotional ties. The affection and closeness with your sons and daughters will be reinforced by spending time and sharing activities with them.
• Drive learning. Children continually learn, and we adults are the example they follow, so sharing activities with them is a way of teaching them values, ways of acting, knowledge and other aspects of life.
• Stress reduction in adults. We tend to spend weeks full of obligations, and sharing fun activities with our sons and daughters can be a great way to reduce our stress.

Ideas for Christmas activities you can do with your sons and daughters

It may be clear that you want to spend time with your sons and daughters, but you don’t know what to do precisely.
 
Here are some Christmas activities that you can do with your sons and daughters:

1. Crafts. Crafts enhance children’s creativity and help them learn. Taking advantage of the Christmas season, you can make Christmas crafts with them: ornaments for the tree, Christmas cards, drawings or figures for the Nativity scene. 
2. Preparation of Christmas recipes. Cooking with your sons and daughters can be a great time to help them try new flavours and foods. You can cook some Christmas recipes. You can make cookies, Christmas cake, pasta or anything your kids like.
3. Evening readings. Reading with your sons and daughters is a time that can help them to have good habits, to acquire vocabulary, to improve their way of expressing themselves, to increase concentration, to develop a personality or to learn values, among others.
4. See the Christmas lights. During Christmas, cities and towns are illuminated and decorated with Nativity scenes. Children will love going out and seeing the Christmas lights, strolling and dreaming.
5. Kings Parade. The Twelfth Night and the parade are magical moments for boys and girls. Take them to the Three Kings parade, and they will enjoy seeing Their Majesties with all the gifts they bring to the boys and girls.
6. Outdoor activities. One of the most effective ways for your sons and daughters to learn to respect nature is to do outdoor activities with them. You can take them skiing, hiking in the mountains, or visiting a farm.
7. Theatre for kids. Boys and girls love the theatre. Find a work that suits their age and enjoy it with them during Christmas.
8. Movie theatre. During Christmas, many movies are released for boys and girls, so you can take the opportunity to go to the movies and see something that they like and can enjoy.
9. Sing carols. If there is music that is heard at Christmas, it is Christmas carols. Look for traditional Christmas carols and even Christmas carols in other languages ​​so that they learn another language or improve their learning.
10. Meals and dinners. Christmas is a time of family lunches and dinners: Christmas Eve,  and New Year’s Eve, they are special holidays to eat and enjoy with the family. It can be an excellent occasion to spend time with your sons and daughters and to enjoy the company of grandparents, uncles or nephews.

In short, we cannot forget that time passes very quickly, and your sons and daughters will grow up very quickly and will stop being small to move on to another stage of their life. The first years are full of challenges and are difficult, and it is important to take advantage of that time to share the best moments with them.
 
With this, share with us what Christmas activities have you prepared to do with your sons and daughters?