This Could be the Year: Ideas for the Holiday Break

Congratulations you have made it to the end of the first trimester and a well-deserved holiday break awaits you! But alas, our county is in lockdown, again. There is definitely a temptation to be a grinch as COVID has vastly changed what the holidays typically look like. However, our character trait this month is Gratitude and I (Sharon) am choosing to embrace and be thankful for the gift that all the changes have brought — the gift of time.

Often the weeks of December are jam-packed with shopping, partying, and running around to parades, plays, and light displays. Those things are all fun and special, and I am genuinely looking forward to bringing them back next year. This year, however, as I look at my bare December calendar, rather than be disappointed, I am kinda excited about all the possibilities that these empty weeks ahead hold. 

Although many of the traditions and activities that we look forward to during this season have been canceled or greatly altered, many can still be done. Despite all of the changes, the actual holidays themselves have not been canceled and the spirit of the season can still be felt in our homes. So as the days off from school stretch out in front of us, here are a few ideas for how to use the time we have been given. Most of these ideas are pretty standard for the season, but I’ve added some additional twists.

Please, please, please comment below and share with the community what you are doing to celebrate the season and make memories with your family. Think about things that you have always wanted to do, but maybe never had the time. 

This Could Be the Year…

• Make Gingerbread Houses – Great for all ages, making gingerbread houses is festive, fun, and tasty. Maybe this is the year you bake your own gingerbread instead of using graham crackers or a kit. Or experiment with different gingerbread structures. Gingerbread Effiel Tower anyone?
• Baking – An essential to the season: try a new recipe or take the time to do those intricate details on the sugar cookies.
• Lights – Take a walk (or drive) to view the neighborhood lights. Add a fun factor by making bingo cards. Fill them in with things you think you might see (i.e. inflatable snowman, etc.) and then cross them off as you spot them. Winner gets the first cup of hot cocoa! 
• Music – Blast the holiday music, have a dance party, or challenge your family to learn to play or sing a carol. Schedule a neighborhood caroling session. Instead of going door to door singing, arrange with neighbors a time for everyone to sing a carol from their driveway/doorway.
• Books – What holiday book have you always wanted to read during the season? Pick one for a family read-aloud session. Check out The Read-Aloud Revival for some book suggestions. 
• Puzzles – This may be the time to get out that 1500 piece puzzle that’s been collecting dust in the closet. Or collect a few smaller puzzles and challenge someone to a puzzle race. Puzzles are great for trading, so if you need a new one, ask around. 
• Cards – How cute are hand-made cards? Maybe this is the year you have the kids make the family card. Consider taking time to write and deliver/mail heartfelt notes to those in care-facilities.
• Decorating – Do you strive to be the house in the neighborhood that everyone loves driving past? Spend some time getting extra creative.
• Holiday crafts – Time spent at home is a perfect time to make ornaments, snow globes, handprint wreaths, etc. Handmade gifts are always a win! Check out this link for some ideas to get you started. 
• Make fake snow – This should keep little hands busy for a while. Recipes found here. 
• Reflect on 2020 – This has been a year! Take the time, individually or with family and/or friends, to reflect on the highs and lows of 2020. 
• Make plans for 2021 – We don’t know what this next year has in store but have fun making (tentative) plans or dreaming up a 2021 Bucket List. 
• Clean, purge, organize – Nothing says “end of the year” like a little cleaning and organizing. Have the kids take the time to clean out their rooms, backpacks, homeschool area, etc. 
• Research holiday traditions of other countries and cultures. Pick one to try. This website is a good place to start.
• Host your own at home Holiday Bake Off. Pick a recipe and challenge family members or friends to a bake-off. 
• Movie Marathon – Start with family favorites and classics or be more adventurous and pick ones you’ve never seen. Support a local business and order some takeout to enjoy while you watch. 
• Learn to make a traditional holiday food. Ever made a Fruitcake, Yule Log, or Figgy Pudding? This could be the year!
• Research a specific time period of history – what was Christmas like during the Revolutionary War? Take it a step further and implement some of the traditions or dress in period clothing.
• Write your own holiday songs or poems. Host a holiday recitation night. Send a virtual invitation to family, neighbors, and friends. Encourage all to participate. 
• Make toilet paper snowman and deliver them to neighbors. – Who wouldn’t want to find a cute decoration on their doorstep made out of toilet paper? Click here for some instructions. 
• Home projects – Perhaps not quite as exciting as some of the other ideas on the list. But this could be the year that particular home project gets done. Remember 2020 as the year of great bathroom remodel, etc. 
• Make a time capsule – Collect items that represent this year and make a time capsule. Open it a year from now or 10 years from now. Either way, it will be a fun reflection on this crazy year.

We hope this list of ideas has been helpful. Once again, please share your ideas in the comments below! And have a wonderful winter break!

SLO Classical Academy is not affiliated with any of the above-mentioned websites, businesses or organizations.