When I think back to the holidays of my childhood, it is the family traditions that stand out most in my mind. Those activities we did every year felt so magical! And to this day, they remain some of the most special memories of my life. Holidays with kids are so full of wonder and excitement, and I knew from the moment my little ones were born that I wanted to create traditions for them as well. This year feels especially fun, because they are both at ages (almost 5 and almost 3) where they are able to remember holiday activities we did in previous years, and are asking to do them again. We're truly establishing traditions together, which is wonderful in every way.
Today I thought I'd share with you some of the holiday traditions my kids most love. Some are borrowed from my childhood and some are new. Some are commonplace and some are unique. But each of them is adored by my little ones - and by their mama and daddy too.
1. Doing an advent calendar. There are so many incredible creative ideas for this on Pinterest, but we just buy the old fashioned ones with chocolate inside like my husband and I had as kids, and our children absolutely love them. They are genuinely thrilled to open a new window each day starting on December 1st.
2. Making our own ornaments. If you're a regular reader, you may have seen the handmade ornaments we created last week. This is the second year in a row we've done this, and is something I did with my mom growing up as well. I can't wait to fill our tree with them over the years.
3. Reading together. This is another favorite tradition carried over from my childhood. Every evening, we turn on the Christmas tree lights, curl up together under a blanket (often with hot chocolate, Christmas cookies, or candy canes), and read books as a family. This season we've been reading books from our Prime Book Box. (Current favorites are Elmore, Kitten's First Full Moon, Mother Bruce, and The Friend Ship.) Prime Book Box is a subscription program, exclusively for Prime members, that is perfect for future book lovers, pre-readers, and readers, from age 0 to 12. Each box contains 2 hardcover books or 4 board books that were hand selected by Amazon editors, so kids are ensured to receive books they'll want to read again and again. We love ours so much! Learn more about the awesomeness that is Prime Book Box right here.
4. Seeing a holiday show. This year we've seen two holiday movies as a family (which I think totally counts!), but for us, our main holiday show tradition is the Nutcracker Ballet. My daughter is a dancer and it is her dream to perform in it (she will be old enough to audition next year!). She, my mom, and I go see it every year.
5. Creating a holiday collection. When I was growing up, I collected miniature Santas. Each year, my parents would let me choose a couple of new ones to add. I still have them all (close to 50!), and display them proudly every year. As I mentioned above, my daughter loves dance and the Nutcracker Ballet, so she decided to start collecting nutcrackers this year. It makes my heart swell!
6. Decorating the Christmas tree. Okay, so this isn't exactly original, but I couldn't not include it. This year we went and picked out our tree the day after Thanksgiving and decorated it that weekend. I think we'll do the same from now on. So much fun!
7. Giving a gift that truly keeps on giving. While the choosing of this gift itself is a tradition that is more for my husband and me, the opening of it by the kids on Christmas morning is something really cool that I hope to continue each year as they grow up. So many of the presents my kids receive for the holidays, while appreciated, ended up being quickly forgotten. My husband and I decided that giving them something they can receive throughout the year would be both practical and special. Prime Book Box is a perfect example of this. With Prime Book Box, any Prime member can give the gift of reading for the holidays, and because it is a subscription service (that delivers hand-picked, hardcover children's books - the best!), your child can enjoy it throughout the year. And what's really cool is that you can choose how often you want it to come (every 1, 2, or 3 months), and also have the option to customize the books from a list of curated selections. Each kid also gets to see his or her own name on the box when it's delivered, which is really fun.
8. Taking holiday light drives. Every year we load up into the car, turn on the holiday music station, get hot chocolate to go, and drive to look at different light displays. My kids think it's the most magical thing ever.
9. Writing letters to Santa. This was one of my favorite parts of the holidays as a kid! Our park district has a program where you can register for letters from Santa by filling out a form with questions, having your little one write a letter to Santa, and then taking it to a special decorated mailbox at the community center. The letter that comes back is personalized on fun holiday paper.
10. Helping those in need. My daughter is at an age where she is beginning to understand this, and we talk a lot about how kindness and generosity are the things that most embody the spirit of the season. Last year, we had the kids choose toys they no longer played with to donate. This year, my daughter used money from her piggy bank to buy some in addition to this. It's such a great way to teach children about the importance of giving to those in need because they also see it as a fun tradition. And I've found that even really little ones feel good when they give to others!
Thank you for letting me share my children's favorite holiday traditions with you. I'd love to hear about your family's traditions as well! And, again, if you're looking for a unique holiday gift that can be appreciated all year long, I can't recommend Prime Book Box enough. You can't get much better than a gift that inspires a love of reading in kids, and the hardcover books contained in each box are just fantastic. It's priced right too at just $19.99 per box. (Prime members can save up to 40% off List Price! That's pretty great!) Click here to learn more about Prime Book Box, and subscribe today!
Happy holiday traditions, friends!
ALSO FIND US HERE: INSTAGRAM // FACEBOOK // TWITTER // PINTEREST
 |
I love all of these and that Amazon subscription sounds amazing! Your daughter's hair is also amazing!
ReplyDeleteI loved getting books as gifts at Christmas! That's so sweet that your daughter donates her toys :)
ReplyDelete