The holiday season is in full effect! While many kids in Greater Lafayette have been in and out of the classroom this fall due to the COVID-19 pandemic, they’ll be spared from schoolwork during the holiday break.
Thanks to the pandemic, normal holiday activities such as get-togethers with friends and family, holiday shows, and sitting on Santa’s lap are anything but normal and likely won’t happen this year.
Due to the growing number of new cases locally and nationally, we’re likely going to be spending a lot of time in our homes this winter, so we might as well make the most out of it and find some fun, family-oriented activities to do!
We’ve got some ideas to help kick things off!
- Movie Night! Just picture it… you’re bundled up in your Christmas PJs by an open fire, in your fireplace of course, sipping on hot chocolate and watching one of your favorite holiday classics such as A Christmas Story, Elf, Miracle on 34th Street or any of the other Christmas classics. Doesn’t get much better than that, right? Although some snow outside would be the icing on the cake!
- Make your own snow globe! Of course, you can always go to the store and pick out a snow globe to add to your holiday decorations, but why not have some fun with it and make your own snow globe? Just think of all of the cool things you could do! There are plenty of DIY snow globe guides online such as this one https://www.pbs.org/parents/crafts-and-experiments/homemade-snow-globes
- Bake some sweet treats! Who doesn’t love some to indulge in sweets during the holidays? For most of us… maybe a little too much! Looking to bake some cookies? You have a couple options… you can go the easy route and buy some cookie dough at your local grocery store, or you can really go above and beyond and make your own cookie dough from scratch! And yes, go ahead, use as much frosting and sprinkles as your heart desires! And if you can do so safely, hold a socially distant cookie swap with your neighbors to help spread the joy!
- Do some organizing! Okay, we admit that this isn’t that exciting, but think of it this way… where are all the new toys Santa brings going to go? So, why not take advantage of the downtime and clean out some of those closets? If you and the kids really need some motivation, turn on some holiday music and serve up some of those holiday treats you made!
- Build a Gingerbread House! Just like baking cookies, you can get as creative as you’d like with this. Some retailers such as Walmart and Target sell Gingerbread house kits, but if you’re really feeling daring, gather all of the needed supplies, https://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/how_to_make_a_gingerbread_house/, and assemble your own unique masterpiece from scratch! Another thought… hold a contest! Challenge the kids to make their own Gingerbread houses and hold a judging panel at the end with a prize. Of course, everybody wins in this case!
- Check out the holiday lights! Load up the car and check out some of the holiday light displays around town! For a list of displays around Greater Lafayette and Central Indiana, visit https://russellteam.com/holiday-light-displays-around-greater-lafayette-and-central-indiana/. Don’t forget to bring the hot chocolate along!
- Send care packages to soldiers! Thousands of soldiers will be away from their friends and families this holiday season. So why not spread the joy to these heroes and by sending them a holiday package? These packages can include items such as snacks, socks, personal hygiene items, etc. For more information on how to send these items, visit https://supportourtroops.org/care-packages
- Video chat with friends and family Unfortunately, most of us won’t get to spend time with our friends and family this holiday season due to COVID-19. Luckily, modern technology allows for us to chat with our loved ones virtually at any place and any time. Some of those online hosts include Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and FaceTime. So, set some time aside and get together with those close to your heart!
- Have a holiday themed scavenger hunt! Just like an Easter egg hunt, hide holiday themed goodies around your home and task your kids with finding them! Here’s an idea: create a “treasure map” that gives them hints and clues to help them along the way. Some treasure ideas include money to put in their piggy banks, candy, small toys, and whatever else you may have in mind!
- Get Outside! Of course, we can’t control Mother Nature, but if she does happen to give us a warm, sunny day or two during the holidays, take advantage of it! Lafayette and West Lafayette both have vast trails and nature areas. On the other hand, Mother Nature may dump a foot of snow on us. If that’s the case, grab the sled and hit one of Greater Lafayette’s sledding hotspots including Slayter Hill on Purdue’s campus, Murdock Park, Happy Hollow Park, or any other favorite spots you may have!
Happy holidays from all of us at The Russell Team!