freeindeed Posted November 15, 2015 Share Posted November 15, 2015 We had so much fun at Christmas when my children were younger: Christmas unit studies, crafts, baking, riding around to look at lights and decorations, milk & cookies for Santa...the list could go on forever. Now that they're older, I need some new ideas. Any thoughts? Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaz Posted November 15, 2015 Share Posted November 15, 2015 First, if you haven't already, ask your dc what they'd like to do. Sometimes old traditions are revived this way. I keep a list each year after Christmas of what I want to make sure to do the following year. My list for 2015 includes read Christmas books for ds. He mentioned last year that we didn't do that. We'll be reading Christmas picture books all season and he'll be 17 in January. :wub: Some other things on my list that we are continuing with teens: alternating Jotham's Journey, Bartholomew's Passage, and Tabitha's Travels for devotionals each year celebrating St. Nicholas Day on Dec. 6th with small gifts and gingerbread putting together plastic bags of change with tags to put on vending machines for Random Acts of Christmas Kindness buying generic Christmas cards and putting gift cards in to give as we feel led by the Holy Spirit (people we see out and about) painting Christmas ornaments with grandma matching Christmas PJs making Christmas toffee leave nativity set piece each night at neighbor with little kids' door with baby Jesus arriving last My dd already told us without prompting that she's looking forward to decorating outside for Christmas, baking cookies, and going Christmas caroling. Last year, for my dd's December birthday, we played Christmas Minute to Win It games. I can see these becoming a tradition! http://happyhomefairy.com/2013/12/23/christmas-minute-to-win-it-game-ideas/ I hope you get lots of good ideas! 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tammi K Posted November 15, 2015 Share Posted November 15, 2015 Every year( well, mostly every year) we pick a family that could use a boost and make a day by day nativity that comes with a story. We've always worked on it together before December so we have a few pieces ready to go when the month begins. Then we anonymously deliver one piece and a part of the story every day. It's a fun project to do as a family and it shares a bit of the Christmas spirit. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pippen Posted November 15, 2015 Share Posted November 15, 2015 Sometimes my teens/young adults like me occasionally pulling back out a childhood tradition--maybe not every year, or in the same way as in the past. One example would be "Christmas Milk" in which I made a big deal of serving milk in Christmas glasses with a few drops of a food coloring and a straw. Not sure what that is for you, but even my 22 yo son doesn't turn down Christmas Milk. We changed up our celebration, so now we do Christmas Eve at home with appetizers instead of a sit down on Christmas Eve and another Christmas Day.The teens like the appetizers and just hanging out more than the formal meal. I get their input--ie, everyone chooses an appetizer, and everyone chooses a cookie to bake. I've found I need to let them pick some of the Christmas music I play around the holidays, especially if they're helping me bake or hanging in the kitchen. There are some traditions that I miss so much more than they do, like doing cut-out cookies. This year if I were doing cutouts, I might go with a Star Wars theme, just to get my guys on board. :coolgleamA: One year the usual just wasn't working, so I packed everyone up and took them to a movie on Christmas Eve. My family was really flexible about what we did outside of the meal time on the holidays, so sometimes we teens would pack up and go to a movie or go out and play football. It was kind of nice to have some time together away from the grownups. My daughter and I always watch a sappy Christmas movie together, and usually hang out at the bookstore/cafe at least once over the holidays.. She might go for a grown up type coloring book, but I wouldn't enjoy it much. ;-) 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted November 15, 2015 Share Posted November 15, 2015 Operation Christmas Child is a nice tradition to start. We do it at church, not at home. Everyone gets 10 bucks and a trip to the Dollar Store. We pack the boxes and then I think some track where they go. Cooking is fun--I think it'd be fun to chose some Christmas Around the World foods and do a couple. Dd loves to make Mexican hot chocolate now. I do think it's nice when older kids start being more other-centered and start focusing on what they can do/give instead of get. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andani Posted November 16, 2015 Share Posted November 16, 2015 Every year( well, mostly every year) we pick a family that could use a boost and make a day by day nativity that comes with a story. We've always worked on it together before December so we have a few pieces ready to go when the month begins. Then we anonymously deliver one piece and a part of the story every day. It's a fun project to do as a family and it shares a bit of the Christmas spirit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andani Posted November 16, 2015 Share Posted November 16, 2015 Tammi K, I wanted to ask for more details about the daily nativity. Can you tell me what you did? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tammi K Posted November 17, 2015 Share Posted November 17, 2015 Tammi K, I wanted to ask for more details about the daily nativity. Can you tell me what you did? Sure. I'm trying to figure out how to attach a picture. I can send you the story I wrote to go along with the figures. We made our figures out of wool felt but you could make them in any style you prefer. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arnold Posted November 17, 2015 Share Posted November 17, 2015 Sure. I'm trying to figure out how to attach a picture. I can send you the story I wrote to go along with the figures. We made our figures out of wool felt but you could make them in any style you prefer. That looks amazing!!! I would love to do that. Did you use a pattern or directions for somewhere? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tammi K Posted November 17, 2015 Share Posted November 17, 2015 I think the very first one that I made for us was made from individual kits that I purchased. But, I have seen similar directions over the years. I'm not at home right now....(Pacific Coast sectionals hoping the boy qualifies for USFigure Skating Nationals) but when I get back I will see if I can find that and then share. I know that you can find patterns for the various animals online. I'll do some research and then share. Some of the sheep are needle felted. That is fairly easy to learn and nice for the pre-teen set to make (if they are careful enough not to stab themselves with the felting needle. That hurts! And, you can find needle felting supplies at some of the box craft stores. The stable was made from soft pine - cut by dad but very easily sanded by the younger ones. Of course, wrapping and packaging was a family affair. We used boxes, bags, etc to keep it interesting. And, then made sure we had the correct day of the story to share with the piece. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaz Posted November 17, 2015 Share Posted November 17, 2015 Sure. I'm trying to figure out how to attach a picture. I can send you the story I wrote to go along with the figures. We made our figures out of wool felt but you could make them in any style you prefer. Your nativity set is beautiful Tammi! I'd like to make one like it someday. We started with simple stickers on colored blocks for a preschooler in the neighborhood: http://lookwhaterinmade.blogspot.com/search?updated-min=2010-01-01T00:00:00-06:00&updated-max=2011-01-01T00:00:00-06:00&max-results=24 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted November 17, 2015 Share Posted November 17, 2015 Go out one evening to look at Christmas lights. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freeindeed Posted November 18, 2015 Author Share Posted November 18, 2015 Thanks, everyone. You've given me some great ideas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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