A Playful Christmas: Simple Ways to Play and Grow
Submitted by Sheri Thomas, Holy Spirit Catholic School Division
During the weeks leading up to Christmas it is tempting to rush from one activity to the next, and to fill your evenings and weekends with shopping, chores, and other preparations. Instead, consider the benefit of intentionally scheduling down time. If you carve out time in your calendar and label it as “PLAY,” these weeks leading up to Christmas will not only benefit your child’s growth and development, but it will add to the magical feelings of Christmas.
When planning your ‘Playful Christmas’ consider opportunities to not only allow your child the space and time to play independently or with other children, but also some dedicated time where you, as adults, play alongside.
To get you started, here are some great ideas that will allow for creativity and imagination, skill development, and joyful moments of connection.
CREATIVE & IMAGINATIVE PLAY
Santa’s Workshop – Set up a space where children can be Santa’s Elves. They can “make toys,” wrap gifts, check the “nice list,” and write letters. Include some small boxes, tape, and inexpensive gift wrap from the Dollar Store that can be used and re-used as they wrap toys from around the house.
Christmas Bakery – Use playdough to “bake” treats. If you make homemade playdough consider adding a cinnamon or gingerbread scent. Include cookie cutters at the table and small gems, ribbon, cloves, and other items for children to decorate their “cookies”
Build a Cozy Fort – Build a bear’s den in your basement. Adults and children can work together to build the most amazing fort of all time. Place cushions, pillows and cozy blankets inside. Add some string lights, lanterns and flashlights. This area can be used to read Christmas stories or as an area for play with some favourite toys (i.e. stuffed animals, barbies, trucks, etc.)
FINE MOTOR FUN
Ornament Creation – Provide materials that children can use to create ornaments for this year’s Christmas tree, or to decorate for Christmas in their bedrooms. Base materials might include pine cones, styrofoam balls, paper cutouts, cups, plates. To add details you could have a bin of scrap materials such as ribbons, fabric, stickers, yarn, beads. You will also want to have glue, tape, and colouring materials on hand.
Christmas Card Crafts – Encourage children to create homemade Christmas cards or gift tags this year. You can use stickers, stamps, magazine cut outs, stencils and drawings.
Stringing Popcorn or Beads – Add to your holiday decor with this age-old tradition, or put your own twist on things.
OUTDOOR & GROSS MOTOR PLAY
Snowman & Fort Construction – Rolling snowballs, stacking them, carving out blocks and digging all engage large muscles and often require teamwork. What a wonderful way to enjoy some outdoor time and opportunity to build upon the creations each time you go outside.
Winter Scavenger Hunt – Go on a family nature walk and search for items such as pinecones, animal tracks, warm cozy places where animals may rest, bird nests, and so on.
Snowball Targets – Set up a target in your yard (i.e. playset slide, trampoline net, basketball back board) and challenge one another to get as many snowballs to hit the target as possible within a specific timeframe.
Ensuring children have dedicated opportunities to play will help to balance the pressures of such a busy holiday season. When typically this season can be overstimulating, play offers opportunities for children and adults alike to decrease any feelings of stress or anxiety and to strengthen their bonds with one another. Setting aside even short amounts of time for play can have a significant impact on the day. Not everything needs to be planned using ideas such as those above. There are so many benefits to uninterrupted unstructured play as well as pulling out those board games that sit in your cupboard awaiting a family game night.
Play isn’t just fun. Play is essential. Be intentional as you enjoy a Playful Christmas with your family this year.
Sources:
Darmody, Kate (2021, July 22). Photo of Play Fort. Unsplash. https://unsplash.com/s/photos/children-fort
Haltakov, Vladimir (2021, February 4). Photo of Snowman. Unsplash. https://unsplash.com/s/photos/snowman
Taubitz, Julia (2021, December 6). Photo of Craft Materials. Unsplash. https://unsplash.com/s/photos/christmas-crafts