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Fun ideas for safe family celebrations



Mom blogger shares her personal directions for a happy holiday

Mom blogger shares her personal directions for a happy holiday


2020…the year of change. Change that now poses a challenge to many family’s holiday traditions. 

After spending the year revamping our home-lives, school-lives, work-lives and more, the new normal for the holidays is nothing we can’t handle. As parents we are resilient, and we always make the best of our situations. 

So, I’ve been asking myself, as the seasons’ festivities approach how can I reimagine and revamp the holidays in a way that will be more fun, memorable, and exciting than ever? Essentially, how can families end a year that’s upended our lives on a positive note? Here are a few ideas for inspiration:

Merry Movie Night!

Invite your children to select a movie line-up for a fresh and fun way to celebrate the Holidays! You can print out the movie covers of your favorite holiday films, and then as a family, vote on the movies and glue them to the calendar.  I encourage you to go all out by creating movie tickets, a concession stand, and turn off all the lights! You could even dress up in themed costumes to make it a truly memorable experience!

We Wish You a Zoom-y Christmas!

This can be done with students in a virtual classroom or with your family and friends! Coordinate a holiday sing-along or talent show over zoom! Grab a group of friends, family members, or even a group of students, and decide on a date for the big show. Perhaps you can pick a favorite seasonal song and put on a concert, or dress up in a themed costume or even practice a new choreography. For added fun, have a special panel of guests act as the “judges” to make it even more involved! 

Run, Run, as fast as you can... it’s a scavenger hunt for the Gingerbread man!

Grab the gumdrops, licorice, and candy galore...and hide them all over your home. Create clues that will send your children to different locations all over the house to find the run-away gingerbread person! 

As your children arrive at each location, they will have to search for a component to build a gingerbread house or person that you’ve hidden. Then, they’ll need to read a clue to find out where to go next!

Once they’ve collected all their items...the last step will reveal the gingerbread person (maybe a stuffed animal or even a printed picture) and then they’ll bring it all to the table to decorate! 

READ MORE: Buy a new game for holiday fun

Recycled ornament challenge!

Ask your children to get creative and host a recycled ornament challenge. I find that attaching the term “challenge” to anything gets children extremely excited to participate! In this challenge, provide children with the same art supplies (paint, tape, markers...glitter if you live on the wild side) and tell them they must make a creation with something that is recycled. Perhaps your child will use an empty Juicy Juice box or egg carton (or both!) to create their ornament. Be sure to include the year so that you can keep this ornament for years to come.

Expand Your Littles’ Holiday Horizons

As an educator, I’m always looking for teachable moments for little ones. And the holidays are no exception and a great opportunity to teach them about various holiday celebrations that happen during this time. 

Encourage your child to look at the holiday season from a global perspective. Not everyone celebrates the same holidays- and that’s ok! You and your child can research other holidays or interview people about holidays that they might celebrate. This is a powerful way to be more inclusive and will allow your children to gain different perspectives on what happens outside of your home.

LaNesha Tabb is a wife, mom, and primary educator. She has grown a supportive and loyal online audience, where she shares teaching and lifestyle content through a variety of mediums. LaNesha is a full-time kindergarten teacher but in her "free" time", she is the content creator behind Education With An Apron - a hub for resources geared towards educators. She will be a published author with the release of her new book coming in the fall of 2020 and recently partnered with JuicyJuice.com to celebrate the 100% Thankful Teacher Contest which was conducted in August 2020. .




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