LaNesha Tabb, education expert with Juicy Juice
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. .
Other articles by HVP News Reporters