Simple Ways to Make Christmas Magical for Young Kids
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Doesn’t it seem like Christmas felt different when we were kids? December was a bubble of time that felt like a dream, where reindeer really could fly and no one really felt the need to question Santa’s inexplicable ability to warp time and space as he rushed to deliver presents. As an adult, I know that it’s all a far stretch from reality, but sometimes I do miss experiencing Christmas through the eyes of a child. Looking back at it all, having the wide-eyed innocence of a child made the season feel magical, but it was also fleeting. Now that I have my own children, I love seeing them experience the Christmas season with such wonder and enthusiasm! And, from an adult perspective, I found that it doesn’t actually take as much as I thought it would to create these magical experiences. Luckily, there are simple traditions and activities you can integrate into your holiday season to make a lasting impact on your children without putting too much pressure on yourself.
Lights
The first Christmas light sighting of the season is still the thing that gets me into the Christmas spirit! There’s just something about Christmas lights that affects my mood in the best way and I’m sure it is the same for my children. Growing up, my dad always put up Christmas lights. They were in no way professional looking, but I still remember how they made my day just looking at them! Now that I’m older, I don’t always string lights outside, but we still continue the tradition with indoor lights. We have lights on our tree and indoor garland. The lights that I hang are definitely not as loud as the ones that I grew up with, but I see how excited my children get when our smaller display of lights turn on. Who knew happiness could be flipped on with a switch? And, the first step to making Christmas magical is to be in the right mood!
Christmas Music
I’m guilty of playing Christmas music before December hits as an attempt to stretch out the holiday season for as long as I can. But, can you blame me? Christmas music is a special combination of tradition and youthfulness that just can’t be beat. It may seem like such a mundane thing to consider Christmas music as something that adds to the Christmas magic, but it really does help to create a unique ambiance of joy throughout the season! Let’s face it, Christmas without the presence of Christmas music would not feel like Christmas to me.
Letter to Santa
If your children are old enough, writing a letter to Santa is such a fun way to get your children involved in a Christmas activity while still creating fun family memories. If you still have fairly young children that can’t write yet, you can simply see if they can circle the things that they want from the toy catalogues that all the big retailers get delivered to families with small children. Not only will this make your Christmas shopping a little easier, it really is a magical moment when your child opens a gift from Santa that was right off of their wishlist. For all they know, their letter arrived at the North Pole just in time for Santa to know exactly what they’ve been hoping for!
Santa Picture
One of my family’s favorite traditions is getting a photo with Santa at the mall. I like it because it’s a fun keepsake that captures how our kids have grown from year to year. But, for the kids, I know it’s something different. Yes, I know this is not the real Santa, but for the sake of a child needing real life proof, it is! Connecting stories with a real life person really brings the magic to life for the little ones.
Cookies for Santa
Baking cookies for Santa is a perfect, low key activity for Christmas Eve. It’s not quite Elf on a Shelf creative, but baking cookies for Santa sets up a scene that brings Santa to life. Just like taking pictures with the mall Santa, seeing a missing bite of cookie from the plate left out near the fireplace before bedtime, is considered evidence to the younger kids. Seeing the faces of my kids, amazed that Santa left a sign that he was most definitely here on Christmas Eve is absolutely priceless.
Christmas Countdown
It took me years to realize that sometimes the best part about any holiday is in the anticipation. That is why we have a Christmas Countdown display. Our Christmas countdown is just a simple wooden display with twinkly lights from Target. You can also count down by using an advent calendar catered to your children’s interests, one that is pre-filled with candy, or even a sturdier one that can be reused from year to year like this pocket advent calendar from Amazon. No matter how you choose to count down, I’m sure that you’ll see the excitement begin to really build up as you reach the final days until Christmas!
When I was younger, my family never really did anything extravagant for the holidays, yet I still remember that time in my life so fondly. I now realize that it was always in the small details that made the whole season feel magical and I intend to create these beautiful memories with my children as well. I know that this is not at all what the season is really about, but it does help to build excitement for the children when they are still young. And to be honest, I don’t think that believing in Santa will last very much longer than their early elementary years, but the genuine happiness in my children’s eyes is enough for me to want to hang on to these traditions for as long as I can!
