Back in the day, kids were home on winter holidays. Remember when parents racked their brains to come up with fun holiday activities for kids?

I’ve got some for you. And since today, more kids are being home-schooled, many of these activities can be adapted for any time of year.

Oh and by the way? Some of these ideas help teach kids the true meaning of…well, not just the holidays…life!

Decorate a Gratitude Jar (or box). Have kids write what they’re thankful for on slips of paper to place in it. Draw one each day to talk about together.

Have a hot cocoa picnic sitting under the Christmas tree. Or make a hot chocolate buffet, where kids can choose from candy canes, whipped cream, cinnamon dots, shaved chocolate, chocolate chips or even different flavors of marshmallows!

Have an indoor scavenger hunt.

Hide an alarm clock and challenge kids to find it before the alarm goes off. Or hide something else and set a timer, same idea. Start with only one thing and maybe another day, hide more. Even little presents! But one for everybody, please!

Write a little book together.

Make a popcorn garland together and talk about holidays when you were a child.

And wouldn’t it be fun to track Santa all month long, using one of the Santa trackers in this post right HERE! True confession: I have been known to use NORAD’s tracker on Christmas Eve…more than once…. 😉

HERE are some fun things I came up with years ago.  The post may be older, but the ideas are evergreen: everything from making a holiday pomander to having a fun random acts of kindness day for kids. Share these ideas with your grown children or even do some with grandchildren.

My friend Jennifer is a vision board maven. I can’t believe I never considered how great it would be for kids to make their OWN vision board.  But she’s already on it. Find her post with directions for this wonderful kids’ activity right HERE.

In homes across the country (and world) folks are probably tired of each other right now, as we move toward the end of our second year of pandemic restrictions.

But let some of these fun activities help renew the happy holiday spirit we used to feel.