Christmas Activities for Children

Here's a good one to begin with if Christmas isn't quite upon you yet. Most children like to make things, and making their own Christmas cards is a great way for them to get creative. Friends and relatives will also appreciate receiving a card that's more personal that the usual mass-produced stuff.

To make cards, you will need some stiff paper or thin card, which is readily available from craft shops and stationers. Your children can either draw/paint their own designs onto the card directly (and maybe add sequins and other embellishments too), or, for a more polished result, they can use the computer to print the cards with their own digital art or photos. There are also many sites offering printable card designs which you can print off and have your children colour in, such as this one http://www.dltk-holidays.com/xmas/cards/index.htm.

Alternatively, if you and your children are interested in making cards for other occasions too, check out Fun Printable Cards and Activities, which offers a wide range of top quality printable designs for Christmas cards, other types of cards (Halloween, weddings, birthdays etc), as well as a variety of other fun printable activities that children will love such as such as puzzles, coloring pages, invitations and more.

If your kids like to color in pictures, there are many Christmas printables available online - here are some sites to begin with:

http://www.activityvillage.co.uk/christmas_printables.htm

http://crafts.kaboose.com/holidays/christmas/xmas-printables.html

http://www.abcteach.com/directory/seasonalholidays/christmas/

http://familyfun.go.com/printables/season/specialfeature/christmas-printables-ms/

You may also need some supplies:

Magic tricks are great fun for both the person doing the trick and for the audience. And despite how impressive they look, they are often very easy to learn too, even for children. So if your kids like to put on a show, they might enjoy learning some magic tricks for Christmas - this is a great way to keep them occupied and keep their minds stimulated at the same time! Learn Easy Magic is a wonderful guide to magic tricks for beginners (both adults and children), and covers popular tricks such as card tricks, coin tricks and much more. If your kids are too young to read it, you could always learn a few tricks yourself, and teach them!

Games of various types are among the most popular Christmas activities for children. Christmas is a traditional time for playing games, and there is a great choice of games online that are suitable for kids. This is a good way to keep the kids occupied when you're busy! Here are some sites to try:

http://holidays.kaboose.com/games-xmas.html

http://akidsheart.com/holidays/christms/chgames.htm

http://www.thekidzpage.com/christmas/games.htm

Or if you want to get the kids away from the computer, board games, card games and trivia games are always popular, such as:

Christmas usually involves a lot of cooking, and getting your children involved can help to keep them amused - and they'll enjoy eating food they've made themselves and sharing it with others. The following sites feature some delicious easy to make Christmas-themed recipes that children will enjoy making:

http://www.apples4theteacher.com/holidays/christmas/kids-recipes/

http://www.kidsandcooking.co.uk/ChristmasCookingWithKids.html

http://www.familiesonline.co.uk/article/articleview/2553/1/154

Also have a look at:

It's always a good idea to encourage children to read (and it gives you some peace and quiet too!), and even those who are often reluctant to read might enjoy Christmas stories. The following books are especially good:

Children usually enjoy making things, and homemade crafts make great gift ideas too. There is a huge choice of Christmas craft ideas available online - check out:

http://www.enchantedlearning.com/crafts/christmas/

http://crafts.kaboose.com/holidays/christmas/christmas-crafts.html

http://www.craftbits.com/viewCategory.do?categoryID=XMS

http://www.allfreecrafts.com/christmas/index.shtml

http://www.christmascrafts.com/

Fancy a singalong? If your child likes music, they might enjoy listening to some of the many Christmas songs that are available for children:

You can encourage them to sing or play along too - even children who don't play instruments already will have fun with a simple drum, percussion or a recorder.

Most kids love face painting, and Christmas is a good time to try out some seasonal ideas.

To begin you'll need some face paints:

And for a comprehensive guide to face painting, with step by step instructions for 10 holidays designs, including Christmas, check out Easy Face Painting.

And if all else fails and you really need a break, Christmas DVDs will keep them entertained for a couple of hours!