Winter is coming! That means school-going kids will be at home for the holiday and remote learning kids will have lots of free time on their hands. As a parent, having kids around during the holidays comes with many challenges. You want to ensure they are engaged in the right activities and still keeping up with holiday assignments.
If you want your children to get the most out of winter break, you’re in the right place. Keep reading to learn some hacks on how to keep your kids engaged during this winter break.
1. Teach Your Children Gardening
Don’t let the cold weather stop you from helping your children to grow and reap the benefits of gardening. As a parent, you can teach your children some useful skills like home gardening before the winter break ends. Gardening can sharpen your child’s interest in agriculture, make them more aware of their environment, and give them the chance to be outdoors during the winter break. Not to mention the health benefits of eating food that they’ve grown themselves. Don’t have room for a garden? Try a vertical garden tower!
Gardening also has the benefit of helping your child develop their patience, focus, and even math skills. In learning the micro-skills, they actually build on some of the lifelong traits they’ll need to succeed in life. If it’s too frosty outside, or you don’t have a yard, inspire your kids to plant indoor plants in pots. Get some flower pots from the local store, and teach your kids some basic gardening skills. Gardening during the winter break gives you the chance to teach your kids a basic skill that will help them survive as adults.
2. Purchase Activity Kits
Your child can work on an activity kit and forget how long winter break is. The ideal activity kit will have a storybook, worksheets, and other essentials for interactive activities and learning. Most activity kits focus on creativity and learning aspects as your child plays. They are designed to ensure your child gets the right skills depending on their age. When shopping for the best activity kit, you should consider your child’s age first.
Most activity kits come with various games or activities to help your child pass the time during the holiday. But more importantly, these kits encourage creativity and sharpen skills as kids work on the activity.
3. Visit a Local Museum
There is another way to keep your child engaged during the winter break by connecting him to unique learning opportunities. You can teach your child many things by simply taking a trip to a local museum, pandemic restrictions permitting.
Museums are popular destinations for parents and children because every parent is looking for different ways to engage and educate their kids over the winter break. The great thing about museums is that you may learn something new yourself. They’re great for all ages!
Museums are dedicated to different themes and you can likely find one in your area for just about any interest your child may have. Visiting these amazing places helps your child to learn new things and create memories that last a lifetime. And if museums are closed in your area, you can check to see which museums have virtual visitation.
4. Convince your Children to Participate in House Cleaning
Having basic life skills is an essential gift a parent can give to their children. During the winter break, you can take your time to teach your kids how to clean the house, wash their laundry, and arrange the furniture. Anything that teaches your children responsibility and diligence is going to be a win, even if they fight it now. What better time to do this than during Winter Cleaning (the alternative to Spring Cleaning) when everyone is home?
If you have a cluttered room in the house that needs a thorough cleaning, assign your kids the work. The independence this teaches your kids is shown to improve life outcomes. Tidying up a room can also turn into a game. For example, you can assign each kid a room to clean and award one that thoroughly completes the job quickest.
5. Enjoy Winter Break with Holiday Art
Your child’s winter break can be boring if you don’t spice it up with some indoor activities. Here is that you should do when you host a holiday art-a-thon:
- Clear the table, and collect some arts and crafts supplies from the local store.
- Encourage the kids to draw or paint pictures for their friends and family as gifts.
- Create homemade wrapping paper from a roll of butcher paper by letting the kids decorate presents for the festive season.
- Keep your kids involved by asking them to go online and find useful holiday decorations and gifts to create for the winter break holiday.
- Help kids make homemade decorations, such as painted Christmas ornaments and 3D snowflakes from old or spoilt CDs.
Instead of buying craft supplies for your kids, use old items in your house like papers, CDs, and old kitchen utensils for the art-a-thon fun day. Encourage your kids to create beautiful projects that they can give as gifts. Don’t forget to reward them for a job well done.
6. Take a Nature Walk in the Park
You can avoid cabin fever by taking your kids for a nature walk. When you are home from work or during the weekends, use that spare time to get your kids outside into the cool winter breeze. Leave your car behind, and explore the neighborhood with your kids.
Check out local nature trails, parks, or explore the neighborhood and interact with nature in your local hiking trails. Kids have a lot of built-up energy when they are left idle at home, and by taking them for nature walks, they can burn off excess calories and enjoy the well-documented mental health benefits. During a nature walk, ask your kids to:
- Look around for things that start with a certain letter, like ‘t’ for ‘train.’
- Collect pine cones to use for an art project.
- Look around for animals like rabbits, squirrels, birds, and other creatures.
Final Thoughts on How to Spend Winter Break
Winter in the Northern Hemisphere will begin on Monday, December 21, 2020, and end on Saturday, March 20, 2021. When your child comes home for the winter break, consider keeping them engaged in creative activities such as gardening, arts and crafts, house cleaning, and outdoor hiking.
