Christmas is the best time of the year when you’re a kid. It’s a time when there’s sparkly decorations everywhere, chocolates on the tree, and plenty of presents underneath it just calling your name!
On the other hand, as a parent, it can be one of the most stressful times of the year! You want to make each Christmas better than the last, and ensure your kids have a great holiday period while they’re off school. They deserve the break!
However, you may also be worried about their attitude towards school. Kids can often get muddled over their learning when there’s just so much fun to be had! As such, transitioning them back into the school routine can be very difficult.
But not this year! This year can be different (and far less combative), because you can make the festive season just as educational.
Read Festive Books
There’s a lot of Christmas tales out there, both classic and modern. Why not purchase a few of them for this festive season? Sit down to read them altogether, and ask your kids to do a mini book report on it when you’re done.
This doesn’t have to be anything long or too in depth. You just set them one little question and if they do a good write up on it, they get a treat! Don’t make it a competition – everyone gets a ‘prize’ – but do give them a little incentive to get them into the groove of academia at a time like this.
Create Christmas Crafts
Christmas crafts are a lot of fun! It’s why you should encourage the kids to make them at this time of year – it’s a form of secret education that the kids don’t even have to know about! They can learn hand-eye coordination, how to understand 3D space, and brush up on their drawing and painting skills – literally!
So, make your own cute snowflakes out of paper, or build s’more snowmen using marshmallows and chocolate buttons. You can make all kinds of crafts using just a few simple household objects and ingredients, and the kids will learn a lot of practical, hands-on skills along the way.
Watch Holiday Movies and Discuss Them
Holiday movies can be cheesy, and super ‘cringe’ in certain scenes, but the kids are going to love sticking on an old favorite and singing along. The Muppet Christmas Carol, for example, is a beloved family holiday movie, and brings the semi-archaic work of Charles Dickens to a younger audience in an accessible form.
What could be better for getting them in the learning mood? After the movie is over, tell them all about the original, and let them know it’s a book they can read in their own time. This gives them a little hint towards all the learning there is out there, much like the breadcrumbs of Hansel and Gretel, which is another book or movie that’s great for this time of year!
Start a New Tradition
New traditions for Christmas are always fun to come up with. The more you let the kids lead here and give them space to think in their own special way, the more involved they’ll get in the planning side of things. As a parent, that can be a bit of a weight off!
This is also your chance to show them some traditions that other families and other cultures have. You can take inspiration from these if you decide you like them, but be sure to understand where they’ve come from too.
Set Small Educational Activities Just Before School Starts Again
In the 4 to 5 days running up to the new school year starting, it’s worth it to look into online math tutors and printing off worksheets to do at home. You should also double check that your kids have done their assigned homework and haven’t forgotten everything they were supposed to read up on!
You could also try getting them back into the physical routine as well, if they struggle to adapt to waking up early again or need practice packing their bag or choosing what they want for lunch. Small educational activities like these can get them back into the habit rather smoothly.
Christmas can get the kids excited, energized, and worn out in equal measure! If you’ve found in the past that this time of year makes it hard for them to get back to school again, try out the tips above and see how they go.
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