Ideas to Keep the Kids Entertained

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Ideas to keep the kids entertained over the Christmas Holidays

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Christmas is fast approaching and teachers and parents across the country are busy planning for the holiday festivities. Whilst teachers can occupy children by integrating seasonal themes into lesson plans, they’ll no doubt be looking forward to handing their pupils back to their respective families at the end of an exhausting term. However, many parents will be looking for some suggestions on what they can do to keep their little ones entertained whilst Santa completes the last-minute preparations.

Time is an important factor to consider when thinking of what to do with the kids. Adults tend to find that that the holidays pass by extremely quickly, however if children are bored then it can feel like forever. For fun indoor and outdoor activities that’ll ensure that your children are occupied, that parents get an opportunity to take a break too, and for quality time together as a family, check out the following suggestions:

Get creative with Christmas

Lay some newspaper down, put on aprons and get the glitter out. Children love to get a bit messy and arts and crafts are a great way to keep their minds occupied with something other than what’s on the box. There’s nothing better than homemade Christmas cards, wrapping paper, decorations and gifts that really capture the spirit of Christmas. Hand cut paper snowflakes, tree hangings and paper chains will provide further entertainment when it comes to decorating too. Not only will your house be transformed into a magical winter wonderland that the kids will love, but other family members will certainly appreciate the time and effort that’s been spent on their personalised greetings too.

Santa’s little helpers

Get into the spirit of the holidays with some non-board-game based themed Christmas games for your kids to play. Why not plant some of the tree decorations around the house and task your little helpers with a bauble hunt? Or you could put a twist on other traditional games, such as pin-the-nose on Rudolph or Christmas musical statues?

Make Christmas magical

If you’ve got a garden or outdoor space, why not embrace the spirit of Christmas, and your children’s excitement by helping them to mark out a landing strip for Santa to park his slay on. A bit of Paper tape and cardboard for a stop sign is all that’ll be required for making, and it’ll be a great opportunity for the kids to get some fresh air.

Walking in a winter wonderland

Why not dress warmly and experience the bright Christmas lights of your local neighbourhood? With darker afternoons it doesn’t have to be late to go out for a walk, get some fresh air and have fun spotting countless Santa’s, reindeer and other winter wonderland gems. You could also combine your walk with a trip to your local Grotto or Christmas market.

Panto time

For some traditional Christmas family entertainment, why not book tickets to see a pantomime? Fun, light-hearted and audience interactive, a trip to the theatre could be a great way to enjoy some quality time with your kids. This seasonal treat is relatively cheap too, as family tickets can usually be purchased with some discount.

Get your skates on

Whether it snows or not, you can still have some great fun outdoors, as many parks and recreational spaces host seasonal outdoor skating areas. If the weather’s more wet than wintery you could always locate your local rink and have a giggle on the ice, or side-lines.

Other Santas are your friends

You’ll not be the only parent who’s pushed for time or in need of a few hours’ time out from excited little ones. Why not arrange to take it in turns to host play dates and reserve some relaxation, or wrapping time. Not only will you manage to get that all important last minute shopping done, but your children will have some extra playtime with their friends.

This guest post has been provided by Legoland Holidays - where you can book a short stay at the brand new Legoland Hotel, opening March 2012.