Remember that line from the song "It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas" that says, "...and Mom and Dad can hardly wait for school to start again"? Well, if your kids' school vacation is anything like mine, this is the beginning of a full week of no school. For the next couple of days, they'll probably keep busy with their new Christmas toys, but once that novelty wears off, you might be searching for ways to keep them busy. Here are a few suggestions!
Get Them Out of the House
Trampoline Park
Trampoline parks are springing up all over, including chains such as Launch, Sky Zone, Rockin' Jump, and Rush Universe, and various independent parks. Most include a large trampoline floor as well as speciality areas such as a foam pit, basketball hoops, volleyball and dodgeball courts, Many also have arcade areas and even special bouncing areas for littler jumpers. Parents can opt to join in or not, and most have observation decks and refreshment stands so you can enjoy a cup of coffee while watching your kids burn off all their pent-up energy. Great for all ages, from preschool through adults.
Laser Tag Arena
Although laser tag is especially fun with a group of friends, you can certainly just drop in and play with whatever other kids (or adults!) are there. It's a bit noisy and intense for really small kids, but most kids from elementary school up will enjoy the chance to run, dodge, and hide in the fog-filled, black-lighted rooms, shooting at targets and opposing players.
Escape Room
Escape rooms do require a team, but that could be anything from your two kids with their two best buddies, to your immediate family, to extended family members. Both physical and mental challenges must be mastered, and most locations offer multiple themed rooms so you're sure to find something for everyone in the family to enjoy. Options usually include a set time (e.g., 2-hours) or unlimited play, but be sure to call for a reservation first, particularly if you want unlimited play.
Ice Skating
If you have your own skates and don't mind clearing a bit of snow, go ahead and find a local pond. But if you prefer a more controlled atmosphere and want to rent skates, check out local rinks for public skating hours. Evening hours tend to be middle school age and up; younger kids are likely to do better during daytime hours. This is also a great time for beginning skaters (of any age) to pick up a lesson or two.
Movie Theater
Christmas is a great time to see newly-released, family-oriented movies in the theater, and this year seems to have an exceptionally good crop. Currently-running movies that will appeal to families include
Coco,
Ferdinand,
The Greatest Showman,
Star Wars: The Last Jedi,
Wonder,
The Star, Pitch Perfect 3, Justice League, and
Thor: Ragnorak. If your kids are a little older, send them to see one of those movies while you check out
Molly's Game,
All the Money in the World,
Phantom Thread,
Downsizing, or
The Post.
Projects To Do At Home
Cook Something
Depending on your kids' ages and levels of experience in the kitchen, this could be anything from
frosting and decorating apple slices to
pancake art to
pizza bites to
bean soup to
lasagna. It teaches them practical skills like following directions, measuring, nutrition, and chemistry, but it also makes one less thing that YOU have to cook. Win-win!
Board/Card Games
Depending on how many kids you have (in your family or your neighborhood), you may or may not to be personally be involved in playing these games. Chances are you already have a shelf of board and card games somewhere. You might even have received a couple of new ones for Christmas. If you don't, do a quick run to Target or WalMart or even CVS and grab a couple - no doubt they're already on clearance. Some good board games for multiple ages include (click on each title for a video showing how to play each game):
HedBanz,
Watch Ya' Mouth,
Double Ditto,
Monkeys Up, and
Apples to Apples (or
Apples to Apples Junior). If your kids are a little older, try them with Settlers of Catan. Watch
Wil Wheaton's explanation of how to play here.
If card games are more your thing, pick up
Uno,
Skip-Bo, or
Dutch Blitz, or grab a book of card games rules from the library and teach everyone to play Crazy Eights, I Doubt It, Spoons, or Snap. For older kids, try more complex, strategic games like Rummy, Pinochle, Euchre, or even Bridge.
Art Projects
Did you know that you can
carve ivory soap using a plastic knife and toothpicks? Or make
elegant thank-you cards using leftover bits of wrapping paper? Or make
snow globes from small glass jars? Just google "craft projects for kids" and you'll come up with more ideas than you'll know what to do with. And most of them call for items you already have around the house.
Read Aloud
Kids of all ages love being read to, and there's something special about the whole family gathering around to listen to a story. Depending on the ages (and range of ages) of your kids, choose a shorter story that you can finish in a single evening, or a long book that will take the whole vacation's worth of bedtimes - or even longer - to finish. Try a classic like
The Secret Garden,
The Velveteen Rabbit,
Black Beauty, or
Julie of the Wolves, or go with a newer book like
Because of Winn-Dixie,
The Tale of Despereaux, or
Wonder. If one or more of your kids reads well, take turns reading chapters. Be sure to use different voices and lots of drama to make it interesting. You can even assign one of your little ones to provide sound effects!
Watch a Movie
Mom and Dad have been watching movies for years, so no doubt you have some favorites that the kids haven't seen. Pull out a favorite from your childhood, such as the original
Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory,
E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial,
The Neverending Story, or
Home Alone, or maybe a lesser-known one that none of you have seen, such as
Hugo, Wallace and Gromit in the Curse of the Were-Rabbit,
The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, or
My Neighbor Totoro. Or revisit a family favorite like
Frozen,
Inside Out,
The Wizard of Oz, or
Pirates of the Caribbean.
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