How to Keep Your Kids Occupied Over the Holidays

Holidays are a stressful time for parents. School is closed for the holidays, so the kids are at home all day. Having an energetic child to manage when you have tons of preparation to do for the holidays can be chaotic. The child wants to play and wants you to participate in their games, but you still have so much to do. Additionally, you can’t just leave the kids on their own for a few hours while you get on with your work.

A bundle of energy stuck at home can spell disaster. It’s the equivalent of leaving a bull in a china shop! Moreover, all that play and no school means all that they’ve learnt flies out of the window. Which means, when they go back to school they’re back to square one and you’ll have to start all over again. So, what can you do to keep the kids occupied over the holidays?

One of the best ways to keep children safe and out of trouble is to involve them in fun activities. Plan holiday-themed games and activities, which your children enjoy. This will keep them occupied and out of your hair for a while. Additionally, it’s a bonus if the activities involve some learning as well. This way, the child is not only entertained but also engaged in their learning as well. Here are 5 activities and games you can enjoy with your child to keep them busy over the holidays.

5 Holiday-themed Activities To Keep Your Little Ones Busy

1. Activity Sheets: A great way to keep your child out of trouble and busy for a while is to make them solve activity sheets. Download printable holiday-themed worksheets like Halloween activity sheets and hand them to your child. These worksheets don’t just have to be about learning, they can be anything that the child enjoys. For example, coloring worksheets, finding the difference between the two images, mazes etc.
2. Holiday-themed scavenger hunt: Whether it’s indoors or outdoors, children always love an elaborate scavenger hunt. And when you make it a holiday-themed one, it’s sure to get them more excited. This activity needs a bit of preplanning, but it’ll definitely keep the kids busy for a long time.
3. Puzzles: Puzzles are a great activity for children. From jigsaw puzzles to word search puzzles to rebus puzzles, there are tons of puzzles out there for children. When you need to keep your little one busy and get in some learning too over the holidays, hand them crossword puzzles like Christmas crossword puzzles for kids. Not only do they have fun solving these puzzles, but they also learn to solve clues to find the words and how to spell them.
4. Holiday Bake-a-thon: Holidays call for amazing baked goodies like cookies, pies, cakes etc. If your little one loves to cook and bake, ask them to help you bake for the holidays. This activity is a great way to bond with your child and you can also use the opportunity to teach them some math. Baking is all about measurements and fractions, so use the bake-a-thon to teach them these concepts. Additionally, you can make it more fun and creative by getting kids to ice or frost the baked goodies in colors and shapes of their choice.
5. Crafting: Holidays are all about gifting and sharing. So get creative and involve your child in making some homemade crafts to give to friends and family, or to use as decorations. For example, get your child to help you make a homemade costume for trick or treating this Halloween. Or, you can make decorations to hang on your Christmas tree. This activity is a great way to tap into your child’s creativity and imagination, and also develops their fine motor skills.

Your kids are sure to love these activities and games, and you can put up your feet and enjoy the holiday in peace too.