See how well you can answer

Holiday Fun for K ids

If you’ll be spending much of the holiday season at home this year, you’ll need a game plan to keep the kids busy. Here are a few ideas that you and your kids will enjoy.

PUT ON A HOLIDAY SHOW

Watch your children’s creativity come to life as they write, direct, and act in their own play to perform for the family. Let your kids handle the entire process: choosing who will write, direct, and play which part.

And, to turn the play into a movie, they’ll need a camera person to video the whole thing.

Assignments: The kids need to have a meeting to decide who will be the director (in charge of the whole operation), who will write the story (this can be a team eff ort), and who will play each part.

Writing the Play: The writers need to come up with an idea and then write it down or convey it to the others. The “script” needs to have simple lines to memorize or read. Costumes: Tell the kids what they can use — parents’ clothes, towels and sheets, costume jewelry, makeup. Just let them know what is off limits! Rehearsing: Under the “director’s” guidance, they’ll need to rehearse the play. You might let the “director” know that being patient with younger siblings is part of the job. Music: If they want music in the show, they can choose from playlists, CDs, or even make up and sing songs themselves. Invitations: When the show is ready to “open,” the kids should check with you to see what day and time will work for everyone. Then they can make and hand out invitations to Opening Night.

Time to put on the play! Sit back and enjoy your children’s natural creativity and joy. Be sure someone takes a video, and you might want to give them a nice standing ovation after they’ve fi nished.

HOLIDAY TRIVIA GAME

Write a list of holiday questions for each child to take turns answering. Here’s a sample:  Who celebrated the fi rst Thanksgiving in the autumn of 1621? (The pilgrims and the Wampanoag Native Americans.)  What is America’s favorite main dish to serve on Thanksgiving? (Turkey)  We all know about Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, but how many other reindeer pull Santa’s sleigh on Christmas Eve? (Eight)  How many of Santa’s reindeer can you name? (Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, and Blitzen)  Why did the Grinch hate Christmas so much? (Because his heart was two sizes too small.)  In “The Night Before Christmas” when Santa laughed, what did his belly shake like? (Jelly)  How much of “Jingle Bells” can you sing right now?

Kids study a treasure hunt map

HOLIDAY TREASURE HUNT

Kids love searching for “treasure” whether in the house or out in the yard. If there are several children, they will work together as a team.

First, choose the “treasure” (toys or treats are always appreciated). Then make the map.

If you want to get creative, you can soak a teabag and drip and splatter it on the paper to make it look like an old pirate map.

Then walk through the area to set up your clues such as: take ten steps toward the kitchen, go through the door and then take eight steps to where you’ll fi nd water faucets (the sink), that’s where you’ll fi nd your next clue.

Each clue will guide them to the next, until the last clue that leads them to the treasure.