The holidays are the best time of year to bond with your nieces and nephews. There are so many festive, cute and fun holiday activities kids love doing with their Aunt or Uncle. It would be a shame to miss out on all the bonding opportunities there are during Christmas time, especially if your nieces or nephews live afar and you only see them during the holidays.
Rather than simply getting your niece or nephew a Christmas present and leaving it at that, try planning at least one or two holiday activities you could do together. Below are some great ideas for festive and kid-friendly activities to do together:
Decorate Christmas Cookies
The entire family will appreciate the yummy end result of this kid-friendly holiday activity: baking and decorating Christmas cookies together. All you have to do is buy some Christmas-themed cookie cutters, ingredients for sugar cookies, and lots of Christmas-colored icing.
Make Christmas Cards
Surprise your sister, brother, father and mother by helping your nieces and nephews make handmade Christmas cards for their mom, dad, grandma and grandpa. You can buy colourful paper, glitter, markers and stickers, and help the kids get creative making handmade holiday cards.
Do a Holiday-Themed Puzzle
Most kids love puzzles, so why not buy a cute holiday-themed puzzle? Puzzles are a healthy, brain-stimulating activity that often take a while to complete, so it’s a great way to spend quality time together. Perhaps your puzzle will be of Santa and his reindeer, a Christmas tree puzzle, or stockings above a fireplace.
Go Ice Skating
Ice skating is a fun outdoor winter activity that allows the kids to get some much-needed fresh air and exercise while having fun with you. Perhaps your community has an ice rink where you can rent ice skates for both kids and adults, and help teach your niece or nephew how to skate. If they’re not confident skaters, and you take their hand and help them learn, this is an especially bonding experience because you’re teaching them something.
Make a Gingerbread House
It’s always a bonding holiday activity when you get to be creative and imaginative. Buy a gingerbread house making kit from the store, and go the extra mile by buying some extra treats and decorating pieces to go with it. You’ll have lots of fun treats to stick onto the icing in fun and decorative patterns, while you enjoy lots of laughs together.
Have a Sleepover
How cute would it be if you bought matching Christmas-themed pyjama onesies and had a sleepover? You could watch Christmas movies, sing Christmas song karaoke, and read stories.
Wrap Christmas Presents
If your nieces or nephews are a bit older, they’ll love helping you wrap Christmas presents. Helping them participate in the act of giving this holiday season, instead of just being taught to receive, is an important tradition. By helping you wrap Christmas presents, they’re being part of the thoughtfulness and care that makes the holidays such a special time of year.
Remember that being an involved Aunt or Uncle requires you to take initiative, plan special activities, and spend quality time with your nieces and nephews. They’re too young to make the plans or do the organizing, so it’s important to remember to take the time to do this. Your nieces and nephews will be overjoyed to spend quality time with you over the holidays, especially if the holidays are one of the rare occasions they get to see you. Make the most of your time together by doing one or more of the above holiday activities together.
