How to keep kids festive spirits up over Christmas
FOR primary school kids, the school holidays in between Christmas and New Year’s Day stands at the end of the year like a glorious, glittering present that you can’t unwrap until the big day arrives. It’s one of the most hotly-anticipated times of the year and your children will be maddened by excitement; two weeks off school! No lessons! Playing with new toys and staying up late for 14 nights in a row!
For parents, however, it’s a little different — how do you keep your children occupied during the holidays?
If the festive spirit is wearing thin and you’re sitting in front of the TV with a half-chomped mince pie, a drained glass of Baileys and a room full of screaming children — don’t panic because there’s a blizzard of inexpensive family activities to put the sparkle back into the season.
“When I talk to my clients about their memories of Christmas, not one of them mentions the presents,” says Sheila O’Malley of Practical Parenting.
“When I was young, my entire family would all pile into the car and head down to Glendalough for the day. We’d bring a little gas burner, rashers and sausages to fry up, and a bottle of Champagne for the grown- ups. The adults would appreciate the opportunity to socialise while and the children couldn’t be happier running around with their cousins. Why spend the day watching the TV when you could be out with your family enjoying nature?”
Details: see www.irishtrails.ie
There’s plenty of ice-skating fun to be had for the whole family all over the country again this year with rinks nationwide, including Dublin, Cork, Galway, Waterford and Limerick.
Training wheels or penguins are freely available for younger children while the mums and dads get to play at being Torvill and Dean!
Details: see www.iceskating.ie
Curl up on the couch to watch a slideshow of family photos and smartphone videos that you’ve created over the years by putting them on the big screen for the whole family to enjoy. Watch as your children relive their favourite memories and can’t remember ever being so small.
Children are very adept at taking fun family snaps with the family’s cameras, smartphones and tablets. Why not give them free reign for a few days then print out your favourites to create a family journal with funny stories, pictures and messages from the holidays. Plus, it gives you something to look back on in years to come.
The Ark, Dublin’s Cultural Centre for Children has plenty on for families throughout December and January including superhero Tommy Foggo, from January 2, not to mention a huge number of other events and workshops for children aged two to 12 years, all running as part of the Design It Festival.
Grey, cold, rainy climes drive children indoors and parents scratching their heads for things that will entertain the whole family. Laura Murray, author of the award-winning parenting blog, Raising Elves suggests crafty pursuits.”One of my favourite activities is book-making,” she says.
“My four-year-old loves this and it would suit all ages and genders. She thinks of a story she wants to tell and I call out the spellings to her. She writes them down and then on the next page she illustrates the storyline. We do a page a day and after a few days I staple all the pages together and she has her own book. This challenges her imagination and keeps her mind well occupied.”
There is always room in a children’s hearts for furry animals — even if they’re hooked on the latest DS game. And while it may be difficult to get them to to zip up and brave the elements, a promise of a visit to an open farm will have most kids heading for the hall door, coat in hand. Most farms have a strong focus on children, adding a festive theme with lots of sparkle and nativity scenes. Check out what’s available in your local area.
Details: www.familyfun.ie
Plant some branches in a pot and add tags with good deeds to be completed over the Christmas holidays. Ideas include teaching a younger sibling how to tie their laces, cleaning up after breakfast, visiting an elderly person living alone in your community.
Experience the magical glow of Christmas at the Glow, Cork Christmas Celebration. Wander through a free family-friendly wonderland in Bishop Lucey Park, located in the heart of the city on the Grand Parade, Fridays to Sundays. There will be a live music stage at Glow with carol singers and musicians entertaining in aid of a range of charities, and there will also be free Irish music sessions in pubs throughout the city.
Details: Admission free. Bishop Lucey Park, Grand Parade, Cork.
“While it’s tempting to spend all day glued to games consoles, it’s not going to help you bond with your children,” says Laura Haugh, editor with Mummypages.ie.
“My solution is to get everyone together around the table with a board game — Monopoly, snakes and ladders etc — and it will keep the kids occupied for hours. As parents, we spend an enormous amount of time watching our children play but how often do we actually play with them? This gives you the opportunity to really get down at their level; it’s also a lot of fun.”
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
