I don't have the sharpest memory, to be honest, so the things I remember are the holiday traditions we did year by year. Snapshots of my childhood. Traditions create memories and make the holidays the best time to be a kid! We're still establishing family holiday traditions in our home, so our kids can look forward eagerly to the holidays each year!
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Traditions create memories and make the holidays the best time to be a kid!
Kids are wired for wonder. Our boys love driving home through the dark, trying to spot where a new set of lights have sprung up on a house in our neighborhood.
Cutting our own Christmas tree is the kickoff to the holidays. They anticipate the annual trip to the tree farm, tromping around to find just the right tree. By now they know to look for one just a little taller than their dad. This year, we allowed them a lot more responsibility in hanging ornaments, and nothing got broken!
Another tradition we have in early December, is taking the boys to see "the trees" - our local art gallery's Festival of Trees show, and they get to wander through galleries filled with Christmas trees and crafts!
Those are our standard "must-do" Christmas traditions, but we also try new activities. This year, because our boys love spending time outdoors, we took a trip to their cousins' house in the woods to have an outdoor decorating party! (Believe me, if we had pine trees in our backyard, they'd ALL be decorated!).
A pine tree is a like a blank canvas of possibility. I loved watching the boys decide where to put the ornaments. Or, suddenly begin a candy cane tossing game to see who could hook a candy cane on a branch! See, it's this kind of silly impromtu fun that makes the holidays the best time to be a kid - kids can let loose their creativity at this time of year!
Letting kids decorate is a simple and creative play opportunity where every child can get involved at their level. There's no one way to play - just let the tinsel and glitter fly!
The boys spent a happy hour with a basket of vintage-y ornaments, decking a tree out in bright colors of celebration. Their little noses and cheeks got a bit pink, but they stayed warm, thanks to winter play clothes from Gymboree! Knit sweaters and lined pants, fleecy button-downs and fleece lined boots kept them toasty.
My youngest dislikes jeans intensely. So I was happy to find sweater fleece joggers that don't look so much like sweatpants. He was happy because the white flecks reminded him of snow. I was happy how the thick quality of the pants would keep him warm.
We paired it with Gymboree's Incredi-soft Fleece button-down - they need to make blankets out of this stuff. It is so warm! My five year old says this is his favorite outfit because of the orange stripes (orange is his favorite color). And that geometric bear hoodie - I don't think he took it off for three days! But I think his outfit is my favorite because it reflects the colors, patterns and coziness of winter.
My older son is a lot easier to please with clothing - he'll wear anything. He picked out a fair isle cardigan with a snowflake motif and lined cargo pants. A blue waffle knit tee gave him a layer of warmth underneath. He loves how the sweater gives him a more "grown-up" look! (And I love that it's still comfortable for him to play in!).
I love how their wintery play outfits came together!! I don't always get very matchy-matchy with them, but do you notice how their hats reflect each other's outfits? Having matching duck boots coordinated their looks (and those boots will come into play later when snow comes!). Plus the outfits are so cute, I got really sweet pictures for the Christmas card while they played!
And of course... adding hot cocoa into every holiday tradition is a must.
I know by preserving a simple routine of holiday traditions, we're building a storehouse of memories for my kids. And we're creating an atmosphere of anticipation as the season begins. Isn't the best part of being a kid during Christmas that fizzy-build up of excitement!? Kids don't really realize this yet, but we know, it's in the waiting where we truly enjoy the special moments!
Share one of your family traditions with me! I love getting new ideas!
Thanks to Gymboree for sending products and a gift card in exchange for this post. All opinions are my own.
I love baking cookies and watching movies on the Hallmark channel with my family.
One of our family tradition is to make one hundred tamales during Christmas and give them away to the homeless on the streets. Thanks for the chance to win such an amazing giveaway and Happy Holidays!!!!.
We always decorate the tree with loud Christmas music playing.
Our favorite family Christmas tradition is to sing Christmas songs together.
The best thing is watching my 2 year old really experience the holidays for the first time and seeing all of the wonder in his eyes at the little things.
We love making lots of Christmas cookies together and sharing.
I always bake snow ball cookies on christmas eve.
Driving around on Christmas eve looking at Christmas lights with my family
We always get together with the kids and now the grand kids as well to bake cookies for the holidays.
We go out to eat christmas eve pizza and then go look at christmas lights
We like to drive around and look at holiday lights! 🙂 We aldi have a gingerbread house decorating competition to get us in the holiday spirit!
We love decorating the tree and baking cookies.
Every year before me and my family open our christmas gifts we go around the room and all take turns saying what we are thankful for!
Our Holiday traditions are having a delicious big dinner, going out and looking at the Christmas lights and coming home and opening up our gifts.
Our family tradition is to turn off all of the lights but the Christmas tree the first night we have it and sit next to the tree drinking hot chocolate, listening to Christmas music and admiring how pretty it is!
We like buying a meaningful ornament for each kid, every year. It's so fun to pull them out and reminisce when we are putting up the tree.
The holidays are the best time as we realy get to enjoy each other's company with no stress
My daughter and I like to bake holiday cookies for the neighbors each year. Adorable photos in your blog post!! 🙂
My sister and I get together every year to make homemade goodies just like our grandmother did when we were kids
We always enjoy decothe Christmas tree together.
We love the decorating, wrapping of presents (just a few small things), and baking.
My children and I always make cookies on Christmas Eve. After that we snuggle up and watch Christmas movies.
My grandson loves to help me decorate my tree and my great niece wants to me set up the Christmas village. We also make and decorate cookies together
A few days before Christmas, me and my twins bake ALL day while listening to Christmas music!
Our Christmas morning tradition is waiting until everyone is up to open the gifts and the. We always have cinnamon rolls for breakfast.
My favorite tradition is holiday baking.
We make cookies and decorate together -- now over facetime since most of my family is spread out
I love to see the wonder and awe in Children's faces this time of year.
We like to open PJs and individual boxes of cereal on Christmas Eve.
We attend the Children's Christmas Eve Mass where our daughter sings in the choir! Afterwards we go back to my dad's and eat chicken and dumplings!
The holidays is the best time to be a kid because you get to receive a ton of new toys for Christmas and not worry about how much it costs! Our favorite tradition is baking and decorating gingerbread men and women cookies together.
Holiday traditions are spending time together and decorating together. Both families come to our house, so it's really special and nice for our kids! 🙂
we make homemade hot chocolate christmas morning and sip while opening gufts
We have a family tradition of making a gingerbread house each year.
Our tradition is to pick up the tree and decorate together.
We love decorating together and spending time together during the holidays.
My favorite family tradition is definitely trimming the tree. I remember making a whole night of it with food and music when I was a kid. I am trying to continue that, but let me tell you it is getting harder with these teenagers who don't want to do anything! 🙂
Our family takes and afternoon to trim the trees for the animals. WE make all kinds of edible ornaments and hang them outside, to watch the birds and squirrels enjoy them.