Crystal Merritt Let’s light up the night with a fun Bingo! game everyone can enjoy! Share with your neighbors and walk the block looking at the holiday lights.
It’s the most wonderful time of the year. Take a walk around your neighborhood. Do you see all the holiday lights lighting up the community? (If you need some good spots to visit in Palm Beach, check out my stories on IG @mrs.mommamerritt.)
Here are some great (and easy!) ways to get your kiddo involved in learning during the winter season!
Decorate the house!
Have your child help you decorate for the holidays by asking them questions about what lights, decorations, etc. are their favorite color, shape, etc. The holidays are a great time to get your kids involved in decorating your home! Ask them what their favorite colors and shapes are, and help them decorate with those colors. They’ll be so excited to see the finished product! There’s also some fun and creative activities from My Bored Toddler. We especially liked the paper plate sticker wreath, since it’s easy (minimal mess) and looks so cute hung up in our windows! I picked up a pack of winter-themed stickers from a local craft store. While my son was putting them on the wreath, we practiced labeling the items (“You’re putting the gingerbread man on the wreath!”) and also identifying colors of the stickers (“Here’s the red candy cane!”). I signed up for their free Toddler Christmas Craft Challenge, which sends a daily email to my inbox on a quick, easy craft to do together for 12 days! Sign up here to get them sent to yours!
Play I Spy!
Play a game of I Spy! I Spy is a great way to get your child’s mind working and their imagination flowing. It’s also a lot of fun for them to play with you or another adult—and even more fun when they can play against each other. Count all the reindeer, Santas, wreaths, snowmen, red lights, blue lights, candles – anything that catches their eye. Then try to guess what they’ve seen next.
Cultural Discussions
Talk about how different cultures and religions celebrate the winter with lights, decorations and traditions.
In the northern hemisphere, Christmas is a major holiday that’s celebrated around December 25th each year. It’s based on the birth of Jesus Christ and is usually celebrated with family gatherings, gift exchanges, religious services and special meals.
In Jewish tradition, Hanukkah celebrates the miracle of oil that lasted eight days instead of one day. Families light candles every night for eight nights in remembrance of this miracle.
Kwanzaa is a week-long celebration that honors African-American heritage and culture. The holiday begins on December 26th with “Dawning of Kwanzaa” which symbolizes family unity and lasts until January 1st when it ends with “Feast of Ntombi.”
I like to introduce these different cultural and religious traditions by book. Of course. We have a great selection that we’ve got from Kidsbook.com. (Haven’t heard of them? It’s a GREAT affordable internet warehouse for books!) Check out this article from Motherly on books to celebrate all the winter holidays.
Holiday Light Bingo!
Make a game for the whole family with the printable holiday light bingo! Download this free printable and try to spot all the holiday decorations around your neighborhood to fill your Bingo card! Free download here.
