As we draw closer to winter break, or start for some, you may be like me and wondering, “What am I going to do with these kids all break!!” Personally, I like to have a game plan.. or at least a general idea of some activities that I can plan that will not break the bank. Christmas is an expensive time as it is. And I don’t want to add more expenses this time of year. So what is a mom to do? I have been pondering some free or nearly free ideas that I may try with my kids in the next two weeks. I have an 8 year old girl and a 13 year old boy. So, I have to consider this when planning activities. I also try to keep the technology time to a minimum. Here is what I have so far:

1. Baking- I would really like to spend a day making some cookies for friends, neighbors, and Sunday School teachers. It is good to teach them some cooking skills and also give to others.
2. Walking- We just moved into a new neighborhood. I would like to explore with my kids this beautiful area!
3. Visiting a family member- We have some ill realitives that could use a visit or two while the kids are out of school.
4. Cleaning something- Believe it or not, my 13 year old loves to detail my vehicle. So, I plan on having him do this over the break!
5. Caroling- I would love to try this with my kids. I don’t know if I have the nerve, but it would be fun!
6. Go look at lights- There are a lot of neighborhoods nearby that we can go look at lights in.
7. Go to the park- My kids both still like to do this. Living in Colorado, we sometimes have 60 degree days in December. So, a park day would be great on one of those.
8. Go to the library- We have a wonderful public library system here. You can check out all sorts of materials. Also, we sometimes go explore a different library than the one most nearby us.
9. Make a gift- My kids still like to do crafts. I like to keep items like containers, egg cartons, boxes, tubes, etc… for them to create with. We have made robots, drums, ornaments, and all sorts of other things with recyclable materials.
10. Visit a pet store- We love to explore our local pet store. They have all sorts of spiders, fish, birds, and more to look at. Usually, I can get a worker to tell them all kinds of neat facts about some of the pets.
11. Write a letter- We need to write more to my mom, who lives out of state. We also sponsor a child and we could write more often to her as well.
12. Play a board game- This time of year is great for playing board and card games. I try to teach my children ones that they can play with each other like war, Uno, checkers, Yahtzee.
13. Volunteering- We can always go volunteer. My church always has yard work, cleaning, etc.. that can be done.
14. Invite a friend for a play date- This is especially good for friends that we maybe don’t go to school with and see all the time. It is nice to have them come over for lunch or a game.
15. Learn a new card trick- There are lots of books at the library about card tricks. My son likes to do these.
16. Memorize something together- Maybe nerdy lol but, I have had my kids memorize poems, Bible Verses, states and other items over long breaks!
17. Read a book aloud together- It is fun to check out a longer book and read it over dinner every evening.
18. Write thank you notes- I try to remember to have my children thank people for the gifts they get over Christmas.
19. Write a list of goals for the new year- It would also be fun to create a vision board for the new year.
20. Work on a puzzle- We have several puzzles around here that have not been done. They also have them at the Dollar Tree here.

So, what do you think? How do you keep your children busy, entertained and off the technology over winter break? I would love to hear your ideas!

Happy Vacation!

Liz

Other Articles You May Like!

How I Made $176.33 in October from Websites, Apps, Selling Crafts, and More!
9 Freebies Today! 11/12/18
How I Made $143.23 In Apps, Websites, Recycling, and Credit Card Rewards in September

9 Freebies Today! 12/19/18
How to Use Fetch Rewards to Get Cash Back on Every Grocery Purchase
How to Earn $25.00 A Month On Earning Station

• 
• 
• 
•