With Holiday break rapidly approaching, I’m in a near panic thinking about how to occupy these FIVE critters for weeks on end with no educational diversion. We usually fall back on the same entertainment/activities for the break… here are some ideas for you, please share yours in the comments!

We will be mixing up some cookie mix in a jar recipes to put in our gift baskets.

The kids will make some adorable napkins rings using old paper rolls (toilet paper, paper towel, wrapping paper tubes). We cut the tubes to desired ring size and glue on strips of artwork or colorful paper. Then we decorate with whatever we have around the house; beads, buttons, ribbons, twigs, acorns, or small scraps. (What craft do you make with toilet paper tubes?)

Boxes will be made to act as gift baskets. For this we simply use recycled boxes (cut down in height if needed) and cover/wrap them with old art projects.

Pinecones will be collected. Some will be painted, others will become animals with googly eyes attached (we recycle googly eyes from school artwork that comes home).

Closets will be cleaned, clothing will be tried on and toys will be donated to charity.

Cookies will be baked, frosted, sprinkled and consumed in quantities reserved only for the holidays.

Christmas decorations will be brought out and added to with creative art made by little hands.

Trees will be decorated inside and out, LED lights will be hung, old fashioned homemade cocoa (recipe at end of post) will be enjoyed.

Soy candles will be poured (this we reserve for the older kids) and lit throughout the house.

Craft classes will be attended at our local crafts stores (JoAnn’s).

A Zoo trip to see Zoolights will occur, complete with a ride on the lightrail train for the 45 minute trip and bonus, we get a $1.00 discount for taking the lightrail in.

If we are lucky, snowmen may be built… though this is a rare occurrence where we live. (More so with the climate changes we are seeing, likely as a result of global warming.)

The dog will be walked, floors will be mopped with our oMop (and then re-mopped by Mommy), there may be a fire or two built in our rarely used fireplace (fueled by awesome coffee ground fire starters and the tree that fell in our yard last year).

Visits will occur to help elderly neighbors with holiday preparations.

New memories will be made… Mommy will still likely to go half crazy.

Other Posts You May Enjoy:

• Handmade Holiday
• Kitschy Christmas Decorations
• Handmade Holidays: Rolling Pin Art