While 2020 hasn’t been the year we’ve expected, we want to make sure that we end it on a good note. Making Christmas fun for your kids while still doing your best to stay in quarantine can feel like a challenge on top of everything else. But it doesn’t take much to make your family feel the holiday spirit and have a little fun this holiday season. It may look different this year, but it can still be a fun and happy time in your home.

Start new traditions

With a new way of living and focusing on staying home and away from people the majority of the time, this can mean skipping out on a lot of traditions like holiday parties and seeing Santa at the mall. But that doesn’t mean that you can’t start new traditions like hosting a virtual movie night with extended family. Another idea is to look at your current traditions and find a way to alter them for this holiday season. If you usually walk around looking at Christmas lights, look in your local area because many cities have neighborhoods that are hosting drive-through light tours to keep everyone safely in their own vehicles while still being able to enjoy the ambiance of Christmas lights.

Ask them for ideas

If you’re feeling stumped as to how to make Christmas fun for your kids in the middle of a pandemic, try asking them for ideas. While you might think that this is just asking for ridiculous, impossible ideas, you may be surprised. It’s likely that some of the ideas they give you will be much simpler than you expect. Letting them have some say on what your family will do to celebrate and have some extra fun during this tough year can make them feel more included and ensures that you’re providing them a fun experience that they’re excited to participate in.

Have a gingerbread house contest

Gingerbread houses are fun to make and can be a great family activity. If your family is competitive, you can try having a gingerbread house contest to see who makes the best one. If you prefer to leave the competition out of it, you can always just have a gingerbread making night complete with Christmas music while you snack on the treats you’re using to decorate your gingerbread house.

Come up with a way to do good as a family

It’s been a hard year for a lot of people, but coming together as a family to do something nice for another person, family, or organization can be such a rewarding experience. And it can be fun too, if you get creative! For example, if you know of a family who is going through some hard times, maybe you can put together a Christmas gift basket that you can anonymously drop off on their doorstep. Make it fun by allowing everyone to select an item to include from snacks to little gifts to ornaments. At Santa’Ville we have a wide variety of different unique ornaments to choose from if you’re looking for somewhere to order ornaments from to avoid going out into the holiday crowds.

Whatever you decide to do, remember that this year has been a hard one for many of us and making it fun and memorable doesn’t require anything elaborate. Find a few fun ways to celebrate the season with your children and remember to give yourself a bit of a break for getting through a challenging year.