Christmas Celebrations 

Christmas is a magical time of the year.  Here are some ideas of what you can use to celebrate Christmas with your friends and families.

Gift Ideas to Last a Lifetime
Christmas Spirit
Secret Santa
Ideas for Grandparents

You can find lots of Christmas craft ideas for decorations, tree ornaments and even some ideas for gifts made by kids.  Or would you like to read about where some of our Christmas customs came from? Don't forget to check out these great kids gift ideas.

Children love making gifts for their parents and other adults who are important to them.  But what can they make that will delight the person they are giving the gift to?

Here's how you can quickly and easily get lots of simple, high quality gift ideas that you children can make.  Guaranteed to be fun the children making the gift, and a delight for the person receiving it.

Gifts Kids Can Make

Christmas Spirit

A new Christmas tradition is spreading rapidly grass-roots fashion. Called "Getting the Spirit," it is similar to the 'Get Booed' Halloween activity.

First, pick one or two families and make up a Christmas gift basket.  Leave it anonymously at the family's door step with a sign "You've been visited by the Christmas Spirit." The receiving family's job, then, is to make up another gift basket and give it to another family who doesn't have a sign on their door.

Poems for your 'Visited by the Christmas Spirit' sign.

1. "The Christmas Spirit"
   
   The Christmas Spirit has come around
   To leave these goodies you have found.
   
   Post this spirit where it can be seen...
   On a door or window until Christmas eve.
   
   Then other spirits will not visit this year.
   They’ll move on and continue to spread good cheer.
   
   Now you've been blessed with yuletide cheer.
   You’ll feel joy and love throughout the New Year.
   
   So...another Christmas-time mystery has begun.
   Thanks for sharing in this friendly fun.
   
   

Secret Santa

Secret Santa is a chance for all of us to surprise people with small gifts.  But the most important part is keeping it a secret.  You have to figure out how to deliver you present without being caught.  Ideally, you should find an unexpected place to put the present.

The first step is to decide who will be involved.  Figure out if you are picking one person you will surprise, or if a group is going to exchange names and be Secret Santas for each other.  It could be a sports team, Girl Guide Group, Sunday School Class, or a family group.

Christmas is a great time to remember there are people who would like to celebrate Christmas, but just can't this year.  Maybe you could be a Secret Santa for someone at a homeless shelter, or find out if your community has a list of families who need a Secret Santa.  If you aren't working through a community group, be aware that Christmas is not celebrated by all cultures and faith groups.

Once you know who you will be Secret Santa for, it's time to start planning.

1. Are you going to give one present, or a series of small presents over a week or 12 days?
2. What amount of money are you spending as Secret Santa?
3. Will the Secret Santas ever be revealed for the people who receive the gifts?

There are no right answers to these questions.  Your group will have to decide what is right for them.

Now comes the fun part.  Get creative!  Some of the best presents don't come from a store.  Secret Santas can give books, hand crafted items, home made candy or food, Christmas decorations, bubble bath, cards, stories, or just about anything you can think of.  

Presents can be wrapped in fancy paper, or color comics from the Sunday paper.

If you are being a Secret Santa for someone in your family, don't forget the gift of time.  Give coupons for a car wash, cooking dinner one evening, gardening, babysitting, or any service you can offer.  The free time is often more valued than a store bought gift.

Now comes the fun part of giving the gifts.  Since you're suppose to be secret, you have to find a way to hide the gifts without getting caught.  Getting an assistant to help may be the best way to remain a secret.  If you are hiding things for a friend, see if their Mom would sneak the present into their room while you are both at school.  Or try to leave the present on someone's door step without being seen.

Get the post office to help! Send cards or packages through the mail and no one will guess who you are.

Try to make sure your hand writing doesn't give you away.  Get a friend to address the package so that it isn't in your handwriting.

Remember that Secret Santas bring happiness to another person.  Most of that happiness comes from knowing that someone cared enough to try and do something special.  In this case, it really is the thought that counts.

Ideas for Grandparents

1. Think about some of your favorite Christmas stories from your childhood.  Write them down (or even make a video of you talking about those memories).  Send one story to your grandchild each day throughout the Christmas holidays.
2. Tell you grandchildren about how your family celebrated Christmas.  Was there a special meal?  Who made what?  Do you know what recipe was used? Did your family go to Church on Christmas Eve?  What was your favorite Christmas carol?
3. Do you have a favorite story book about Christmas?  It could be a Christmas story within another book (like the Christmas in the Little House on the Prairie books), or a story just about Christmas (the bible story or T'was the Night Before Christmas).  Make a video or tape of you reading the story.

You can find lots of Christmas craft ideas for decorations, tree ornaments and even some ideas for gifts made by kids. 

Many families are creating new customs for celebrating Christmas.  We'd be happy to share some of these ideas.

Let us know if you have any craft or activity ideas that children love for Christmas.  We'll share them with other visitors to our website. 
Send us a note if you have any questions.

Kids Gifts   Kids Science   Kids Crafts   Kids Games   For Parents   Creative Kids Blog

About Us   Crafts Info   Media   Terms And Conditions   Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2009 Creative Kids at Home