Tips For Keeping Kids Busy Over Winter Break

Summary

For many people, the Christmas season is the most wonderful time of the year, as the standard carol tells us. Families gather, gifts are exchanged, the pleasures and woes of the old year are replaced by the hope and promise of the new one.

Of course, children look forward to the holidays for another reason — winter break. Youngsters see that as a gift in itself, two full weeks (and sometimes more) of freedom from all the responsibilities that accompany the school year. That enthusiasm can fade, however, as the break stretches on; children can lose their sense of energy and momentum and feelings of boredom and blues creep in. Here a few strategies parents can pursue to keep those doldrums at bay this winter.

Important Input: When pondering winter break activities, it is imperative to prioritize your child's preferences. Note to them that all this downtime represents the perfect opportunity to do things they cannot do during the hectic school year. Gather their suggestions and implement them as best possible, making sure to take an active role in whatever activity is chosen.

Great Outdoors: There are any number of good reasons to make sure you get outside during winter break. Outdoor activities such as riding bikes, going for walks and playing in the snow provide much-needed exercise, which is critical to everyone’s physical and emotional well-being. In addition, spending time in the winter sun decreases the likeliness of depression that certainly impacts many lives during the long, gray winter months.

Reduce Screen Time: Scheduling a robust roster of activities, both indoors and out, also carries the benefit of reducing the amount of time children spend staring at screens. Think of the lack of a school schedule as a resource that frees you up to help your child experience more of the real world and less of its virtual counterpart.

Be the Student: It may actually involve a screen — like a video game or graphic design — but children, perhaps unknowingly, tend to respond well to being able to teach someone about their passion. Try asking how your child how to play their favorite video game or how to make a TikTok video. Before you know it, you could be spending many quality hours together.

Think Small: Not every planned activity needs to be some huge undertaking. Something as simple as car ride, running errands or preparing a meal can positively impact the quality of a child’s winter break, as long as it brings family members together.

Keep It Real: The wisest parents recognize that there is only so much they can do to support their child’s happiness. After all, your youngsters, like yourself, are individual human beings with their own complex set of emotions and ambitions. To that end, be flexible in your winter break activities and don't overreact to any negative feedback.

At Harmony Communities, we feel strongly that each resident has a sense of home. That they come home from work and feel pride in their environment and in their place in the greater community. That families are comfortable raising children in our neighborhoods, and that couples and singles know that they belong to something bigger than their four walls. In other words, we seek to create harmony within each community, making our communities not just passable, but peaceful, safe, functional, and beautiful.