Inexpensive Ideas for Keeping Your Kids Entertained Over the Holiday Break!

If you have children then you already know that the holiday break is fast approaching. Whether you are sending your child to a babysitter of some sort, or taking time off work, you are going to need some activities to keep them busy, (and out of trouble!) I know that money can be tight for a lot of people around the holidays, so I have compiled a list of inexpensive things to do over the holiday break!

A family tradition of ours has always been to bake and decorate holiday cookies over the school break. We do sugar cookies and gingerbread men. My son enjoys cutting out the cookies, making the frosting, and of course decorating and eating them! Baking cookies is not only fun for your kids, but also teaches them some skills as well. Math is one, with the measuring of the ingredients, as well as counting the drops of food dye that go into the frosting! Baking cookies with my mom and brother is a memory that has always stuck in my head too, so you may very well be making lifetime memories with your kids as well. To get you started, here is a basic sugar cookie recipe, followed by a frosting recipe. For the sugar cookies you will need 2 cups of all purpose flour, 1 tsp. baking powder, 1/2 tsp. salt, 1/2 cup of shortening, 1 cup of sugar, 1 egg, 1/4 cup of milk, and 1/2 tsp. lemon extract, (optional). If the cookie dough is too sticky, you can just add flour until it is to the right consistency, or if it's too thick, add a little more milk. You can them roll out your dough, and cut out the cookies with cookie cutter. Then bake them at 350 for 6 to 9 minutes! For the frosting you will need: 4 cups of powdered sugar, 1 stick of margarine, 5 TBL. milk, 1 tsp. vanilla extract. Mix this all up in a bowl until smooth, then you can divide it into different bowls, and add food coloring. Another great idea, if you have the time, is making gingerbread houses. You could even make a gingerbread village! Of course if you are not the best baker, they sell the gingerbread house kits just about every where during the holidays!

Another thing to do with your kids over the break, is play games! You can play board games, card games, an even hide and seek, or charades. This is fun for you and your kids, and will keep them off the game console for a little while too. My son and I even make up silly little games. Try it, it's fun, and will pass the time, plus, believe me, you will be doing a lot of laughing while thinking of silly games to play!

My son and I also like to do crafts together as well. You can get pre-made wood products, such as birdhouses, little wooden animal cut outs, frames, etc...at Micheal's Craft Store, or even Walmart, and decorate those things with your child. Paint, add embellishments, and just have a good time. If you have basic craft supplies laying around, this is the way to go. It can get a little pricey if you need to purchase everything, such as brushes, paint, glue,, embellishment, ect...but they stuff last awhile, and then the next time you do this with your kids, you will already have your supplies. My son and I like to decorate the bird houses, then spray them with a clear polyurethane, and use them outside in the yard. We also like to decorate picture frames, and then give them as gifts to family members throughout the year. Your family members will love them too, because they were made by your child!

Not crafty? That's OK, you can still have your child build stuff at the Home Depot! The Home Depots have a kids 'craft' thing that they do once or twice a month. You will need to call your local Home Depot for times, and dates, but it's a really great program to get involved in. All the supplies are included, and your child will even get a cute little orange Home Depot apron, and a pin, every time they complete a project. My son had completed three workshops already. The first one he made a race car, the second a birdhouse, and he just brought home a decorative tray last weekend. It's a great program, and your kids will love it!

Depending on what part of the country you live in, and if it's snowing, go out side and play in the snow with your kids! Build a 'snow family', or have a snowball fight! I know these are very basic ideas, but the sad truth is that with all the DVDs, music, computers, and video games the kids have theses days, and all the work and errands we parents have to do, the basic little things just get overlooked. Spend some time with your kids out in the snow, then come in and drink some hot chocolate together! If you live in parts of the country where it doesn't snow, go to the park and toss a ball around, or take a bike ride, or a walk! I know that I don't spend as much quality time with my child as I should. Sitting in front of the computer, or TV together is not really quality time!! So this year over your child's break from school, if your lucky enough to get some time off work, try doing some of the things mentioned in this article! You and your child will be creating wonderful memories for years to come!