Creating Christmas decorations

Children love to make Christmas decorations. The simple process of creating festive decor gives the children focus and allows them to contribute to the home. Crafts are a great way to spend time with children, teach new skills and let them express their creativity.

Christmas tree

Involve children with decorating the Christmas tree, from buying the Christmas tree to putting the star, fairy or bow on the top. Head to your local craft store and pick up some Christmas craft kits. These include all the materials and instructions needed for easy and successful Christmas tree decorations.

Christmas gifts

Gather your Christmas spirit and allow the children to wrap Christmas presents (obviously if they don’t believe in Santa Claus). Help children create their own Christmas cards and gift tags - whether it’s on the computer or with card, glue and anything that sticks!

_ Family activities at Christmas

The festive season will have lots of activities for families to enjoy together. Grab your coat, hats, mitts and scarves and brave the cold.

Ice skating

Head to the local ice rink for some exhilarating fun on ice! The little kids enjoy the thrill, while they laugh at the big kids attempting to stay up-right!

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Christmas shopping

Giving children a budget to purchase gifts is a great way to get children involved. Many shopping centres and Christmas markets will hold Santa’s Grottos and events to enjoy.

Christmas movie or production

Catch the latest Christmas movie at the cinema or go to the theatres to watch a Christmas production – gather friends and family together for a Christmas outing.

Christmas day

Christmas day is incredibly exciting for children of any age. Ensure the children are attended to, even when the extended family arrive. Christmas dinner is an important tradition of Christmas; however, it is important not to focus too much on the details that you forget to enjoy the day.

Make the children feel important on Christmas day with simple tasks:

•Helping with Christmas dinner

•Arranging the table

•Greeting guests

Time to relax

The Christmas holiday is a time where people reflect on their good fortune, health and family connections. Many of us are so busy with our professional lives, running to and from various activities, that we cannot spend quality time with the family.

Taking an extended Christmas break allows you to relax with the family, especially if children are home from a boarding school England based or elsewhere. The school holidays are important times for children to feel comfortable, at home and connected to the family. Preparation for boarding school includes ensuring the holidays are special, homely and memorable.

_ Resource Box:

Service Parents’ Guide to Boarding Schools

Useful information about starting boarding school, fees and choosing the right boarding school

Boarding Schools Association

Information for parents, students and teachers of boarding schools

Ofsted

Independent and impartial Office for Standards in Education

_Everybody knows that each country has its typical Christmas desserts, these desserts are to finalise the massive dinners that we have at Christmas days.
You will probably know the ones that are typical from your own country, have a guess...which are the most typical desserts from others countries?

Image source

Find below a little guide to find other lovely desserts from around Europe:

    United Kingdom, the most typical thing to finish a Christmas             dinner is the Christmas pudding filled with dried fruits and festive         spices. The years Christmas pudding is served with brandy butter or     cream to give an extra delicious end of the dinner. Other desserts     are mince pies that are individual pastry pies filled with tasty and         dried fruit and then we find Christmas cakes are typical from             Christmas too, these are full of fruit and nuts.

    Spain, Christmas dinners are full of food in each country, but each     have different meals, in the case of this southern country we can     mention desserts such as the turrón, this one is made with toasted     nuts, sugar, eggs and honey. You will always find turrón and others     like polvorones and marzipans at a Spanish Christmas dinner.

    France, Some desserts are typical from this beautiful country too.     A real important dessert is the Yule log, the name is really weird but     the taste of this cake is amazing. It´s made of chocolate and             chestnuts. Christmas loaf is another one, part of which is                 traditionally given to a poor person. This dessert is more typical of     southern France.

    Germany, Christmas cookies are one of the most traditional and         important desserts, biscuits with a lot of shapes and decorations on     them. Gluhwein is very traditional as well, this is a hot, slightly         sweet and spiced wine. It will probably warm you up from the             typical Christmas weather. Be ready!

    Anywhere you decide to go at Christmas, you can be sure you will     be plenty of food and desserts. This is a short list of Christmas         desserts but you will probably know and find more around other         countries.