The holiday season is a time for family bonding and creating special memories. We believe in involving kids in holiday preparations as a way to foster creativity, problem-solving, fine motor skills and empathy. It's not always easy giving up some control over preparations whether it's an adult family member who takes over your kitchen or a kiddo who just wants to help. I hope some of these simple tips will welcome you to invite your kids to prep for your holiday festivities with you!
If messy play isn't your jam, take it outside
If you know me, you KNOW I LOVE messy play. It can be an incredible way for kids to learn and stimulate multiple senses at once. However, if you KNOW ME, you know I will be the FIRST to admit that messy play INSIDE the house, is sometimes not my jam. (Ok maybe never my jam but, I let it go A LOT especially when cooking because it’s a non-negotiable life skill kids need to learn.)
So, how do you keep holiday activities an open invitation to messy play?
Last year, we hosted a “Forest Friends Tea Party” at Stark, where each explorer got to paint their very own gingerbread cookie, crafted by the baker queen herself @lesucrebakeshop . It was a fun way for kids to enjoy cookie decorating while connecting with nature and keeping the mess inside minimal.
Whether it’s decorating cookies, building gingerbread houses, or working on other crafts, kids simply love being part of the process. If the mess of crafts or decorating inside is too overstimulating like it can be for me, TAKE IT OUTSIDE! Remember, it doesn’t need to be a Pinterest-perfect event in a picture-perfect kitchen. What matters most is the process and the experience of quality time together.
If you're worried about perfection, let it go
If you’re a perfectionist like me, you know this advice is often “easier said than done.” But let’s take a cue from Elsa and let it go. Our kids simply want to be included, and it’s easy to get caught up in how the gift “should” look or how the cookie “should” be decorated. But friends, none of that really matters.
When kids help us create gifts for loved ones or prepare treats for holiday celebrations, they’re practicing so many vital life skills—empathy, problem-solving, creativity, fine motor skills, sensory exploration, and, most importantly, nurturing core memories.
That said, sometimes letting go can be a challenge, and that’s okay too. A simple solution? Give them their own cookies to roll out or decorate however they like. Set up small bowls of flour, sugar, salt, and water so they can mix their own dough alongside you. Even if the recipe isn’t “perfect” or doesn’t look the way you expected, bake it anyway! The joy and pride they’ll feel are worth so much more than perfection.
Encourage spreading joy
Our last tip is by far my favorite, if you can even call it a tip. If you follow me on my personal page, you've probably seen us "elfing" our neighbors throughout the year. It started back in May after Willowdale hosted a May Day pop-up where we made small cone bouquets to gift anonymously to neighbors. My kids really took to this idea, walking around the neighborhood, sneaking up to the front door and leaving a small token of joy to a neighbor brought THEM so many smiles and laughs!
While you know I'm all for child-led, sometimes we have to have conversations about what we're "gifting" the neighbors (like maybe some of our recyclables aren't actually appropriate to leave on someone's front steps.) Last month we gifted homemade air-dry clay ornaments and paper ornaments Kimmie made and yesterday it was stickers. This month, we'll focus on bags filled with homemade treats and encourage the neighbors to elf someone else.
You don't have to gift elf EVERY neighbor you have, we usually visit 5 or 6 homes but for these bigger gift bags, we'll probably stick to 2 or 3.
How will you invite your kids to prep for the holidays with you?!
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