• Keeping Busy! - Dec. 20, 2006

December is probably one of the busiest family months of the year. Between Christmas, Kwanzaa, and Hanukkah families all over the world are celebrating the season and each other. December also signals winter break! No matter how long it is (some students having a week, others a month) parents will inevitably hear choruses of “I’m bored”. With the weather in  most of the country being fierce, keeping kids busy and not underfoot during the holidays can be a difficult task. So here are a few activities you might want to consider this December to keep your kids’ minds and hands busy:

December Holidays – tons of amazing links for Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa!

Keep kids reading with these Christmas themed reading lists from TrueLightAcademy.com.   

Parenting During the Holidays - tips and advice from the BBC on how to get through the holidays!

Learn about the real  story behind Santa Claus!

Martha Stewart Christmas.  Full of craft projects, decoration tips and recipes that have step by step instructions and sometimes even videos to show you how to do it. Check out the kids section for crafts kids can do.

Wrights.Com Holiday crafts.  Scroll down to “December-Christmas and find great crafts for kids and teens to make during the holidays. A lot of them make great gifts too.

Christmas Around the World – from Santas.Net  Learn about how Christmas is celebrated in different parts of the world. You can even have your older kids research and find one new tradition to incorporate into your family’s celebration this year. This is a  fun way to  sharpen their research skills!

VolunteerMatch.org  can help you find a place to give away the Christmas spirit by volunteering or find  a charity to give to with CharityNavigator.org.

NOT Martha Stewart. This blog has a ton of great craft ideas for those who don’t feel like they’re Martha Stewart (and even those who feel they ARE).

TheoWorlds.com - Make your own virtual gingerbread man and send it to family and friends.

Happy Holidays!