Simple Holiday Activities : Being Prepared Can Keep Young Children Occupied

Too often, as adults take advantage of holidays to catch up on news and gossip, the little ones get left out. So, if you’ll be visiting with grandchildren this season, plan some activities to share with them.

If you want to make the holidays memorable for youngsters, plan ways to keep them occupied. The child can do some of the activities listed below alone. Others will need your participation. But what better way to get to know your grandchildren?

Most of these ideas don’t take elaborate props. Some do require a few supplies like paper and crayons, so look over the list and gather the needed items before your next outing. That way, you’ll be ready when the first little voice asks, “What can I do?”

Have children draw seasonal pictures and top each drawing with a loop so it can be hung from a door knob. Children who don’t want to draw might be interested in cutting pictures from magazines and pasting them on construction paper.

Guide the children in writing a holiday story or poem. Let the youngsters choose a subject or give them a start, such as, “I remember my best Christmas” or “The best thing about giving presents is. . . .”

Across the top of each child’s paper, spell out Christmas or Hanukkah. Then set a time limit for the children to search for smaller words that can be written from the letters in the main word.

Let children create a three-part booklet, detailing why the holidays are celebrated, family traditions involving the holidays and how older family members remember their childhood celebrations. This assignment will give children a chance to involve relatives who will need to be interviewed for the booklet’s final phase.

Once youngsters are tired of paper-and-pencil activities, let them test how observant they are. Display several seasonal items--an icicle, a candle, a bow, a scrap of wrapping paper, a cranberry, a calendar, a peppermint, for example. Then have the children close their eyes while you take something away. The first child who guesses what has been removed is the winner of that round.

For younger children, use only a few items. For older children, use 20 or more. Precede this game by stashing the items in a paper bag and letting children feel, but not look. The one who can identify the most items wins.

Play a clapping game. One player claps out a favorite Christmas tune while others vie to be the first to name it.

Play “Guess My Rhyme,” using words associated with the holiday. Example: One player says, “Guess my rhyme, it rhymes with ‘lift.’ ” (The answer is “gift.”)

Play “Gossip.” (Remember this one?) One person whispers a tale to another listener. The listener whispers the tale to the next player and adds a bit to the end. The last listener gets to tell what he or she has heard--and chances are it will not resemble the original tale. Be sure it has a Christmas theme.

Budding artists might like to play “Make Something of It.” Beginning with a squiggle on a piece of paper, a player has to draw a picture, incorporating the original line to draw an item associated with the season--a wreath, a reindeer, Santa or a sleigh, for instance.

Teach children some holiday songs or hymns. Sometimes the songs that are adults’ old favorites are new to children.

Decide a word or phrase that cannot be said during a certain time frame. Those who let it slip are “out.” Pick a word like “present” or “Santa.”

Play an inside version of “Follow the Leader.” You can play this like “Simon Says,” if you wish. Players cannot follow commands unless “Simon Says” to. Even in limited space, players can clap, stomp, blink, wave, smile and laugh.

Encourage children to keep a journal of their holiday celebration. Younger children may want to draw pictures that relate to what they’ve seen or done during the holidays.

Take turns naming things that fall into a specific category. The first player who runs out of ideas is the loser. You might name decorations, kinds of presents, reasons the holidays are special, types of decorations.

After a rowdy game, you might like to play the listening game. Players have to be quiet, listen and list noises that they hear. Any sound is acceptable: the dishwasher, a bird, a newspaper being folded, someone talking or coughing, the television, leaves rustling.

Don’t overlook playing two old favorites--tick-tack-toe and hangman.

Read Christmas stories out loud. If you don’t have any books with these stories, tell the story of Scrooge, the story of Mary and Joseph, or tales about how you spent Christmas when you were a child.

If you have a tape player and blank tapes, let children sing Christmas carols, make funny noises, giggle or whatever comes to mind. Once the tape is made, play it back. It’s just possible that you’ll have recordings you can keep to help you remember Christmas, 1988.