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Holiday Activities that Promote Learning

Holiday Activities that Promote Learning
Posted on November 28, 2024 by CHS

The holiday season is here again! It’s time to slow down, relax, and enjoy each other’s company. For many busy parents and caregivers, it’s also a time filled with preparations for celebrations and gatherings. Amid the excitement and hustle, finding simple ways to weave learning into holiday activities can support young children’s growth while creating quality family moments. Read on to discover fun and festive ideas we’ve gathered to help early learners maintain educational progress over breaks.

 

Infants (0-12 months)

  • Sensory Exploration: While decorating, provide infants an opportunity to explore with their senses (sight, sound, touch, and smell) by providing age-appropriate and safe materials, such as different textured fabrics. A great game to play is peek-a-boo; you can describe the colors and textures of the fabric, helping them build language and sensory skills. For example, you can place the fabric over your eyes and say, “Peek-a-boo, do you like the green fabric? (pause for a few seconds for them to observe it and then describe it) “It is very soft. Would you like to touch the green fabric?” Sensory play for infants also involves placing things in their mouths to understand the texture and shape of newly introduced materials, letting them taste, smash, and swing the material around.
  • Seasonal Songs: Sing holiday songs and nursery rhymes. Infants enjoy the rhythm, and hearing words promotes early language development.

Here are a few more infant resources:

Holiday Activities for the Entire Family: Find fun ideas for the whole family to celebrate in your community and at home.

Science in the Winter Season Activity Sheet: Show your baby the sights and sounds of their world with a simple winter windchime to support their sensory development.

 

Toddlers (1-3 years)

  • Holiday Cooking Helper: Involve toddlers in the safe parts of holiday cooking or baking, like stirring or pouring ingredients. Similarly, sorting and washing builds fine motor skills, and recipes introduce early math concepts, such as counting and measuring. Cooking also nurtures and builds their confidence through the sense of accomplishment they feel when a meal is completed. This also fosters healthy eating habits and a special bonding experience with their caregivers.
  • Simple Crafts: Make handprint ornaments, or paper snowflakes, which help develop creativity and coordination.

Here are a few more toddler resources:

Pillowcase Surprise: Playing with Math Activity Sheet: Develop your child’s critical thinking and language skills while playing and spending quality time together.

Family Story Blocks: Craft a keepsake that not only builds a relationship with your child, but helps them learn language and math skills, as well as fine motor development. It is also an excellent activity for toddlers while extended family is visiting.

 

Preschool (3-5 years)

  • Counting Decorations: Encourage children to count ornaments or candles, or count as they help set up celebratory decorations. As they practice counting, they can also start recognizing patterns.
  • Holiday Story Time: Read holiday-themed stories centered on family traditions together; visiting your local library is a great resource to access a large variety of materials that are low-budget and promote a friendly reading experience. This can boost language skills by exposing them to new words and ways of using language and connecting with various cultural traditions and values, such as kindness, empathy, and generosity.

Here are a few more resources:

Pumpkin Pie Playdough: This fun activity encourages family conversation and exposure to math and science.   

Make a Rainstick: Budget-friendly, this fun exercise introduces awareness of weather and the environment.

Fingerplay and Piggyback Songs: These activities support learning while little ones are home during holiday breaks.

 

School-Age (6+ years)

  • Holiday Letter Writing: Have school-aged kids use these writing prompts to journal their thoughts and express themselves. Also, write holiday cards or thank-you notes, encouraging writing practice and thoughtfulness.
  • Family Game Night: Choose educational games that involve strategy, math, or spelling. Games make learning fun, increase communication and social skills, help develop imagination, encourage creativity, and foster great family bonding time.

Here are a few more resources:

Holiday homemade gift ideas: Gifts made by hand are heartwarming. Children learn to build relationships by deeply considering the gifts given to family and friends.

Investigating Pumpkins:  When exploring various foundational math and science concepts, feel free to substitute the pumpkin for other items accessible to you.

Volunteer in Your Community: Use this time off for the holidays to teach gratitude and community connection.

 

Making the effort to support learning during the holidays can have lasting developmental benefits. Include small, engaging educational activities to help maintain children’s progress while inspiring a love of lifelong learning. This approach not only supports what children have learned but also builds family bonds and nurtures curiosity.

To find more learning activities for your family’s holiday adventures, please visit chs-ca.org/news-and-events/activity-sheets.

 

 

Resources and References:

Anti-Bias Education and Holidays: Making Thoughtful Decisions | NAEYC

Children's Home Society of California | Activity Sheets

Children's Home Society of California - CHS Blog - Holiday Activities for the Entire Family

Children's Home Society of California - CHS Blog - Teaching Children about Giving

Cultural Connections through Family Engagement for Building Stronger Bonds - Sesame Workshop

Children's Home Society of California - CHS Blog - Holiday Homemade Gift Ideas

Children's Home Society of California - CHS Blog - Learning and Building Relationships with Fingerplay Songs

Find Your Local Library - California State Library

Fine-Motor Skills: Overview, Examples, and Improvement

Meaningful Art Projects Parents Can Fit Into a Busy Day | NAEYC

Preventing Learning Loss Over the Holidays

Recycled Craft: Make a Rainstick · Kix Cereal

Support Your Child's Learning During the Holidays! | NAEYC

Winter Wonderland Terrarium | Crafts for Kids | PBS KIDS for Parents

Winter Songs for Preschoolers

10 Engaging and Educational Activities to Keep Kids Learning During the Holidays

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