10 MORE things to do for Family Fun over Christmas Break

11. Try a Winter Sport

Ice skating, skiing, sledding and snow tubing are great ways to enjoy sports in the winter. Of course, these depend on the weather and how close you live to winter recreation areas. Probably the easiest and cheapest to try out is ice skating, since many cities have indoor rinks or seasonal outdoor skating areas especially around the holidays.

12. Volunteer
Of course, volunteering is a great thing to do any time of year. No need to wait for the holidays, but during the holidays there are a lot of opportunities for kids to volunteer. Just be careful think out volunteer commitments and not take on more than you or your child can handle.

13. Create Art
Art is one of those wonderful activities that can be scaled to almost every age and ability level. And depending on the project, it can be done with or without adult supervision. So you can work at home while the kids create art or you can roll up your sleeves and get messy too. Art projects can become gifts for relatives or decorations for the house. Setting up a dedicated art space makes set up and clean up easier.

14. Go to a Museum
Many museums and attractions count on Christmas break for a big surge of visitors, so don’t expect to be the only ones there. However, many attractions put on special programs for kids and/or offer discounts on admission at off-peak hours to get their fair share of the Christmas break traffic.

15. Homework or School Projects
No one said these were all going to be fun Christmas break things to do. Many teachers assign homework or projects. Be sure to ask your child about any project or homework at the beginning of Christmas break so you’re not in for any last-minute surprises. And even if there's no homework, you might want to start thinking ahead to science fair or getting math facts memorized.  Perhaps you and your child can work side by side in your office throughout Christmas break. Or maybe pick a day or two to get the majority of it done.

16. Read a Book Together
Even if you regularly read together, change things up a little during Christmas break. Choose something a little different from your ordinary reading material so it stands out as a holiday tradition. Maybe try a book of Christmas poems or a classic novel read in daily installments. Change up how you do it too. If reading time is usually at bedtime, try after dinner or around the Christmas tree.

17. Write a Book Together
OK, it doesn’t have to be a whole book. But penning a story together can be a great memento of your holiday break. And this is a wonderful activity for kids of all ages. Children who are just beginning to talk can contribute to a group story. Older kids can write or illustrate. This is also an activity you can participate in or something you can have them work on without you while you are working.

18. Take a Trip
A trip to grandma’s may already be on the schedule for Christmas break, in which case you may not be up for more travel, but I’m talking about a vacation, not simply a visit with relatives. Christmas vacations with kids can be as elaborate as a trip to Disney World or as easy as an overnight in a neighboring city. But a trip during the holidays will surely be remembered.

19. Make Appointments – Doctor, Dentist, Haircut, etc.

If you have to take time off work for child care during the holidays, then lighten your load in the coming months. Use the time off to take care of those appointments that often fill up your afternoons, evenings or weekends.

20. Play Games

Before Christmas pull out some of the old games; after Christmas the new ones. Kids games run the gamut from old-fashioned Candyland to video games. But one thing that is universal is kids like it when the parents play.