Tips to keep over excited kids occupied?

[SugarCookieMonster]

I hope I’m not the only one feeling like my child has been possessed by the Christmas monster in the last few days?! We seem to have entered a stage where every game, story and conversation must be Christmas themed. I partially blame school as they’ve been practicing for the Christmas play for weeks so DS has been telling camel jokes (with incorrect punchlines. Something about a cheese sandwich?) and doing the Baa Baa Boogie daily 🫠.

Anyway, I’m looking for any ideas, tips and tricks from the veterans who have gone before me to make these days more bearable! Ideally quiet or calm activities that DS (7) could do to chill the F out. But really anything that will take up a solid block of time where he won’t ask if it’s December yet or in depth questions about the organisational chart at the North Pole.

I’ve printed out some activity sheets with crosswords, spot the difference etc. He’s not a fan of colouring. Should I attempt some Christmas crafts or is that going to end in tears and glitter over the dog?

Also please feel free to add in your own tales of your feral elf children to make me feel better.

We take ours to a local pottery shop and decorate something, has been baubles but now we have enough of those so we are doing Christmas mugs this year

@IndigoIsMyFavouriteColour That sounds lovely! I’ve always wanted to try that, I’ll have a look and see if we have anywhere nearby that does it.

Scavenger hunts - I quickly scribble a list of things my dc have to find and bring me. Examples include: 5 black Lego bricks in different sizes, a pair of folded pyjamas, a teddy wearing a hat, 6 felt tip pens with the correct lids on. They have great fun racing round the house!

Snack hiding - when it’s snack time, I try to spin it out a bit by hiding the food in a few rooms. E.g. grapes hidden behind the photos on the mantelpiece, mini cheddars between the banisters, a chocolate coin in a shoe, a rice cake behind a table leg etc…. keeps them busy and active for 20 mins or so!

Depending on their ages:

Get them to sort out their toys and donate anything the don't play anymore.

Direct their energy nto helping you clean the house.

Get out in the fresh air for some long walks..

Christmas excitement starts way too early these days and it's a lot for kids to handle.

https://www.2weeks2learn.com/product-page/the-i-m-bored-guide-at-christmas

this!! Written by 5 minute mum and her friend “playful learning games” it’s got all different activities for different vibes - active, chilled, learning, earning….

I love her guides (not affiliated just love what she does)

DC3 is giving Grinch vibes-he has been practicing the Nativity at school for weeks and can't remember anything about it and refuses to acknowledge Christmas in any way! DC2 makes up for it in spades with her Elf vibes (and knows the entire nativity play from school jncluding songs despite not even being in it!). She is a Christmas whirlwind! At home we have a paper chain station, make Christmas cards, treasure hunts (chocolate coins prize), Xmas movie nights, Xmas baking (stain glass window biscuits really simple), decorate windows with Xmas window stickers. Obviously DC2 is chief tree decorator and has one in her bedroom too. She will also help me wrap Xmas presents (only stockings from Santa here so others are wrapped under the tree). I do like to get out and about as much as possible though- We do as many national trust visits and garden centre visits as we can squeeze in to see the Christmas decorations, visit a local Christmas market, local walks to see the decorations. DC1 is in panto so we will be seeing that before Xmas too as well as seeing family and friends.

A paper chain is a nice visual countdown of the days. It can also be an easy craft to make.

if he has decent scissor skills already, set him to making snowflakes. Cheap and easy. Basically no setup. Only a small mess that is easy to clean up. Can be hung basically all over the house, but especially in windows.

Personally I'd keep the Christmas hype at home as low as possible.
We never put decorations up in our house before the last day of term for a start, just keep home as normal and routine as possible.

Show him how to make a North Pole org chart on PowerPoint 😁

Do you have any Hama beads already? If so look up Christmas patterns. We've made all sorts of baubles/Christmas coaters with them (you have to get a bit imaginative with colours after a while though!) They take quite a while.

Look in home bargains. We bought a colour your own Christmas table cloth. It was massive and about a pound. Similarly we had a colour your own canvas from hobby craft and that looked pretty good when finished.

I've done salt dough decorations using Christmas cookie cutters then they decorate them.

Or buy the big packets of wooden baubles (the flat plywood type) and he can decorate one for granny, his pals etc.

Although if you like a fancy tree you'll have to give him a little one to put all the craft on!

For outside but a cheap bag of chocolate Christmas tree decorations and hide them around the garden (just remember to count how many you had!)

Oh we also do our own imaginary judge the Christmas decorations competition. It's a good reason to get them out for a dark walk picking which house would come first, second, third etc.

Be warned though, once you start all this stupid becomes tradition!

In our house we never discussed Christmas until December and redirected all Christmas excitement into other things. It's too long for them to wait, especially if they don't understand time.

You said he wasn't a fan of colouring but I noticed The Works have one of those paint with water books that is a Christmas advent calendar with a picture each day. It looked a nice idea.

I like a Christmas jigsaw and the kids like to help. Go round the charity shops and see if you can get a 250 piece to do together.

There are only really three weekends before Christmas after this. Once they start the school stuff proper it will take the edge off as he'll be doing a lot there.

DS has wanted to do 'something Christmassy' a few times. DD made a pinecone owl at a craft club. You stuff the pinecone with cotton wool and then can add feathers and and bits of paper to be eyes/beak. We replicated at home without the feathers. You obviously need pinecones but it was a relatively mess free craft and quite successful.

@Forgottenmyphone loving the idea of scavenger hunts around the house to burn off some energy!

@Shelby1981 thanks for that, super helpful ideas!

@noscoobydoodle thank you. I love Christmas but it takes over school for months so I feel for the kids who are less enthusiastic.

@Ponderingwindow great ideas, some low key crafts sound perfect.

@TeenToTwenties I agree in theory but we’re in Wales and the last day of school is the 19th so I’d be facing a mutiny 😂

@FigAboutTheRules again good in theory but school gave out Nativity parts before October half term, costumes had to be in last week. Tickets for the panto, Christmas fair and his music concert went on sale 2 weeks ago. It’s hard to keep Christmas out of the house until December when there’s so much of it at school!

@Teathecolourofcreosote Lovely ideas thanks. Haven’t heard of Hama beads so off to research those and dig out some jigsaw puzzles!

😂 Could be an excellent IT lesson!

@SugarCookieMonsterrather than Hama beads that you need to iron, aqua beads can be an easier choice - just spray with water and flip over, then leave to dry