The holidays are a magical time of year filled with love, laughter, and goodwill — and young children tend to exude excitement and wonder with this season that will be here before you know it.
However, it can sometimes be more challenging to keep that same spirit alive as children enter their teenage years.
Looking for fun and innovative ways to make the holidays lively and engaging for your teenage kids? Then you may want to try these suggestions on for size.
Competitive Decorating
If you have more than one teenager, one way to keep them engaged is to add a little fun competition to the mix. In the days leading up to your holiday celebration, get out any decorations you may have or even buy some new ones to liven things up. Then, each of the kids can be given a room to decorate.
After the decorating is completed, judging can be done in several ways. Either you, the parents, can determine whose room came out best or guests can do this if friends and family are convening to celebrate. In the latter scenario, it can be fun to have everyone vote on which room looks best without revealing who decorated which room until voting is completed.
As for prizes? Well, they can be just about anything, really. One fun idea is to buy a gift that would be interesting for any of the teenagers involved and allow the winner to unwrap this gift. Regardless of the prize, this holiday decorating contest is sure to keep your teens entertained.
Photo Christmas Cards
Teenagers tend to be most satisfied by simply being involved. One great way to do something fun for the whole family is to send out photo Christmas cards. Allowing your teenage kids to choose the photos and design of the cards is a surefire way to keep them interested. As a bonus, they just may learn the value of developing family traditions.
In addition to choosing photos and perhaps even taking the pictures to use themselves, your kids can further enjoy the process by selecting some of their own friends to whom they’d like to send cards. Ultimately, they can take pride in the fact that they created something unique and shared it with those in their lives who matter most to them.
Teenage Shopping Spree
Many teenagers love shopping, and surprisingly, it doesn’t always have to be something for themselves. One fun way to keep the kids involved is to provide them each with a list of family members who need gifts. Just make sure you set a budget for each family member. Then, they can be set loose in the mall or any store of your choosing.
Allowing them to scour the shelves seeking the perfect gifts for family members is sure to keep them engaged and get the holiday spirit flowing. What’s more, this can also serve as a good learning opportunity in the value of money and the importance of budgeting. They may not get to see the cost of many items in their daily lives, so this is a perfect chance for both a fun activity and an important life lesson.
Cookie Baking and Decorating
No matter their age, kids love sweets. And a simple and effective way to make the holidays fun with teenage kids is for them to help with making cookies. Supervision is, of course, necessary for using the oven. However, children of all ages can enjoy mixing the ingredients, rolling the dough, cutting the cookie shapes, and adding the decorations. If any of your teenaged children have an artistic streak in them, then it’s sure to shine here!
Let Your Teens Feel Part of the Planning Process
Stirring up the holiday spirit within teenagers may not be as simple as when they were younger, but using some of the tips will undoubtedly keep them interested. By considering what drives a teenager’s positive emotions, you can make the holidays especially enjoyable for them. Above all, allowing them to feel a part of the planning and decision-making processes will keep their passion for the holidays alive.
