THE holidays are here which means plenty more opportunities to enjoy quality time with your family and friends.
If you’re stuck for ideas Parkdean Resorts have compiled 10 festive activities that offer something for all ages, tastes and budgets.
Salt dough Christmas decorations
Salt dough Christmas decorations are the perfect addition to the family Christmas tree, not only that but is a great interactive activity for families to explore baking and decorating. The following recipe is easy to follow and only requires a handful of ingredients:
To make 10-12 decorations you will need:
salt dough – mix 1 cupful of plain flour (about 250g), with half a cupful of table salt (about 125g) and half a cupful of water (about 125ml) to make the dough
plain flour, for dusting
rolling pin
biscuit cutters
piping nozzle (optional)
acrylic paints or felt-tip pens
thin ribbon
Method
- Roll the salt dough out onto a lightly floured work surface to a thickness of about 5mm.
- Use the biscuit cutters to cut shapes from the dough – we chose Christmas trees and snowflakes.
- Press the tip of a piping nozzle into the top of each shape to make a neat hole. If you don’t have a piping nozzle, you can use a sharp pencil to poke a hole through the dough. Choose the position carefully – the hole needs to be near the top of the design, but not so close to the edge that it breaks.
- Set your oven to its lowest heat. Put your shapes on a lined baking sheet and bake for 3 hrs, or until solid. Leave to cool completely.
- Once cool, paint and decorate as you like. We found that acrylic paint works best, but you could also colour them with felt-tip pens, glitter or festive stickers. Leave to dry. To finish, loop the ribbon through the hole and tie at the top, ready to hang on the tree.
Building a snowman
For Brits dreaming of a white Christmas, a fun and budget-friendly activity the whole family can get involved with is building a snowman, or even an entire snow-family. Just make sure you’re wrapped up warm and have got the heating on or a festive fire roaring for when you venture back inside.
Young family enjoying Christmas movies at homeChristmas film marathon
Christmas is the perfect excuse to get snuggled up on the sofa and watch all your favourite Christmas films together. Parkdean recommends having a look through the TV guide and setting aside a day to binge watch all the classics - with the perfect addition of matching PJ’s of course.
Paper-chain snowflakes
Paper-chain snowflakes can turn your family home into a winter wonderland, and only requires a pair of scissors (careful with little fingers) and any type of paper you’ve got already in your home.
Make your own wrapping paper
Add that handmade effect to your loved ones' Christmas gifts this year and get creative with your craft skills. Let your family's imagination run wild with glitter, eye catching prints, and endless colouring.
Check out a local Christmas market
Christmas markets have become a popular festive activity for families across the world, so why not check out what your very own hometown or city has to offer. Parkdean have also released a list of Christmas markets definitely worth a visit this winter.
Track Santa online
Norad have created their very own Santa tracker so you and your family can see what Santa’s up to from December 1 onwards - the perfect activity to get the whole family in the Christmas spirit.
Festive baking
From mince pies, to gingerbread men, the possibilities for festive baking are endless, and not only that, will make your home smell incredibly inviting for any guests this Christmas, and is a great interactive activities for kids to explore flavours and doughy textures.
Hot chocolate creations
And Parkdean recommends washing down those festive baking treats with a delicious hot chocolate. But don’t stop there, create your new favourite and experiment with flavours like orange or white chocolate and raspberry. To be topped with marshmallows and cream of course.
Prepare Santa’s Christmas Eve plate
When December 24 is finally upon us, get the whole family involved with preparing Santa’s plate. Either sticking with a traditional mince pie, glass of milk, and a fresh carrot for Rudolph, or exchange these with your family's favourites. After all, visiting every home in one night can be tiring!
More information can be found on the Parkdean Resorts website.
