7 Easy Ways to Make Christmas Eve Extra Special
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Christmas 2020 is going to look and feel a little different – but that doesn’t mean it has to be “bad” different. We can still give our kids a magical Christmas even if we have to stay home, Clorox more often, and see Santa with a mask. If we have the right attitude and enough Christmas spirit, this may just be the Christmas our kids remember the most. Here are 7 easy ways to make Christmas Eve extra special for kids this year.
Mix Up Reindeer Food
On Christmas Eve, guide Santa’s reindeer to your home with reindeer food. The idea is to mix food reindeers will eat, such as oatmeal, with shiny glitter to attract them to your yard. Here’s an easy (cheap) recipe from The Girl Who Ate Everything:
INGREDIENTS
1 cup oatmeal
1 cup white sugar
1/4 to 1/2 cup red and green colored decorating sugar crystals
INSTRUCTIONS
Mix all the ingredients together and sprinkle it on your lawn.
Bake Cookies
One of the benefits of a quarantine Christmas is that we have more time at home than usual. Typically, we have to find time in the hustle and bustle of the season. Since we aren’t as busy, it means we finally have time to go all-out when baking cookies for Santa. This is the year to make a mess and have some fun with the kids in the kitchen.
Hot Cocoa Bar
Before you get ready to leave out milk and cookies for Santa, set up a hot cocoa bar for the whole family. Choose some special toppings and stirrers to make the cocoa extra special. Kids top their mugs like they would at an ice cream sundae bar. Don’t forget to put out some peppermint vodka for Mr. and Mrs. Claus to add to their mugs.
Play Christmas-Themed Games
During the Easter quarantine, we played competition-style Easter-themed games (such as an egg spoon relay). We plan to do the same on Christmas Eve, such as pin the red nose on Rudolph. Check out Parents' list of 10 Fun Christmas Party Games for Kids of All Ages.
Have a Special Dinner Without Cooking
Unless you love cooking, 2020 is the year to let someone else do it for you. Not only does this guarantee it will be delicious, but it will also help your favorite restaurants stay in business. With so many restaurants suffering from lost revenue, you can support them by ordering a pre-cooked Christmas dinner.
Track Santa
The pandemic is not going to prevent Santa from delivering toys to all the girls and boys around the world. Dr. Fauci told USA Today, “Santa is exempt from [this pandemic] because Santa, of all the good qualities, has a lot of good innate immunity. Santa is not going to be spreading any infections to anybody.” Since Santa is declared safe to spread joy, track his journey with NORAD.
Sibling Sleepover
A Christmas Eve tradition we have that we plan to keep until forever is encouraging our daughters to treat Christmas Eve as an extra special sleepover. If your kids don’t share a room, this is a great way for them to bond and to keep them secure in one room while Santa prepares the presents.
