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6 Frugal Activities for Kids During Winter Break

December 23, 2021 | Leave a Comment

Frugal Activities for Kids During Winter Break

Kids around the country are enjoying winter break. While the early days of winter break are likely busy with holiday activities and preparations, the last week can be quiet and a bit boring. If you want to find frugal activities for kids during winter break, look no further than our list. These activities can help your kids relax, have fun, and spend time building memories with family.

Frugal Activities for Kids During Winter Break

Have a Movie Marathon

If your kids don’t get a lot of screen time during the school year, take one day this break and have a movie marathon. Pick two or three movies the family wants to watch, and then camp out on the couch with yummy snacks and the blinds closed. Have a great time watching and then discussing the movies.

Have a Chopped Challenge

Have your kids watched the cooking show, Chopped? If so, why not have a kids’ Chopped challenge at your house. Give the kids three or four items with which to create a meal. Then, you decide which of the kids wins the competition. (As a bonus with this activity, you have one less meal you have to cook this week!) If your kitchen is small, you may want to have one child cook one night with the ingredients and another child cook the next night.

Decorate Cookies

Who says Christmas cookies have to stop when Christmas is over? Have a fun afternoon making and decorating cookies. Make it extra fun by turning traditional cookie cutters into other objects. For instance, instead of making a gingerbread man with that cookie cutter shape, turn it into something else like a unicorn.

Go Sledding

Some of the best fun I’ve had with my kids is sledding with them. Bundle the family up, head out to the nearest large hill in the neighborhood, and go sledding. Stay out for an hour or two, and then come home and enjoy a nice mug of hot chocolate while you warm up.

Build a Snow Fort

Likewise, don’t send the kids out alone to play in the snow. Instead, go out with them and build a snow fort. You can even take a break for a snowball fight. The kids will love you spending time with them and being a kid again with them.

Play a Board Game

Frugal Activities for Kids

Photo by National Cancer Institute on Unsplash

During the busy school week, you may not have time to play games with your kids. During winter break, set aside some time to play board games with your kids. Some of our favorites include 10 Days in the USA, Battleship, Yahtzee, and The 5-Second Rule.

Final Thoughts

While taking a family vacation during break is nice, don’t feel bad if you don’t have the money to do so. Your kids will appreciate you spending time with them and enjoying any of these frugal activities for kids during winter break.

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Melissa Batai
Melissa Batai

Melissa is a writer and virtual assistant. She earned her Master’s from Southern Illinois University, and her Bachelor’s in English from the University of Michigan. When she’s not working, you can find her homeschooling her kids, reading a good book, or cooking. She resides in Arizona where she dislikes the summer heat but loves the natural beauty of the area.

Filed Under: Family Time, Holidays, Money and Finances, Parenting Tagged With: Activities For Family, Christmas break, holiday activities

Entertaining Kids During Christmas Break

December 4, 2012 | Leave a Comment

Entertaining Children Chirstmas BreakWith kids being out of school for a few weeks during the Christmas break, it’s easy to run out of ideas on how to entertain them. Growing up, my mom would send me to the mall with friends, handing me $40.00 to basically entertain myself for the day. While a nice treat once in a while, for most families, especially during the holiday season, this would quickly add up to be a big budget buster.

Here are a few ideas to entertain the kids (young and old) while on their Christmas break:

Host a Gingerbread House Building Party

This is loads of fun for kids of all ages. Have your child invite their friends over, either with a gingerbread house kit in hand, or you can provide the house for them (using an easy recipe and template). Have candy provided in dishes (on your well wrapped table, it will be messy!) and let them have fun creating. Don’t want to do a whole house? Try decorating gingerbread or sugar cookies instead.

Have them Volunteer

While volunteering with your children year round is encouraged, Christmas is usually a time when extra help is needed. Soup kitchens and food banks in particular are often looking for extra help during the season. If your child is under the age of 16, you may either need to grant permission or be present. Check to see if your local mall needs gift wrappers. Many malls offer gift wrapping services, often provided by volunteers, with funds raised going to local charities. Although this should never be the only reason why one does it, volunteer work looks great on university and college applications too.

Host a Christmas Themed Pajama Movie Party/Sleepover

Have a few of your kids friends over for a fun night of watching Christmas movies in their PJ’s (sleepover or not, you have to be comfy!). Provide a few snacks or have them help you make a homemade pizza and you’ve got yourself a budget-friendly party. You could even make use of one of the best vpns for torrenting and download the movies the kids want to watch in advance so that you don’t have to worry about the dreaded buffering sign appearing during the movie and derailing things when everyone is quiet and engaged in the magic of Christmas movies.

Go Outside and Play

Especially in today’s technology driven world, we forget about the simplicity of encouraging outdoor play without an abundance of toys. Encourage them to explore; pick up a stick and use their imagination! Make sure they’re well bundled if you’re fortunate enough to live in a cold winter environment and let them enjoy the fresh air.

Have them Help You Prep Meals for the Holidays.

Most kids like to explore in the kitchen. It’s a great opportunity to have the learn some kitchen skills from you and your family. Yes, it will take longer than if you did it yourself and yes, your kitchen will likely be much messier but the skills that you’ll be able to teach are much more important than some spilled flour.

Check to See if Your Local Theater Offers Christmas Break Discounts

Most movie theater chains will offer discounted tickets during the local school break as a way of encouraging the movie-going experience so check it out!

Crafts

Have your kids make everything from Christmas cards or gift tags to tree ornaments. The possibilities are endless and most require very few supplies. Who wouldn’t love a homemade card from your young one?

Encourage the Inner Entrepreneur

If you have older kids, encourage them to use their time off to make some money during their break. Ideas include: shoveling driveways, offering to get groceries (or run errands) for people who need extra help, or dog walking for people who may be away or just too busy to do it themselves.

Christmas can be stressful enough, you shouldn’t have to worry about what your kids are going to be doing while off from school. With a little creative planning, you can quickly fill their time without breaking the bank!

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Brian
Brian

Brian is the founder of Kids Ain’t Cheap and is now sharing his journey through parenthood.

 
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Filed Under: Family Time, Holidays Tagged With: Budget, Christmas, Christmas break, entrepreneur, family finances, gingerbread house, money, movie theater, Movies, school, shoveling, sleepover, snow, volunteer

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Basic Principles Of Good Parenting

Here some basic principles for good parenting:

  1. What You Do Matters: Your kids are watching you. So, be purposeful about what you want to accomplish.
  2. You Can’t be Too Loving: Don’t replace love with material possessions, lowered expectations or leniency.
  3. Be Involved Your Kids Life: Arrange your priorities to focus on what your kid’s needs. Be there mentally and physically.
  4. Adapt Your Parenting: Children grow quickly, so keep pace with your child’s development.
  5. Establish and Set Rules: The rules you set for children will establish the rules they set for themselves later.  Avoid harsh discipline and be consistent.
  6. Explain Your Decisions: What is obvious to you may not be evident to your child. They don’t have the experience you do.
  7. Be Respectful To Your Child: How you treat your child is how they will treat others.  Be polite, respectful and make an effort to pay attention.
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