♪ Deck the halls with boughs of holly ♪♫ Fa la la la la, la la la la ♫♪ ‘Tis the season to be jolly ♪♫ Fa la la la la, la la la la ♫
Yes, Christmas is just around the corner and we’re all ready for plenty of merriment, gift-giving and of course, quality time with loved ones!
Aside from getting all your Christmas gift-giving in order, here are some Christmas activities that you simply must do with your little ones this holiday season.
Plan a Winter Escape
We might not have any snow in Malaysia, but that doesn’t mean your kids can’t experience their very own winter wonderland. Many places in the country have artificial pocket worlds of simulated winter.
This is usually made possible through temperature modification and snowmaking, where they use a machine to quickly freeze water before releasing it using pressurised air. Typical winter and Christmas deco and landscaping are often included.
Some of the places you can take your children so they can experience their own winter are Snow World, Genting Highlands and SnoWalk i-City Theme Park, Shah Alam.
Enjoy Sparkling Christmas Decos
If you can’t make the trip to the above locations, then there are still places you can go to put your kids in a merry mood.
Dozens of malls across the country have their holiday decorations up early in anticipation for Christmas. These are usually great photo-ops for family pictures plus they really help put kids in a festive mood.
Some great places to go this Christmas season are Sunway Pyramid Mall, 1 Utama Shopping Centre, Midvalley Megamall, Fahrenheit Bukit Bintang, Avenue K, Berjaya Times Square and Pavilion.
Christmas-fy Your Home
There are so many things to do with your kids indoors especially if you’re looking to spend Christmas domestically.
These include the typical Western culture of making gingerbread houses, hanging mistletoe and of course, Christmas stockings. You can even organise some fun DIY activities with your kids like making Christmas decorations, etc.
If you’re a seasoned home baker, you can spend the Christmas evening (or the day before) making Christmas cookies with your kids. Especially if you want them to cultivate some good kitchen skills.
For those who celebrate Christmas religiously, another ideal option is to bring your kids to Church where they can learn all about the birth of Jesus Christ and the values associated with this holy day.
Go Christmas Tree Shopping
If you don’t have a Christmas tree, you can take your kids out to get one. You can buy a plastic tree that you can reuse, of course, but good tip is to actually invest in a true, living Christmas tree such as a pine, spruce or fir.
These types of conifer trees can all thrive in Malaysia’s tropical climate. You can buy them for relatively cheap at many nurseries.
This is especially good for cost and energy saving especially if your family celebrates Christmas every year. When the holiday season comes around, you can just bring the tree inside (if you bought a potted tree) or decorate it outdoors. So many choices.
This can also be a great time to teach your kids a bit about the art of gardening.
Heartfelt Christmas Movies Viewing
Christmas is not complete without some good old Christmas movies to really lay on the nostalgia.
For young kids, this may just be the beginning of their Christmas memories. But for the parents, these evergreen films remain an important artefact of their childhood.
Aside from teaching important values like selflessness, forgiveness and giving, they are also a great comic relief for the whole family.
Here are some awesome films to help you and your kids get started on your Christmas movies marathon:
- Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
- Home Alone (1990)
- How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)
- The Santa Claus (1990)
- Christmas with the Kranks (2004)
- Scrooge: A Christmas Carol (2022)
Bring Them to a Donation Drive
Part of what makes the Spirit of Christmas is acts of selfless and charity. After all, that is one of the most important tenets of the Christian faith—helping the less fortunate.
Even if you’re not religious, it’s important to instil altruism in your kids so they will grow up to be decent adults who can reshape the world through kindness instead of greed. After all, we don’t want to be raising a tiny Scrooge.
If you have anything you want to donate, take them to one of the many orphanages or children’s homes that could all use a bit of Christmas cheer.
‘Tis the Season to be Jolly
Christmas is a once-a-year event that many look forward to and even plan in advance. But it doesn’t have to be a stressful time for you. Not when you truly embrace the true meaning of the holiday.
It’s not about the food, the decorations or all that other superficial stuff. Christmas is about family, charity and above all, kindness.
So, it’s important to invest the most time cherishing those precious moments with your little ones. After all, the memories you make are what will truly last.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all our dear readers from Motherhood with love!
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