For many people, this Christmas will be a smaller, quieter one than we’ve ever had before. While in-person visits with family are curtailed, there’s still plenty of ways to bring joy to the holiday and keep it going through the snowy season.
If you’re feeling stuck, here are some ideas to get the season’s greetings going:
Decorate a gingerbread house
Read a story with your household, bonus if you can do it around a fireplace
Cut paper snowflakes
Construct a paper chain. You can also write on the links, listing things like what you’re grateful for or hopes for 2021
Try your hand at some vintage holiday recipes like fig pudding or fruit cake
Create cards for hospitalized patients, residents of nursing homes or your own friends and family
Go sledding at White Park
Stage your own holiday pageant or puppet show
Bake cookies
Drive around to look at lights and decorations, make it a game by playing “I Spy”
Ice skating at the Everett Arena (see page 12 for details on vacation hours)
Holiday/ugly sweater fashion show or photo shoot
Cross-country skiing at Beaver Meadow Golf Course or White Farm
Make popcorn garland
Go for a snowshoe hike
Record a home movie
Make salt dough ornaments
Have a game night
Build snow forts and have a snowball fight
Watch a festive movie
Stream the Nutcracker ballet (many companies are offering tickets to online shows, including the Boston Ballet and the MET.)
Assemble a family puzzle
Christmas carol karaoke
Jingle your neighbors (leave a secret gift on their doorstep with instructions to pay it forward)
Pull out the cookbook and try an old family recipe
Have a household slumber party and roll out the sleeping bags by the Christmas tree
Mix up some festive cocktails or mocktails
Check-in on the NORAD Santa Tracker
Journal or write a story, you can set a prompt for each person in the household to follow or free write, share or keep to yourself
