Christmas is right around the corner! Our kids are not about to let us forget. The holiday buzz is in the air as carols begin echoing through our local shops and decorations begin decorating our homes and streets. But it’s not just the tree with all the gifts or the jolly man in red coming down the chimney that has our little elves excited. These early years are crucial to developing young minds, and Christmas is a great way for children to start honing their skills within their environment. Right now, there is so much to see, touch, smell, taste, and do!

So, here are five things you can do in the Durham area with your kids this holiday season that are not just fun but can keep pushing them to become lifelong learners.

Wreath Making

Making a wreath for the door or the mantle is not a pleasing and pretty affair. Arranging the decorations on the wreath can help foster a foundation of special awareness, as well as what parts can fit together enough to hold in place. The wreath also possesses plenty of tactile parts, like the fronds, baubles, and ribbons.

Bake and Decorate Holiday Cookies

Also known as Secret Math! Quantities, counting, portions, and measurements all play crucial parts in baking. While your little one is enjoying just how many eggs go into the batter, they are also learning how delicate an egg’s shell can be. Baking takes patience once those Christmas bells and snowmen cookies are in the oven while decorating gives them hands-on experience and encourages a steady hand.

Gingerbread Houses

This may seem similar to those holiday cookies, but stick with us! Gingerbread houses do carry the same concept, but now those cookies must stand upright. Your sweet-toothed architect is literally getting the lay of the land when they build gingerbread houses, from basic architecture to landscaping, all the way down to the gumdrop bushes and peppermint mailbox.

Homemade Ornaments

This one is an ever-popular child care center activity! There are several ornament kits and DIY tree decorations that you and Santa’s little helper will be spoiled for choice. Even after they learn just what it takes to assemble these perfect tree accessories, they can enjoy how their ornament looks in certain lights, or how a particularly heavy bauble could weigh down a lighter branch.

Do You Want to Build a Snowman?

Couldn’t resist! Snowmen are as old school as you can get when it comes to Christmas crafts, but there is so much your children can learn. How the big base builds the snowman’s foundation to keep from falling over to your child recognizing human characteristics and anatomy like limbs, faces, and do not forget the magic hat on top!

So, let your—and your child’s!—imagination run wild this Christmas season. Not only will you be giving them educational and environmental tools to further their learning, but you will also be creating fond Christmas memories together that will last a lifetime.

Wonderschool is here for your Durham child care needs. We encourage creativity and environmental exploration. Our all-in-one childcare platform can help parents find the best program for their children. Visit Wonderschool to find quality child care in Durham that promotes your child’s imagination and new discoveries every day!