Restful Activities // December

The hardest thing about our month without TV has been the two hours after school before dinner prep. Everyone is back home again, ready to chill but not sure what to do. We're not turning to screens this month, so I decided to create a list of Christmasy after-school activities to help us along. Restful activities that won't take much energy and will help us find the downtime we're seeking.

I won't force anyone in my family to do these activities—if the kids want to rest in their own way, that's great!—but I set something out at the table each day to be available when the kids get home from school. We unload backpacks and instruments, kick off our shoes, and I get right to work at the table. I'm always amazed how working on a project myself often entices the family to join me or simply puts the kids at ease to sink into their own activities nearby. 

Here is our list of ideas for December:

1. Play Huckle Buckle Beanstalk with a Christmas ornament
2. Make gingerbread cookies
3. Decorate gingerbread cookies
4. Give each other Christmasy manicures
5. Do steam facials and face masks using peppermint essential oil
6. Make paper snowflakes to hang in the front window
7. Start a Christmas puzzle
8. Make Waldorf-inspired chalkboard art
9. Blow up white balloons and play games
10. Decorate Christmas cards to give to friends and teachers
11. Mix epsom salt with Christmasy essential oils and do a foot soak
    
12. Pick out three toys for the toy drive
13. Make tin-can lanterns with a hammer and nail
14. Set out all the pillows and blankets and read by the Christmas tree
15. Plan an ice skating outing
16. Make birdseed ornaments to hang outside
17. Play games at the table with the candy bowl
18. Print holiday coloring pages from here, here, and here
19. Make Christmas mocktails (cranberries, rosemary, orange segment, cranberry juice, ginger ale)
20. For winter solstice:
• Make golden Waldorf window stars
• Make sun bread
• Set off a sky lantern over the pond
21. Make homemade hot fudge and eat with peppermint ice cream
22. Create a Christmas village out of Legos
23. Make play dough in holiday colors (bonus if you add glitter!)
24. Play pictionary with Christmas words and song titles
25. Make sugar cookies
26. Paint sugar cookies with egg yolk + food coloring
27. Sing Christmas songs as a family (with instruments!)
28. Make a Christmas tree fruit plate
29. Have an outdoor fire with hot chocolate

**If you're too tired for any of these, turn on some classical Christmas music and cuddle up with a blanket instead!**