It is November so I am officially allowed to mention Christmas.

As usual at this time of year, the big names are launching their predictions of what will be the biggest toy of the Christmas season.  And while there are the usual cuddly toys and computer games, reassuringly there are several interesting, educational toys in the mix as well as items that provide learning or skills while having fun. And while there is nothing wrong with any of these presents, sometimes you want to give your children something different, something educational or to help with their learning.  Sometimes, you want to give them something that gets them away from the TV screen or the smartphone!

Day Trips

Children always look forward to a day trip somewhere, whether to the local museum, castle or an animal park or farm.  Anything that holds their interest will be keenly anticipated.  So why not build on this by booking tickets ahead of time and giving them as a Christmas gift?  Even if the tickets don’t look like much, you can always print information about the location from the internet to make it seem even more exciting.

If there is a certain place that they love to visit, then why not get a membership as a Christmas present?  Memberships can save money if you go more than once a year to a place and the promise of regular visits will no doubt excite the kids.  Museums, zoos, aquariums and even music venues offer memberships that often gain access to special events before the public too – another added bonus.

Get crafty

Winter can be difficult as parents because the children can’t get outside and enjoy themselves as they do in spring and summer.  Therefore, Christmas can be a great opportunity to get them involved in some form of craft or art with Christmas at The Works, with lots of ideas that they can learn over the winter and come back to any time there is a rainy day or they are bored. Making something is both educational and very satisfying so this is a good basis for a present.  You can buy lots of ready-made kits or create your own scrapbook so they can have their own journal or memory book that will last long after the Christmas decorations have come down. 

Photography

Creating a scrapbook is a brilliant project to do with your children and a kit containing the basics makes an ideal present.  Whether they have their own camera or smartphone or simply use yours (with a little adult supervision) taking photos and adding them to a scrapbook is very satisfying. 

Nature walks are a great opportunity to take those photos so why not add in a nature guide to presents pile?  That way, they can learn about what they are photographing and can even write about it in their scrapbook or create crafty embellishments to go with it.

Baking

Baking must be tied in first place as the best activity for kids to do with parents, alongside crafting.  Most of us love to have home baked goodies and some of these recipes are extremely easy to do.  Buying a children’s baking set for Christmas will inspire them and even if you start with a packet mix from the supermarket, they will love creating something everyone will enjoy.  And maybe, they will take to it so much that they will end up being the next baking superstar!

Do you try and find alternatives to the usual Christmas list demands?

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