This holiday season may look different than most since large gatherings of family and friends aren’t possible. However, you can still make this time fun and special — especially for your kids. Use these tips to get your kids involved not only to lift their holiday spirits but also to give you a helping hand!

1) Make It Fun
Your kids may love being assigned small tasks while you bake in the kitchen. While it’s best to keep them away from any high-powered appliances, like standing mixers and food processors, they can be in charge of whisking batter, stirring in chocolate chips, or mixing food colouring into icing.

If your child prefers decorating over baking, set up a decorating station at the island or kitchen table so they can have fun while you work and observe. Plus, you can make this a social-distanced playdate where the stations are six feet apart; just make sure each child has their own icing bags and bowls of sprinkles and other decorations.

You can also purchase a festive apron for your children so that they feel like your official sous chef.

2) Give Them Something to Be Proud Of
Most parents can recall the immeasurable joy on their child’s face the first time they saw their artwork displayed on the refrigerator. By having them help create festive decor that they get to see around the house every year, they’ll be even happier.

Some easy holiday crafts for your kids to work on include creating colourful paper garlands, painting wooden or clay holiday figurines, and making their own holiday ornaments. The garland only requires stapling colourful construction paper links, and they can make it as long as they want. And, most craft stores stock blank figurines and glass or plastic ornaments that can be designed with paint, sparkles, ribbon, and other fun elements. Once they're ready, let them help you decorate the tree! 

They’ll have a blast creating everything and be immensely proud of themselves for making something the family will see and enjoy for years to come.

3) Reward Them
After a long day of fun in the kitchen or crafting, the kids are bound to be exhausted. Reward them by allowing them to pick out their favourite cookie or cupcake that they decorated. Then, allow them to have that as their after-dinner dessert that night as a thank you for a job well done.

You can also reward the kiddos and entice them to try more holiday-prep fun by allowing to choose a holiday film to watch in celebration of their chores. Plus, if you let them pick the movie ahead of performing the task, it will motivate and give them something to look forward to for later.

While getting your children involved in these tasks will take some chores off your plate, they also offer an amazing opportunity for bonding. You’ll get to truly embody the spirit of the season by spending time and learning new skills together. So, give them a try, and maybe you’ll even end up creating new annual traditions for years to come.