Reading
- “Letters from Father Christmas” by J.R.R. Tolkien (https://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Letters_from_Father_Christmas)
- “The Christmas Magic” by Lauren Thompson (https://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-439-77497-0)
- “The Tomten” by Astrid Lindgren
- "Little Christmas Tree" by Jessica Courtney Tickle
- For holidays close to home (think local settings, fewer chimneys) here are some local suggestions:
- “The Snowy Day” by Ezra Jack Keats
- “The Eight Knights of Hanukkah” by Leslie Kimmelman
- “How Does Santa Go Down The Chimney?” by Jon Klassen
- “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas” (the one by Mr. Boddington’s Studio; the one illustrated by Loren Long; the one illustrated by Jan Brett)
- “Miracle on 133rd St” by Sonia Manzano
- “Santa in the City” by Tiffany D Jackson
- “Auntie Claus” by Elise Primavera
- (Suggestion for next season- wrap up holiday books so that when you bring them out next year the kids get to unwrap one each night!
Watching
- Watch the same holiday show/movie each year (It's a Wonderful Life, Rudolf, Love Actually, The Holiday, Last Holiday)
- Trying to figure out what to watch? Here’s a silly set of facts about America’s favorite Christmas movies! Or you can use this flow chart to make your decision easier. Or check out the cheat sheet below for streaming movies!
Listening
- Listen to Songs for Christmas by Sufjan Stevens (https://sufjanstevens.bandcamp.com/album/songs-for-christmas)
- Here’s Billboard’s Top 100 Holiday Songs, and Disney’s Holiday Classics
Doing
- Stay home and in pajamas on Christmas Day and make the day ALL ABOUT food and movies
- Make ornaments every year with a picture from the year so it could grow into a collection for each of the children
- Walk around the neighborhood to look at all the holiday lights
- Wear matching pajamas
- Christmas Eve caroling at Washington Square Arch
- Make Sufagniyot (donuts) on Hanukkah (the Bon Appetit recipe is easy!)
- Spend a day baking cookies
- Light a candle for each night of Kwanzaa and reflect on the thought for each day
- Every year, buy a Christmas ornament to put on the tree for each kid. That way, when they go off to have their own first christmas tree they'll have ornaments that they know!
- Leave cookies out for Santa, carrots for the reindeer, and cheese for Santa Mouse (a fun book)
- Have a cookie swap with friends
- Open one present on Christmas Eve (save the rest for Christmas morning!)
- Make origami snowflake decorations (https://www.artfulmaths.com/blog/let-it-snow-origami-snowflakes)
- (Suggestion for next season- each day of November, write one thing you're thankful for on a paper strip, and turn the strips into a garland for the tree!)
Enjoy the season, and if you come up with any new traditions this year, send them our way!
