As adults, we sometimes forget just how magical holidays can be for our kids. Since family traditions are one reason the days feel so special, we asked moms to share their most treasured Easter and Passover traditions. Here, we've rounded up 15 of their ideas — from throwing confetti and hunting for mini muffins to camping out no matter what the weather — all of which are wonderful memory makers.
Valentine’s Day offers a great opportunity to explore crafts and fun learning activities with your children. Help make the day of love and friendship special by trying some new activities together.
Valentine's Day Fingerprint Card
Valentine's Day Fingerprint Cards make great homemade gifts and cherished memories for grandparents or friends on Valentine's Day!
Materials Needed
To Make the Cards
1. On the folded piece of cardstock, assist the children in drawing a basic "stick" tree. Older children can draw their own, but younger children will need assistance (see card photo).
2. Have the children lightly dip one finger into a paint color. (For infants or very young children, the paint can be brushed onto a finger with a paintbrush and washed off after printing.) Children should make two fingerprints for each heart (one print slightly left and one printed slightly right to form a "heart"). Have the children make several fingerprint "hearts" all around the tree on the card. Allow the prints to dry thoroughly.
3. Have the children draw a heart around each of the fingerprinted hearts on their trees (see photo). Younger children will need assistance.
4. Help the children cut out the caption from the Valentine's Fingerprint Card PDF file (assist younger children with scissors skills). Next, kids can glue the square caption inside the card and write their names.
Valentine's Day Patterning
This craft is a fabulous craft for preschool and kindergarten-aged children.
1. Print one Valentine's Day Patterning Page (free to download) for each of your children.
2. Discuss patterns with your children. Have the children look at colored hearts to see if they can recognize any pattern that exists in the choice of colors used for the hearts in each of the rows. Help your children determine exactly what color the last heart in each row should be to complete the pattern. The children can use markers or crayons to color the last heart.
As your children get used to working with patterns, they will begin to point them out as they see patterns at the grocery store, during family travels, at school, etc. It is fun to watch new and emerging skills take hold!
For more Valentine's Day crafts and activities for young kids (including the "Tree of Love" Craft) visit: The Preschool Toolbox Blog!
Image Source: Darla Hutson
The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, POPSUGAR.
I had picked out a name for my first born son back when I was in college. I recall being at work and hearing a mother yelling after her son, "Blake!" He wasn't listening, but the name stuck with me. Later, when I was pregnant for the first time, I shared it with my handsome husband and he said, of course, "We'll see."
My husband's family, of the Jewish faith, shared the tradition of naming a new-born after a family member who had recently passed. I was told that if you use the first initial of that person's first name, it will give them eyes in heaven to see.
As it turned out, my father-in-law passed shortly before my beautiful boy was born. His name was Robert, but we called him Bob. So to stick with Jewish tradition, we needed a "B" name. Blake fit the bill!
Then it came to the middle name. On my side of the family we have Japanese middle names. However, since I picked Blake's first name, my husband insisted that he should be able to select the middle name. He chose David, after his grandfather. I really liked the sound of Blake David, so was in agreement.
We went by the same set of rules for baby number two. We started off with my husband's favorite name for a girl, Melissa. Since he selected our princess' first name, I chose Rei for her middle name. Rei, meaning lovely and inspirational, is also part of my mother's middle name, Reiko, and satisfied our Japanese tradition.
It was really fulfilling to be able to combine our preferences with our families' traditions to create our children's names. But it's ironic that after such careful thought and consideration, my kids really only hear their full names when they're being disciplined!
Image Source: Courtsey of Jennifer Willey
The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, POPSUGAR.
We put up our tree this afternoon during that delightful window between the afternoon naps and dinner. The tree is named Herbie the Fourth. We found him this morning at our local Boys and Girls Club. He is a perfect height for our apartment, and he has a nice, full shape. He is also perfectly scrappy - with more than a few dry needles.
Our Very First Tree
In 2008, we found Herbie the Original on Myrtle Avenue in Brooklyn. He was our first Christmas tree. I'm not sure why we waited until 2008 to get our first Christmas tree. My husband and I had been living together since 2004, and we got married in 2006. We had been trying to get pregnant for what felt like a long time by December 2008. So perhaps we had started to think of ourselves as family in a way that we had not before.
Because we had not ever put up a Christmas tree together, we had no ornaments to decorate the tree. My husband and I went to the Union Square Holiday Market to see what we could find there. It feels funny to buy Christmas ornaments, especially for your first Christmas tree. My husband and I both think of the ornaments you put on your tree as little homemade pieces of your family's past. They come from a box in your basement, not a store (or a tent in Union Square). But there we were, at the beginning of what would become our own family's "past," at the Holiday Market looking for ornaments that would feel right.
We decorated the tree that night, and when it was time to top the tree, we did not have a star. We had a taxi - which seemed right for our New York Christmas Tree, Herbie.
About a month later, we found out I was pregnant with our little Fraggle Bug.
In 2009, we did not get a tree. We were completely immersed in first baby time, which meant I didn't know what month it was for several months.
(Here's another example: we were out for a beer with friends about five weeks after Bug was born. One of the friends mentioned wanting to watch the World Series. I asked who was playing. He asked if I was kidding. The Yankees had won the World Series that year.)
Herbie Returns
In 2010, we got a tree again: Herbie, Jr. We played Christmas music; we decorated; we made a video of decorating. The taxi topped the tree.
In 2011, we got Herbie, III. We found Herbie, III on Clinton Avenue in front of a church near Lafayette. We had Bug in the stroller, Squish in a carrier, and my husband walked Herbie, III several blocks home to our apartment. We played Christmas music. I tried to get Bug to make some ornaments with me. We made sparkly pipe-cleaner candy canes, a construction-paper-ring chain, and several snow flakes and Christmas tree cut-outs. Squish sat in a bouncy seat, and Bug helped me to decorate the tree, topped by our taxi. My husband took pictures. Squish had arrived only two and a half months before, but that night of decorating stands out in my memory as one of great peace, calm, and warmth.
A Family Tradition, Firmly Established
Today, we found Herbie the Fourth. When Bug woke up from his afternoon nap, my husband started the Christmas music and the boys and I started to decorate. We reached into the box (from the basement), unwrapped the ornaments, and started to hang them on the tree. After several false starts I realized we were going to need some snacks this year. After my husband supplied the crackers for Bug and Squish, the decorating went into full swing. Soon enough it was time to top the tree, and Bug said he wanted to do it. My husband lifted Bug up to reach the top, and Bug (my little Bug!) put the taxi at the top of Herbie.
This morning, my husband and I pointed at our tree at the same time and asked each other, "What about that one?!?" We smiled and looked at the tree together, and I said, "Yes. That is our Herbie." I have thought to myself that perhaps I should give the tree a different name every year. After all, every year it is a different tree. But this year, when Bug topped Herbie with the taxi, I realized our tree will always be named Herbie.
Image Source: (my photo)
The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, POPSUGAR.
Each year I dole out holiday gifts made in my kitchen. Homemade granola packaged all pretty, a plethora of jams and jellies, hand-picked and labeled bay leaves and dried (from my garden) herb mixes. I almost always make too many cookies, loads of peppermint bark, and if people are lucky: limoncello, eggnog or other inspired liqueur.
Instead of spending tons of money on gifts, I spend my time creating goodies in my kitchen. Vanilla extract is a perfect gift! The trick is: it needs to hang out in the jars for a few months to develop its color and flavor. Even though Christmas is just around the corner, you can still gift your friends and family 'vanilla extract' this year in the form of a DIY kit. (And while you are at it, make some for your own kitchen so in a few months you have your own vanilla extract!).
Get a fun little basket or container and fill it with: a jar or packet of vanilla beans (Costco sells them for less, as do bulk bins at your market). Label them. Add a fancy jar and lid to make the vanilla extract in and a bottle of vodka. Write up instructions for making your own vanilla extract using the recipe below, and tuck into basket. Add cellophane and ribbon, cute labels and a friendly message. People will love knowing how to make their own vanilla extract!
Homemade Vanilla Extract Recipe
In a bottle: add a dozen vanilla beans and fill with vodka. Cork and let sit for a at least month; I sometimes add 1-2 T of dark rum to add color. Also: you can use the soaked vanilla beans later for cooking/baking. Vanilla extract keeps for years and years—just keep adding vanilla beans and topping it off with vodka. (Or next year: simply decant into small bottles and give as little gifts).
Other Holiday Gift Ideas
Image Source: Janelle from Talk of Tomatoes
The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, POPSUGAR.
What makes you most excited about the holidays? From a surprise visit by Santa's elf to a family trip to admire the neighborhood lights, our moms have shared treasured family holiday traditions that spread good cheer. Read on for inspiration!
Sometimes I feel like I am drowning in the amount of lies and half-truths I have created in order for my children to believe - to believe in magical elves, flying reindeer and a jolly old man who knows if they have done their homework or cleaned their room.
To make things worse, I am not a very good liar. It’s actually a family joke. I can’t keep a secret. I have a compulsion to “share.” So, sometimes I wonder how I have made it this long.
My first-born is 13-years-old and he was such an easy child. He never questioned much. He just accepted what I told him as true. He loved the holidays and was happy to wake up on Christmas morning and get a few gifts. He lit up when we showed him the radar on Christmas Eve of Santa traveling across the globe. He sat on Santa’s lap at the mall without a tear. He was a believer and I felt like a good mother.
Then I had my second son, who is nearly seven, and my daughter, who is five. The baby is only 19-months-old, so I’ll leave her out of it for now (although I’m pretty sure she is going to put me through the ringer too). I was so excited that I had more children to share in the magic of Christmas – my favorite holiday. Only, these kids are not like their older brother. They like to question everything. “But, why?” rings through my head at all hours of the day and night.
Too Curious?
I think a curious mind is a wonderful thing, except of course if you are trying to create some magical traditions contingent upon complacent believers.
Sometimes, I feel like they are trying to poke holes in my story like professional interrogators. Here are some examples:
My son: "So, what you are telling me is that Santa was a real person, but he was so good that Jesus gave him Christmas magic?"
Me: “Um, sort of… it’s hard to explain.” (Can you tell I’m good on my feet?)
My daughter: "So, if the Santa at the mall is not the real Santa and is just his helper, why do I have to sit on his lap? He’s a stranger Mommy."
Me: "Um… it’s hard to explain." (I seriously need to practice my talking points.)
The stories I tell my kids seem to grow as they get smarter and quicker to see the inconsistencies. The thing is I don’t feel guilty about the lying. What I feel is annoyed.
Don’t they understand I am lying for their own good? Don’t they know that one day they will do the same thing in order to preserve the magic for their children? Don’t they realize that they will look back on these days and wish to believe that the North Pole carries the power to bring joy to countless children? Or that once a year, one person has the power to make your wishes come true?
I understand the reason some parents choose not to start the lying. It is surely simpler. Can Christmas still be fun without the tall tales? Of course it can. Is the true meaning of Christmas easier to teach without the elves and reindeer? I can see the argument to this effect.
But, can it still be magical? I’m not quite convinced. And to me, part of the wonder of childhood is the ability to believe in magic. To use your imagination to create fantasies. To dream big and cling to the idea that life is more than black and white - that there are hints of color, especially the red and green of Christmas.
Image Source: istockphoto
The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, POPSUGAR.
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