Winter break is around the corner, a much welcome break in the school year for both children and parents! You have a few school-free weeks, and your kids might be perfectly happy to turn into couch potatoes and spend countless hours on social media, playing video games or Netflix the holiday away. As for the younger ones, they’ll probably be packed with energy and ready to make the most of the break by playing games and spending time outdoors as much as possible. While having a few weeks off from the daily hustle and bustle of school and homework is well deserved, there are lots of fun ways to include learning during the break. These fun educational activities will keep your kids engaged throughout the winter break, without it seeming like a chore.

Baking

Baking is not only fun but can be educational for the young ones. Math concepts such as different units of measurements (cup, grams, etc.) and fractions can be integrated into baking Christmas treats like cookies, pecan pie, and cakes. You can have your child double or triple the batch to practice measurements. When it’s time to serve a slice of pecan pie or cookies, practice fractions and percentages to work out how much of each are left over for the next day. Not only does baking make a great Maths lesson, but you can tick one task off your Christmas to-do checklist!

Family Nights

When there is no school, there are a lot of late family nights. Why not turn some of these family nights into a fun night of learning and games? You can keep minds sharp and have a great time with a variety of educational games. Some great examples are Hangman, Scrabble, Charades, Monopoly, Catan, Trivial Pursuit, Risk, the list goes on and on! A night of educational games is also a great way to spend some quality family time together and a great way for siblings to work on team spirit.

Home Science Experiments

Now let’s add some Science and History into the mix! You can do fun home science experiments like making a crystal snowflake or a snowstorm in a jar, or even learn the chemistry of baking cookies. When it comes to History, you can discover the history on winter holidays with your children. Ask your children to look up traditions you incorporate into your holidays as well as about the origins of winter holidays and traditions around the world. Or discover the history of Santa Claus, moreover, you can delve into you own family history and interview great grandparents about their own ancestors.

Museums

As for those art lovers, visit the local art museum with the family or practice art skills with your kids by doing crafts, making ornaments or holiday cards, or creating handmade gifts and decorations. Find more fun art activities with a quick Google search or on Pinterest. Even when you’re out doing your holiday shopping or spot some holiday clearance sales, grab some kits that you think your kids might like and put them aside. When all else fails, just grab some paper and washable paint and get to some good old fashioned painting!

Reading & Audiobooks

Read holiday books together. Incorporate reading time into your holiday plans. Try reading your favorite holiday books together, or these holiday-themed stories from classic literary characters. A few well-known Christmas books are: ‘A Christmas Carol’, ‘How the Grinch Stole Christmas!’, and ‘The Polar Express’. For those who are traveling, download some audiobooks along to keep kids engaged on the plane or in the car. For the little budding writers, your child can come up with their own Christmas story! Brainstorm fun ideas with your child for a Christmas story. Make it a fun literature lesson by thinking of characters, setting, an exciting plot and turn it into a Christmas comic story!

Try something new

Finally, learn a new skill. Winter break is the perfect time to acquire a new skill or enhance learning with an online program. Explore learning to code or try to learn a new language with Duolingo. Give an early Christmas present and gift your child a musical instrument. One of the best skills for kids to learn and ace at an early age is to learn how to play an instrument. Some of the major benefits of learning an instrument include boosting memory, enhanced motor skills, practice hand-eye coordination, reading as well as comprehension. Learning how to play an instrument at a young age has endless advantages and a great skill to have in general.

There is an abundance of fun educational activities that not only keep your children busy, but are a great way of spending quality time together as a family. Whether its baking, learning how to play an instrument, going to art museums, doing fun Science experiments at home, or having family game night; there is a little something for everyone! Who says learning must be a chore?

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