Family Fun

By: Allrecipes Staff

Christmas is about spending quality time with family. Here are great ideas for involving the kids and making the most of the holiday.

School-Break Boredom Busters

Try these sure-fire tricks to cure cabin fever fast.

No snow? Make leaf or sand angels instead.
Fill a jar with 25 chocolate kisses. Beginning December 1, give one kiss a day until the jar is empty.
Create one-of-a-kind gift-wrap with brown paper, rubber stamps, markers, stickers, and glitter.
Give gifts of time--an hour of babysitting; a load of clean laundry--with "friendly freebie" coupons.
Set up a jigsaw puzzle in a quiet corner where kids can escape the holiday hoopla.
Let kids decorate their rooms with tinsel, paper chains and window gel stickers.
Pick one must-do project, and tackle it together. Go ice-skating afterward.
Plan a movie night. Try Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Miracle on 34th Street and A Christmas Story.
Start a new family tradition: Open stockings in bed, take a holiday hike, perform a concert or play.
Remind kids it's not all about them. Check with your local Red Cross, soup kitchen or homeless shelter for volunteer opportunities.
Remember, kids need routine--so try to stick to a normal schedule as much as you can.

Your kids will love getting crafty in the kitchen:

Make popcorn balls.
Use frosting to assemble balls into snowpeople; decorate with candy pieces.
Use graham crackers for the walls and roof of a no-bake gingerbread house. Glue sides with frosting; decorate with candies.
Form a heart with 2 candy canes; secure with school glue. Tie with ribbon and hang on the tree.
String garlands of popcorn, cranberries, and apple and orange slices. Drape on branches outdoors for a bird buffet.
Invite neighborhood kids over to decorate cookies. Set up stations with sprinkles, frosting, gummy bears, and more.