The winter period can be an insanely busy time for a foster carer, especially the month of December! We know that it can be difficult to find time to plan activities for all the family, so here are 6 affordable suggestions to fill up the festive calendar and keep the kids busy whilst they’re off school.

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Decorate a gingerbread house

Gingerbread house kits always go down well with the whole family. No need to bake the gingerbread – just assemble and decorate! Kids can be as creative as they wish with sweets and chocolate… maybe just don’t let them eat it right before bed! You can buy them from local supermarkets, or order them online! 

Festive crafts

Crafts are a good way to keep the kids busy and get their artistic juices flowing. If you want to be a little more sustainable, you can make some very cute things from toilet rolls or paper plates. See here for a list of 50 easy (and cheap!) festive crafts for the kids to get involved in. 

Evening walks to see festive lights

It sounds simple, but a nice evening walk to see the festive lights can be a great activity for both children and young people. You can go into town or simply walk around the neighbourhood and admire the lit-up houses. It brings that Christmassy feeling AND it’s completely free! 

Games!

Group games are a great way to get the family together and keep everyone entertained. Older children especially may not want to go on a walk or make crafts, but spark up their competitive spirit in a board game and they’ll stick around! Group games can be anything from actual board games you can purchase, to action games like Charades, to homemade paper games like Consequences! 

Scavenger hunt

This one is a little more time consuming, but if you have the time, a scavenger hunt around the house and garden will keep children busy for the whole day, AND it’s great for a home-based activity. If you don’t have the time to come up with the clues and riddles yourself, you can download this ready-made, printable Christmas scavenger hunt! 

Festive baking

Who doesn’t love festive baked goods? Icing cookies is a great task to get the kids involved with, and if you have older children, you can take the opportunity to teach them how to bake a good cake. Here are some easy recipe ideas of things to bake with a festive theme or twist. 

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Seasons greetings and happy holidays from TACT! Be sure to tag us on Instagram at @tact_fostering if you take inspiration from any of the above ideas, so we can see what you’ve done!