Holiday fun: activities nannies will love!

The holiday season is upon us, full of cozy, festive feels and the opportunity to make every day sparkle just a little more than usual. Aka: it's the perfect time for nannies and babysitters to create magical memories with their kiddos. 

With a mix of creativity, fun, and a sprinkle of holiday spirit, you can fill their days with joy and laughter. We’ve rounded up six of our favorite holiday activities that are easy to do and adjust to kids’ ages, and which will make this season unforgettable.

(Are you in NYC? Check out this list of classic and unusual New York spots to go with kids during the holidays!)

6 festive activities to enjoy with kids

1. Create homemade ornaments

Get crafty and make personalized ornaments for kids with Christmas trees. It's a fun way to decorate and also a keepsake for years to come. (Psst. Wrap it in some craft paper that your charges have painted and it’ll make the perfect stocking stuffer for mom and dad!)

What you'll need:

• Clear plastic or wooden ornaments — or even popsicle sticks and imagination

• Paints, glitter, stickers

• Ribbons and hooks

• Craft glue

Steps:

1. Choose your ornament base: Plastic or wooden ornaments are safe and easy to decorate.

2. Decorate: Let the kids unleash their creativity with paints, glitter, and stickers.

3. Add a ribbon: Attach a festive ribbon to hang the ornament.

4. Display: Hang them on the tree or around the house for a personal touch.

If you love crafts, check out more holiday crafts that are perfect to make with kids!

2. Bake and decorate holiday cookies

Nothing says holiday activities like baking cookies! It's a delicious way to spend time together and enjoy a sweet treat. If you’re not a big baker, get the store-bought cookie dough and focus on creative skills over science and math (which is really what baking is!). 

What you'll need:

• Cookie dough (store-bought or homemade)

• Cookie cutters in fun shapes

• Icing and sprinkles

• Baking sheets and parchment paper

Steps:

1. Prepare the dough: Roll out the cookie dough on a floured surface.

2. Cut shapes: Use cookie cutters to make stars, trees, or any shape you like.

3. Bake: Place on a baking sheet and bake according to the recipe.

4. Decorate: Once cooled, let the kids decorate with icing and sprinkles.

5. Enjoy: Share them with family members or pack them as gifts.

3. Design DIY holiday cards

Handmade holiday cards are a great way to spread joy and make friends and family feel special. Round up a few addresses to grandparents or friends far away and get to work! For little kids, drawing messages is plenty; for older kids, it’s a great way to practice their writing skills. 

What you'll need:

• Colored cardstock or construction paper

• Markers, crayons, or colored pencils

• Stickers, glitter, and other embellishments

• Envelopes and stamps

Steps:

1. Fold the cards: Cut and fold the paper to create card shapes.

2. Design the front: Draw festive scenes or patterns.

3. Add messages: Write warm wishes inside.

4. Embellish: Decorate with stickers and glitter.

5. Send them off: Place in envelopes and mail them out.

4. Decorate gingerbread houses

Decorating gingerbread houses is a classic holiday activity that's creative and leaves loads of room for storytelling and imagination, too. Who lives inside this house? Why did they decorate it with green gumdrops? Your kiddo will have the answer!.

What you'll need:

• Gingerbread house kit or homemade gingerbread pieces

• Royal icing

• Assorted candies and decorations

Steps:

1. Assemble the house: Use icing to glue the walls and roof together.

2. Decorate: Let the kids add candies, icing designs, and more.

3. Display all season: Ask parents for a nice place to display it.

5. Go on a winter nature walk

Explore the great outdoors with a winter nature walk, and collect treasures for crafts. Fresh air is great to keep away pesky winter germs, and free craft material makes any parent happy. 

What to do:

• Dress warmly: Bundle up in coats, hats, and gloves if it’s cold where you are.

• Explore: Walk through a local park or trail together.

• Collect items: Pick up pinecones, interesting sticks, and leaves.

• Discuss nature: Talk about how plants and animals adapt in winter.

Craft ideas with found items:

• Pinecone ornaments: Add a ribbon and decorate with paint or glitter.

• Nature collage: Glue leaves and sticks onto cardstock.

• Twig picture frames: Arrange sticks into a frame shape and glue together.

6. Read holiday stories together

Create a nightly tradition of reading holiday stories leading up to the celebrations. For older kids, you might choose to read one chapter each day or evening (depending on your shift!) of a longer story, and for younger kids you may read a full short holiday story each time. 

How to make it special:

• Choose diverse books: Include stories from different cultures and traditions.

• Create a cozy nook: Set up a reading area with pillows and blankets.

• Discuss the themes: Talk about the messages and lessons in each story.

Pro tip to make it extra exciting: Start with a stack of books and move them as you finish, to build the anticipation of when the celebration begins.

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Ready for a rewarding nanny job?

Are you reading all this thinking, I’d be great at this if only I had found my nanny family? 

If you're an extraordinary nanny or babysitter looking for new opportunities to create special moments like these– during the holidays and beyond – we want to help you get there. As a nanny agency whose process involves getting to know families and caregivers well in order to make thoughtful matches, we don’t accept many applicants, but we accept the great ones. 

If that’s you, we want to hear from you! Apply via the button below and get started on your way to your ideal job – now that’s something to celebrate!