How to Keep Christmas Meaningful and Special for Your Family

How to Enjoy Christmas with the Family © Katrena

The Christmas season often ushers a flurry of activities and gifts along with a plethora of emotions, from sweet nostalgia to absolute nausea at the thought of facing the holiday for another year. Often lost in the shuffle cries that still, small voice that simply yet profoundly tells us to look to God and find meaningful ways to love one other. Below are a few Christmas ideas that perhaps will turn the holiday into a season of renewed hope and a time of peace and joy.

Inexpensive but Special Christmas Gift Ideas © Katrena

Consider Gifts Carefully

Many people dread Christmas because of the incredible financial hardships resulting from purchasing gift after gift. Countless people have told me that their most memorable and special Christmas memories were wrapped in times when money was tight but someone took the time to do something special for them. Gift giving can easily spiral out of control and leave people with unwanted debt and a home full of unnecessary gadgets. Many people find great rewards in making homemade gifts and helping others in tangible but simple ways.

Homemade gifts show others that you took the time to make something special for him or her. You might include a note explaining how you learned that particular type of craft and who taught you how to do it. If materials used have some sort of sentimental value, that would also be great information to include in the note.

Sharing one's time and talents with others can infuse the season with more meaning. You might try serving others alone or as a group, anonymously or coordinated with the recipient. It does not have to be elaborate. Here are a few examples:

• Decorate someone's home and take down the decorations after the holiday.
• Clean someone's home, yard, or vehicle.
• Visit with someone who is lonely.
• Write a personal letter to someone and send via snail mail.
• Offer to transport someone to an appointment or evening out.
• Cook a meal for someone (make sure to check about special dietary needs first).
• Watch someone's children for an afternoon or evening before Christmas.
• Provide respite care for someone who has a sick family member.
• Help someone organize pictures or paperwork.
• Ask someone what he/she would like for you to do for him/her (the response might surprise you yet give you a clear direction for meeting that person's needs)

December often seems to be full of volunteer opportunities; however, many needs for help continue throughout the year. Offering a gift of volunteer service, time, or kind words on a regular basis throughout the year might make the gift infinitely more meaningful to the recipients.

How to Enjoy the Christmas Season © Katrena

Choose Christmas Events Carefully

It is easy to get trapped into the "gotta do everything" mindset as Christmas approaches. If you have traditions, consider each one carefully. Some people do the same thing year after year because they assume that everyone expects them to do it. In reality, some folks simply go through the motions of those traditions because they are thinking the same thing of you. Discuss what works and identify what needs tweaking. Plan to assess each year to give yourself permission to try new and different things. Some ideas will work. If changes do not work well, you will have added knowledge and new opportunities for the next year.

Guard your down time. Rest and relaxation can be renewing and rejuvenating, but those empty spaces in the calendar can easily be ambushed by others. Consider turning off the cell phone, electronic devices, television, and computer. If the thought of doing so makes you cringe, that might be all the more reason to unplug for a while.

Consider celebrating on different days. Many family members end up missing being with the ones they love for the holidays because in-laws, outlaws, and others insist on celebrating on the same date. As more and more people find that they have to work on holidays or have blended homes, considering another day to celebrate is an option well worth considering. Some extended families celebrate Christmas before or after December 25 and have a blast doing so.

How to Make Christmas Special After the Loss of Someone You Love © Katrena

Find Ways to Honor Those Who are Gone

Many people find holidays to be painful because they cannot be with someone whom they hold dear. Finding ways to honor someone's memory may help you to focus your thoughts toward something that would have pleased that person whom you love. You might consider the person's interests or someone that the person or group of people held near to his or her heart.

Talking about that person can be a healing experience. Setting aside a special time during a family celebration to remember and honor that person might help younger generations to enjoy memories through other people's eyes.

Since Christmas is a Christian holiday, this season is a great time to learn about Jesus and His life and His gift of eternal life through reading scripture, attending services, listening to music, and more.

Ways to Celebrate Christmas to Create Special Memories © Katrena

Keeping Christmas Special and Full of Meaning

Finding meaningful ways to celebrate the season might be challenging and encourage one to move out of the comfort zone of stale and superficial celebrations, but the effort may be worth more than one could ever imagine!

Feel free to share your own special and unique Christmas traditions in the comment section below.

Readers may also wish to read:

• Enjoy Christmas Lights With the Kids for Free
• How to Make a Digital Photo Scavenger Hunt
• Rowan Memorial Park Luminaries First Saturday in December
• One Way to Keep Living After the Death of Someone You Love

Find additional articles by Katrena at the Wildflower Bouquets site map.

More Free Printable Words of Thanks

Thank you notes to print for free © Katrena

These free printable words of thanks are bold, colorful, and simple. We often forget to thank others, so here's a chance to put a smile on someone else's face who might not be expecting a thank you. Simply print the images and keep them with you until you have an occasion to share with someone else.

Directions:

1. Click on the images below to enlarge.
2. Select file-print.

Say Thank You With a Note © Katrena

Free Printable Colorful Words of Thanks © Katrena

Both images will fit on one page if you feed the paper back through to print on the other side.

I hope you enjoy these free printable words of thanks. I'd love to hear about how you used these images in the comments section below!

You may also wish to see:

• Free Printable Words of Thanks
• Smile! Free Printable Notes That Say Smile
• Free Printable Words of Encouragement

Find additional printables, scavenger hunts, and articles at Katrena's Wildflower Bouquets site map.

Katrena's Good Hygiene Scavenger Hunt – Free Riddles and Clues

Hygiene Scavenger Hunt With Rhyming Clues

Hygiene can be a rather bland topic, but thinking outside the box can make the subject fun and exciting! This scavenger hunt has two versions: one for the home and one for a school setting. You can easily adapt it for various literacy levels while encouraging critical thinking, teamwork, and letter recognition. By the end of the game, the kids will also learn how to spell the word "hygiene!"

In order to print the graphics, simply click on the image to enlarge and select file-print.

Directions

1. Print the letters for the word hygiene and cut out each letter, making a stack for each letter of the word (all Hs together, all Ys together, etc.) Ensure that you have enough of each letter for each child playing.
2. Print the mystery message cards (one for each player).
3. Print the riddles and cut out.
4. Keep the first riddle and then hide riddles #2-#8 using either the school version or the home version directions (see below). Place the hygiene mystery message card in the answer for #8. For younger kids, you may wish to hide the hygiene mystery message card in the location for the answer for the first riddle so that the children can glue each letter on the card as they find each one.
5. School groups - divide children into seven groups. Home - have children take turns.
6. Read each riddle to younger kids or have older kids take turns reading each riddle, starting with #1. The clues rhyme; the rhyming word or phrase is in red.
7. Once the riddle is solved (answers below), give instructions where to find the clue in the school version or have the children simply search in the home, providing hints as needed.
8. When the children turn in a solved riddle, everyone "earns" a letter. Ensure that each child receives all letters to spell the word hygiene. Give letters out in order for younger kids or scramble the order for older kids.
9. Once all letters and the mystery message card are found, have the children create the word "hygiene" on their papers. Reinforce letter recognition with younger kids or have older kids rearrange the words until they have correctly spelled the word. Check the spelling before the children glue the letters on the paper.

Home Version - where to hide the riddles/clues

• In the shower
• Near some soap
• With the paper towels
• Under the hand sanitizer
• Around a hair brush
• In a drawer or closet with the shirts
• In the refrigerator
• Near the dental floss

 

School Version - hints for finding the next riddle/clue

• A place where you might see flowers
• A place where you might find soap
• A place where you might see a ball game
• A place where you can find hand sanitizer
• A place where you might hang a hat
• A place where a box of tissues might be found
• A place where one might control the temperature of the room
• A place where you might look while brushing your teeth

 

Riddles for Hygiene Scavenger Hunt

 

Rhyming Clues for Scavenger Hunt

 

Answers to Riddles for Hygiene Scavenger Hunt

 

1. Shower
2. Soap
3. Towel
4. Sanitizer
5. Hairbrush
6. Sleeve
7. Cool
8. Floss

Letters Spelling the Word Hygiene

 

Teach Kids Importance of Hygiene

 

Mystery Message Card for Hygiene Scavenger Hunt

Mystery Message Card for Katrena's Hygiene Scavenger Hunt

 

A children's book that works well with this scavenger hunt is Tired of My Bath by Dicy McCullough. You can also find a PowerPoint game and puzzles related to hygiene and her book on her web site.

 

I hope you enjoy my scavenger hunts! Find additional treasure hunts, printables, articles, and more at Katrena's Wildflower Bouquets site map.



Smile! Free Printable Notes that Say Smile

Smile! It's a simple word with happy thoughts. Want to share a smile with others?

Here are some free printable smile notes that you can share with others. Hopefully it will put a smile on your face and his or her face too!

Directions

1. Click on the image to enlarge.
2. Select file-print.
3. Enjoy and....SMILE!

Smile Notes to Print and Share

Notes to Cheer Up Someone Else

Readers may also wish to read:

• Great Exercise Playlist – Songs to Inspire the Survivor in You
• Free Printable Words of Encouragement
• A Healthier Lifestyle One Day at a Time: A Positive Attitude

Find additional printables, articles, scavenger hunts, and more at Katrena's Wildflower Bouquets site map.

Fun Ways to Decorate a Pumpkin

Pumpkin Decorated like a Minion © Katrena

Pumpkins can readily bring out one's creative juices. With a big blank orange slate, one can make an endless variety of eye-catching designs using paint, markers, and a little bit of time. With a bit of glue, the pumpkin can grow various and sundry interesting additions to transform into...well...anything.

Fire Safety Sparky Pumpkin © Katrena

Our elementary school offers a pumpkin decorating contest each year in which children bring spare change and vote for their favorite designs by placing coins in the bucket beside favorite picks. After announcing the winner of the contest, the proceeds are then split among the teachers in order to purchase books for the classroom in the spring.

Creative and Fun Ways to Decorate a Pumpkin © Katrena

Many teachers are famous for having creativity – instructors are often challenged to create hands-on learning opportunities on a low budget. Decorating a pumpkin seems second nature to many classroom teachers.

Pumpkin Decorated to Look Like Arthur © Katrena

Some of the pumpkins had a reading theme as various book characters greeted the kids. Of course, lots of children recognized famous characters from age-old fairy tales to popular movies of today.

Pumpkin Decorated Like Gumball Machine © Katrena

Pumpkins also took on the shape of lots of animals and of course funny faces as well. Common objects that attract children also topped the creativity list.

Fun Pumpkin Decorating Ideas © Katrena

Some teachers featured children in the class. For example, the Cinderella carriage displayed cards written by each student in which they listed their own dreams while another pumpkin displayed pictures of students.

Creative Ways to Support Literacy © Katrena

Pumpkins can also serve as a platform for social issues or as a way to encourage others or can remind kids of safety issues.

Spooky Dracula and Dracula's Wife Pumpkins © Katrena

Of course, October lends itself well to Halloween-themed pumpkins.

Papa Smurf Pumpkin and Pumpkin With a Fever © Katrena

Pumpkins can become funny, zany, creative, or just plain weird with just a little creativity, time, and a few simple and inexpensive supplies.

Duck Dynasty Pumpkin Decoration © Katrena

Readers may also wish to read:

• Adding Colors Indoor Scavenger Hunt
• Free Printable Words of Thanks for Veterans
• How to Save Money on Halloween
• How to Avoid Pumpkin Carving Hand Injuries

Creative and Fun Fund Raiser for School © Katrena

Find fun activities and ideas, scavenger hunts, printables, and more at Katrena's Wildflower Bouquets site map.

How to Make a Digital Photo Scavenger Hunt – So Simple and Quick!

How to Make a Quick and Easy Scavenger Hunt © Katrena

Scavenger hunts are some of my kids' favorite activities. They are always excited when I come up with a new one, and I often post my clues and activities on this blog so that others can share in the excitement.

Indoor Scavenger Hunt Ideas © Katrena

One of the easiest scavenger hunts imaginable is a digital photo version. The first time I tried one of these was at a children's museum. My youngest one was thrilled to be in an area that my two older kids found a little boring. No worries! I just slipped around the room snapping pictures of some objects, handed my digital camera over to the kids, and suddenly the area was incredibly cool for everyone!

Outdoor Scavenger Hunt Ideas © Katrena

Making a digital scavenger hunt can work great even if you have kids of different ages and ability levels. Simply make pictures of objects in a designated area. Make sure you take pictures that are a multiple of the number of kids who will be playing. For example, I have three daughters, so I might take 24 pictures, giving each child the opportunity to find eight items.

Digital Scavenger Hunt for Kids of All Ages © Katrena

Provide directions for the kids, such as being very careful with the digital camera if you have them to carry it and to make sure not to point out the object if someone else is hunting for it. If you are taking pictures with certain children in mind, let the children know what order to take turns. For example, a younger child might need pictures of objects that are lower or can easily be seen from his or her vantage point and you might challenge older children by taking photos of a small portion of an object.

Sneaky Ways to Encourage Kids to Learn © Katrena

Once the kids have found all of the pictures, you might want to provide a prize or have another game idea ready. Don't be surprised if they ask you to do this one again! A digital scavenger hunt can work well inside or outside, and each one can be as unique as you wish to make it.

How to Connect with Kids © Katrena

Readers may also wish to read:

• Adding Colors Scavenger Hunt – Free Clues and Answers
• Hide and Seek Variations for Fun Indoor Family Activities
• How to Connect with Kids

Find more scavenger hunts, activities, printables, and other ideas at Katrena's Wildflower Bouquets site map.

Wizard of Oz Scavenger Hunt – Free Clues and a Surprise at the End!

Wizard of Oz Treasure Hunt Riddles and Clues © Katrena

We're off to solve some riddles and enjoy a scavenger hunt!

This Wizard of Oz themed indoor scavenger hunt highlights various scenes, characters, and life lessons from the popular original 1939 movie. It encourages literacy and critical thinking skills as kids read the rhyming clues, try to fill in the blanks, and then find, assemble, and read the final surprise. The scavenger hunt includes a short set-up time and very few supplies.

Click on the images below to enlarge before printing. Two images fit on one piece of paper.

Directions for playing the Wizard of Oz Scavenger Hunt

1. Print the 10 riddles and location prompts and cut down the center, separating the riddles from the prompts.
2. Print the 10 surprise ending clues, cut, and hide them in each area as described by each prompt.*
3. Place a piece of construction paper over the riddles so that the child(ren) can only see the latest one.
4. Have the child(ren) read the riddle and fill in the blank.
5. Once the child(ren) successfully solves the riddle, read the prompt that matches the number on the riddle.
6. The child(ren) will then search for the clue in the location described by the prompt.
7. Once all clues are found, assemble the words so that they may read the surprise sentence!**

*Clues may be hidden in order, or you might add more of a challenge by mixing them up. You may wish to cut out construction paper and attach the clues to the colored paper or hide in a colored paper pocket to add a little variety. If more than one child is playing, print a set of clues for each child, hiding each set in the described area so that every child will have the surprise sentence at the end.
**You might wish to have the child(ren) glue the sentence on a colorful piece of paper and draw his or her own picture of a Wizard of Oz scene as a memento.

Visit Katrena's Wildflower Bouquets site map for more scavenger hunts, printables, and family-friendly activities. If you are looking for a fun Wizard of Oz travel destination, you might consider Autumn at Oz.

Riddles and Location Prompts - Page 1 of 2

Wizard of Oz Treasure Hunt Riddles © Katrena

Riddles and Location Prompts - Page 2 of 2

Dorothy Scavenger Hunt Ideas © Katrena

Answers

Fun Family Rainy Day Activities © Katrena

Surprise Ending Clues - Page 1 of 2

Fun Ways to Encourage Kids to Read © Katrena

Surprise Ending Clues - Page 2 of 2

Wizard of Oz Game for Free © Katrena