I can still remember my favorite Christmas decorations from when I was a kid. He played with them before they were officially displayed in the house or on the tree. I wish my mom had kept the cute elves, they looked exactly like The Elf on the Shelf today, but a lot less maintenance for my mom! She just took them out of the box and I played with them for hours. It reminds me that we don’t have to try too hard to create Christmas traditions for our children. All my fondest memories are of simple things, like my brother and I stealing squares of homemade chocolate chips that were kept in cold rooms until Christmas Day; have huge dinners for the extended family at a makeshift table in the downstairs recreation room; and spend lazy Christmas mornings opening presents and eating a sweet Italian panettone and spicy orange juice

Start some holiday traditions with your little ones today and remember to keep them simple!

Christmas tree cut it is a great annual tradition in my family. We always cut down our own tree in the forest where we live and carry hot chocolate in a thermos and snacks for the walk. My kids still remember the year we all slid down a frozen creek bed with our freshly cut tree to get to the foot of the mountain we had climbed. Bring a slide for toddlers with little legs that tire easily!

Christmas card They are the perfect activity to do with young children, but you need to set aside your usual and demanding standards and let your little ones get away with it. They can make their own or help you decorate cards and envelopes with colorful and holiday stickers. Family members love to see children’s artwork.

Decorating cookies and building gingerbread houses They are my children’s favorites. They don’t care if you don’t make the gingerbread yourself, they’re just happy to prop up the walls with frosting and plaster candy everywhere. Let go and buy a DIY cookie or gingerbread kit and watch their faces light up.

Tree decoration it is always an easy and festive activity. Put some Christmas favorites on the turntable, make a batch of hot buttered popcorn, and let your toddlers put decorations on the bottom half of the tree. Pick out wooden ornaments and other unbreakable items so you can relax with an eggnog while you let them loose on the tree.

Christmas movies they are a great excuse to snuggle by the fire with hot cocoa and watch some festive movies. The little ones will enjoy Frosty the snowman, Rudolph the red nosed reindeer, A Charlie Brown Christmas and Muppet Christmas Carol. Also, mom and dad can get their feet up a bit!

Treats for Santa Claus and his reindeer They are a must on Christmas Eve. Have the little ones help wash the carrots and place them on a plate for the reindeer, and don’t forget the cookies and a glass of milk or brandy for Santa. Because honey, it’s cold out there!