Christmas. Oh Christmas.
On one hand, what a joyous time of year. There is little that matches the excitement of our kids as the end of the month arrives. I love the happiness of the season, I love the emphasis on family.
There are many, many things that I like about the season.
But here’s the thing: I hate the shopping. I do not like what has transformed into a sort of checklist with each person from both sides of the family laid out. It’s not that I am against gift-giving. I think that thoughtful gift-giving is very meaningful. The conveyor belt of gifts on Christmas, however, seems to be less about quality and more about quantity. We needed a Grinch-like moment, bringing the holiday back to its purpose: the Whos linking arms, singing around the Christmas tree in the center of town rather than attacking a pile of presents, moving through one to start on the next.
And last Christmas, we did it.
There is nothing as special as the bond between cousins. We live far enough away that we do not see either side of our family on a regular basis, so, when we do get together, all of the kids are ravenous to play with each other. Following Thanksgiving, I group texted the idea about changing Christmas up for the year, trying something new. Instead of bringing a gift for all the nieces and nephews, every family would bring an idea: a Christmas treat, a Christmas game, or a Christmas craft.
Here is how Christmas 2025 played out and my reflections.
At our first holiday get-together in Fort Wayne, we did a Christmas craft and played two games. When we got there, we had lunch and then sent the kids downstairs to play hide-and-seek with the dads while the kitchen got cleaned up. After running around a little bit, the kids came back up, and we sat them down at the table. My sister-in-law had pre-made salt ornaments in all sorts of styles. The kids made their selection (stocking, tree, or star) and then happily painted and chatted with each other. When finished, they put shoes on and ran around outside since it was the 50-degree Christmas of 2025. After coming in, we set out the snowball/straw game where you tape cups onto the floor, and the kids have to blow through the straw to try and accumulate as many snowballs (cotton balls) into their cups as possible. It looks a little bit like Hungry-Hungry Hippos with small children just crawling around the floor. Then, they ran off to do their imaginative kid things, and the adults got to enjoy some time just adults.
It seemed that the time in Fort Wayne went more smoothly than previous times. The kids seemed to really enjoy the structured and unstructured parts of the day and I think breaking the afternoon up into different activities gave them a break from “just playing” but also allowed them to really enjoy just playing since at two different occasions they were needing to switch gears and follow instructions. The kids made absolutely no mention of presents and were so happy to paint, play, and just spend the day together moving through different activities.
On Christmas Eve, we saw our other side of the family. For this occasion, we had two crafts, one game, and one treat planned. While lunch was being prepared, the kids sat at the table and made bead ornaments. They were happy to be able to pick which beads they used and it was fun to see their creativity. There is also something so delightful about watching young kids converse with each other. After lunch, the kids went outside to my in-law’s pole barn and ran around a little bit while we prepared for a scavenger hunt game inside. For this, the kids had to find cotton balls that had been left inside the house and fill up a bottle that had been decorated with a scarf, hat, and face to resemble a snowman. When the kids came back inside, they got to choose a hot cocoa bomb and were more than delighted to stir up their hot chocolate. While the hot chocolate cooled, they did the scavenger hunt and built their snowman. Then, they drank their hot chocolate while completing the last Christmas craft, a sort-of tissue paper ornament that again allowed for a lot of choice and creativity. Finishing their hot chocolate and craft, they then ran upstairs to play and we adults got a chance to catch up.
Just like in Fort Wayne, the kids seemed to really enjoy the mix of structured and unstructured time. When reflecting, it seems that there was a lot less maintenance needed with their free play (the kind of parental refereeing that kids 6 and under seem to warrant). Even though we did have to lead activities and explain crafts, it seems to me that we adults got a significantly greater amount of time where we could relax, talk, and not have to run interference or entertain a child. Plus, it was fun! The kids were excited to participate, and the crafts and games provided a way for everyone to interact.
Christmas was so fun this year. Rethinking our family get togethers and being more intentional with the time, focusing on the gift of being together rather than something purchased, truly made the holiday something magical.
