The holidays can be a busy and exciting time of year, with lots of celebrations and a break from school. We’ll be sharing a variety of tips for how to navigate learning during winter break and manage any holiday anxiety, fun winter activities you can do together as a family, and other surprises for every day this month!

December 1: Tips for End-of-Year Homework Motivation 

You may find your child is struggling a bit more to stay focused at school as they get closer to winter break. Here are some tips to help keep them motivated and on track!

• Stick to the same schedule and times for completing homework to help your child stay in a routine. 

• Kids may have some extra energy from all of the excitement this time of year! Allow them to have movement and play breaks when they get home from school before they need to focus on homework. 

• For some kids, lots of holiday decorations near their homework space can be distracting. Keep their work space as free from clutter as possible. 

• It’s common for adults to feel unmotivated this time of year too. It can be helpful to talk with your child and share your own experiences if they are feeling stressed or anxious. 

• Provide extra praise to your kids and incorporate additional rewards as necessary, such as watching a holiday-themed movie after they finish their homework!

• Remember to have grace and don’t sweat the small things! A couple weeks of holiday fun won’t derail their progress for the year.

December 2: Winter Yoga for Kids 

You may find your kids are buzzing with energy this time of year from all of the holiday excitement (or sugary treats)! Here’s a fun winter yoga activity they can do when they get home from school to help them focus before any homework they may need to do.

Winter Yoga Poses

Remind your child to take deep breaths in through their nose, and let it out through their mouth (or have them blow out like a gust of cold wind!). Hold each yoga pose for 5-10 seconds. 

Ski Pose

Stand with your feet together and knees bent. Pretend to hold onto ski poles and move your knees side to side like you’re skiing down a slalom!

Snowboard Pose

Stand with your feet wide and your front foot facing forward. Bend your front knee and hold out your arms parallel to the ground. Pretend to balance on a snowboard!

Snow Dog Pose

Go into a downward dog pose with your hands and feet on the floor. Pretend to wag your tail!

Sled Pose

Sit on the ground with your legs straight out in front of you. Try to touch your toes and imagine yourself riding a sled down a hill.

Snowball Pose

Lay on your back and hug your knees into your chest. Roll side to side like a snowball!

Penguin Pose

Lay on your stomach with your arms at your sides. Slightly raise your chest and pretend to be a penguin sliding around on the ice!

December 3: Teaching Your Kids Empathy During the Holidays 

The holidays are a great time for kids to learn about compassion and helping others. Here are some tips for teaching your child about empathy this holiday season.

What is empathy?

Empathy is the ability to understand and share in the feelings of others. Empathy can involve acts of kindness, listening to others’ experiences, or doing things to help others in your community. 

Ways to Teach Empathy

December 4: Managing Screen Time Over Winter Break

During winter break kids have a lot more free time to spend at home, and that can mean more time spent in front of screens. The holidays can also be a busy time for parents, and screen time can be helpful to entertain your kids when you have a lot to get done. Whether your goal is to reduce your child’s screen time, or make their screen time more meaningful, here are some helpful tips for managing screen time over winter break!

Tips for Reducing Screen Time

• Set a “screens off” time each day for the entire family 
• Schedule a time for screen time into each day
• Discourage use of screens an hour before bedtime to help maintain a healthy sleep schedule.
• Swap screen time for other types of activities.
• Be flexible. It’s okay if your child uses screens more during their break. This is their time to relax and unwind as well. 

Activities to Encourage Instead of Screen Time

• Play board games
• Get active outside or play sports
• Build a living room obstacle course
• Coloring, drawing, and arts & crafts
• Play an instrument
• Learn a new skill 
• Set a winter break reading goal (stay tuned for a post on this later in the month!)

Tips for More Meaningful Screen Time

• Make it educational - encourage use of learning sites such as Discovery Kids or National Geographic
• Incorporate mindfulness - download apps that teach kids meditation or yoga, such as Headspace for Kids
• Encourage movement - listen to fun music or learn a new dance
• Check out commonsensemedia.org to learn more about safe media for kids

December 5: Make Popsicle Stick Snowflakes

A fun winter craft activity to do as a family over winter break…Popsicle Stick Snowflakes!

Instructions

Glue four popsicle sticks together into the shape of a snowflake. Get creative and decorate them with materials such as paint, glitter, pom poms, or stickers! Hang your creations in the window for a fun wintery display.