The holiday season can be an almost magical time, especially for kids. Decorations go up, holiday music starts, and they get presents! But implementing a few annual traditions just for kids helps them feel even more of the spirit and magic. Not only can it give the kids something else to look forward to, it can also give adults a chance to step back and feel a bit like children as well.
Smashing the Peppermint Pig
Dating back to the 1880s, smashing a little pig made out of solid peppermint was a tradition for good luck and prosperity in the coming year. Many stores now sell a pig complete with a bag to smash it in and a little hammer for hitting it.
Kids will love to help break the candy into small pieces and will love getting to eat the peppermint even more! Peppermint “piglets” can also be purchased so families with multiple kids can give each child her own pig to smash and eat.
These can be a great stocking stuffer or Christmas Eve dessert. Children will hardly be able to wait another year for their candy pig.
Hiding the Glass Pickle
Though the true origins of this tradition are clouded and many versions exist, one thing remains true: kids love it!
First purchase an ornament that looks like a pickle. Any small, green Christmas ornament would work, but pickles are sold for this exact purpose. The pickle isn’t hung on the tree with the rest of the ornaments, but is hung during the night when Santa is putting presents under the tree.
The pickle is hidden somewhere in the tree and the child who finds it on Christmas morning gets to open a present first! This can be a great way to keep kids from arguing about who gets to open one. As an alternate version, a small present can be offered to the child who finds it instead, like getting a candy bar or being the first one to use the new game system. It can also be tied into other yearly traditions; whoever finds the pickle gets to smash the Peppermint Pig after dinner.
Finding the pickle can also be modified for an only child. She can’t open any presents until the pickle is found!
Dressing up and Decorating the Tree
Putting the ornaments on the tree (or decorating for another holiday) can involve the kids as well, even kids who are too young to really help. Buy a festive piece of clothing for the holidays. It can be simple and practical like matching sweaters for the whole family, something fun like color matching scarves, or something silly like reindeer antler hats.
Every year when it’s time to decorate, everyone puts on the special clothing and pitches in to help. Having something silly that matches can brighten spirits and really help everyone get in the mood for the holiday season.
This is especially good for young children. Even if they can’t help much they’ll feel like they are a bigger part of the decorating process if they are dressed the same way as the adults.
Making an Annual Picture Ornament
Every year the kids can make an ornament for the tree or a decoration for somewhere else. The difference is that this ornament will have their picture on it! This decoration can be anything, as long as it can be made every year. A small wooden snowflake or other shape can be painted and the picture can be glued on. They could draw a small picture and glue in their face or make an angel out of a clothespin.
The picture should be taken each year in the same pose. After a few years a small collection of the ornaments that depict the child growing up will make a fantastic, personal, and unique decoration. Imagine having a little photo timeline of a son or daughter in the form of pictures they drew themselves (getting better every year) or in a wooden snowflake blizzard.
Traditions Kids Will Love
Smashing the Peppermint Pig, hiding the glass pickle, dressing up while decorating the Christmas tree and making annual picture ornaments are just a few things children can do to really get into the holiday spirit. Some of them will make memories for years to some, others will be fun ideas that they can spread to friends and someday children of their own.
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Katie Ouderkirk - Katie Ouderkirk started working at a barn when she was ten. As the years went on she worked at a number of different barns, two zoos, and ...
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