I love to decorate for Christmas! Ever since I was young, I loved to help decorate. It has always been away for me to relax and get in the spirit! After having kids, it became even more fun. My children love to help and now that they are 6, it is even better. The first few years of them helping was a little chaotic, but now we have a good system.
Here are our 5 tips on having kids help decorate for the holidays!
Tip 1: Unpack one storage container at a time
I have found this to be very helpful. In years past, my kids were so excited to decorate that they would dive right into ALL the storage containers before I had a chance to get started. This year, I brought up one bin at a time. I told them we would empty all the items and put the decorations out. This worked really well!
Tip 2: Unpack ornaments by color/category
So in years past, the kids were so excited to hang the ornaments that they just started grabbing ornament after ornament. This year, we focused on hanging ornaments by color. After all the one color was hung, we would move to a different color. After all the ornament balls were hung, we would hang the special ornaments.
Tip 3: Let the kids place things where they want
I use to be very particular about where certain decorations went or how ornaments were hung. This year, I embraced my children's vision and let everything go. Things are mixed and matched, but I LOVE IT! The kids are proud and they have ownership on how things were decorated!
Tip 4: Have kids put some decorations in their room
My kids have made several decorations over the year. Some with me and others in preschool. They have put these decorations in their rooms along with some meaningful decorations from my childhood. They love that their rooms have decorations for them to look at and enjoy!
Tip 5: Have fun & make memories
Decorating for the holidays should be fun! Play music, dance, sing and just have fun! I remember growing up helping decorate our tree and the windows with that spray snow stuff! I have started my own traditions with my children. I want them to have fun, so we jam to Christmas music, have hot cocoa, and sing as loud as we can. As my favorite elf says, "The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loudly for all to hear."
It all comes down to including your kids in the holiday decorating! It is a way to build memories and instill a love for the holidays. My two kids LOVE to help me decorate for any holiday. I have learned to embrace their enthusiasm and love how they decorate. It reminds me of the pure joy children have for the holidays and traditions!
