While there might still be last-minute holiday prep around the house, be sure to plan in a little fun! We’re meant to enjoy the holidays, not just work through them. If you’re looking for simple and relaxing fun with the family this week, here’s your to-do list!
- Neighborhood drive-by lights. This is one of my favorites because it’s so chill! If you feel like you’ve been pulled in a million directions lately, this is the activity to truly settle you down and help you feel a little more festive, too. Check out the best neighborhood lights in the metro using this list. Word to the wise: don’t skimp on snacks for the car ride! We opted for Roxy’s Ice Cream, which has seasonal flavors and vegan options for those with diet restrictions. Also, be sure to pump up those holiday tunes!
- Walk-through lights. If you were reading the first tip with cringy feelings of being trapped in a car with littles or other kids who don’t generally do well in the car, don’t worry, walkthrough lights are here for the rescue! Bonding time with fresh air, active bodies and beautiful light displays is sure to please every age and stage in your household. Plus it’s easier for kids to “bring a friend” when they don’t have to be locked in one carload! Check out a few of our favorite walk-through displays. Add to the festivity with light-up wands, glow necklaces or other light-up accessories. Bonus: they make it easier to spot your group if they disperse around the grounds. And again, pack that bag, mama! You get a snack, you get a snack, we all get a snack!
- Cookie making & delivering. What says “holiday” better than the smell (and taste!) of cookies right out of the
oven? Get the kiddos involved with simple activities like pouring and stirring. They will be so proud of “their” creations! Mix in a little give-back lesson by packaging up some of those cookies to deliver to neighbors and friends. - Photoshoot with the pups! This one is sure to induce giggles all around, which is the healthiest form of holiday celebration we can possibly have. Laughing together is said to lower stress by increasing endorphins, but also by stimulating circulation, which aids in tension muscle relaxation. When you’re in the heat of stress, it’s often hard to find those moments of laughter, so I recommend you assign that job to the pups and kids. Put on festive PJs or sweaters, grab whatever you have in your home (or off the tree!) to use as a “prop,” and get those selfies working!
- SPLURGE: The Polar Express Train Ride at the Oklahoma Railway Museum on Fridays on Sundays. Admittedly this one takes a little more planning but it’s so magical. Similar to the holiday drive, sit back and be served and entertained while making a unique memory that is sure to inspire for years. Showtimes are available through Dec. 28.
oven? Get the kiddos involved with simple activities like pouring and stirring. They will be so proud of “their” creations! Mix in a little give-back lesson by packaging up some of those cookies to deliver to neighbors and friends.
unique memory that is sure to inspire for years. Showtimes are available through Dec. 28.Check out more holiday activities and happenings through this week and next here.
My mantra as of late: there will always be dirty dishes to work on, but there are also always more memories to be had. Have a FUN holiday season!
Kirsten Holder is a transplant from Michigan but calls the “land that is grand” her home. She graduated from Oklahoma City University and is passionate about the arts, community development and small business. She is the senior project manager for MetroFamily Magazine and lives in a historic pocket in OKC with her young son Jimmy, husband Andrew and fur-child Clifford.
