Creative Christmas Cards - Quiz

Every year we like to send out a letter with our christmas picture letting our friends and family know how life is going for us. And every year we try to come up with a creative way to do so.

So you know how there are all those quizzes running around the internet, such as "which Disney princess are you?" etc . . . We decided to do one for our family. It went something like this:

Which (enter last name) Family Member are you? Take the quiz to find out!

What would you do on a snow day?
a) what's a snow day?
b) sleep in
c) organize your brothers into a performing group
d) play the lead role in "Harry Potter- the opera"
e) bundle up and go sledding
f) dress up as a chicken

During lunchtime you are most likely to be:
a) what's lunchtime?
b) eating food off your children's plates
c) trying to navigate the politics of the middle school lunchroom
d) sitting with the 5th grade girls
e) walking around and eating with your mouth open
f) dressed as a ninja

What do you like to do during your free time?
a) what's free time?
b) blog, read, and pretend the house is already clean
c) read and play on your iPod
d) build things
e) play games you invented in the basement
f) pretend to be a power ranger

You laugh hardest when:
a) people ask what you like to do in your free time
b) your kids say funny things like "what's for dinner?"
c) your mother dances in public
d) your unsuspecting brothers fall for your evil plans
e) you tell your own punny jokes
f) people "pass gas"


We had about 8 questions on the front, and then on the back we told them who they were most like. It read something like this:


If you answered mostly "C":
Congratulations! You are Maren - "the leader". You jut turned 12 years old and entered 6th grade. You have a strong desire to do what is right and act above your years. Some may call you bossy, while others would say you have emerging leadership skills. You are an excellent musician, excelling in your violin playing. You are also a very creative writer. Your room is always a mess but you are too busy with schoolwork and reading to clean it up.

If you answered mostly "F":
Congratulations! You are Nathan - "The Hilarious". You turned 5 in September and started preschool in the fall. You love dressing up and create your own imaginative costumes. Everything you hold magically becomes a sword. You love drumming and pretending to play the electric guitar. You are incredibly cute but since you growl at people who tell you so (which is also kind of cute) they just call you "fierce". You make your family laugh a lot.


After all the explanations, we ended with:

No matter which one of us you are most like, all of us love all of you! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

It was a good card.


Be sure to read our other Creative Christmas Card ideas.

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You may also enjoy our other Christmas posts and gift lists:

Unique Christmas Stocking stuffers

Creative Toys for Creative Kids

Favorite Christmas Picture Books

Some people like to wrap up Christmas books and let their kids open one each night to read together. I tried this once, and decided it was a terrible idea. Some books need reading more than once, and what if your favorite Christmas book sits in the pile unopened until Christmas Eve and you only get to read it aloud once during the Christmas season? Not going to work for this family. We lasted five days and then opened the rest and just read and read and read. Reading aloud Christmas books is one of my favorite holiday activities.

We have amassed quite the collection in the 13 years since I've had children. Here is a list of some of our favorites, both secular and religious. Unfortunately, Christmas books don't always stay in print, so as I went to recommend some of my favorites I found that you can now only buy them used! So some of our favorites are not on this list. I tried to only include ones that are still in print.



The Stable Where Jesus Was Born

Here Comes Santa Cat

Mortimer's Christmas Manger

Olive, the Other Reindeer

Why Christmas Trees Aren't Perfect

Who is Coming to Our House?

Animals Christmas Carol 

The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey

B Is for Bethlehem: A Christmas Alphabet

Great Joy

How the Grinch Stole Christmas!

The Nutcracker


The Gift of the Magi

Llama Llama Holiday Drama

Merry Christmas, Stinky Face

How to Catch Santa

The Jolly Christmas Postman

Snowmen at Christmas

Mr. Willowby's Christmas Tree

The Little Drummer Boy


Silver Packages: An Appalachian Christmas Story

Polar Express 30th anniversary edition

Auntie Claus

And I know at this time of year, people like to put together lists of holiday activities for advent calendar fun with the kids. This year I've decided to simplify:

Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this post, you can follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, and Instagram.

You may also enjoy our other Christmas posts and gift lists:

Unique Christmas Stocking stuffers

Creative Christmas Letter Ideas

Creative Toys for Creative Kids

Creative Stocking Stuffers for Kids

Here are some unique ideas for items to put in the kids' stockings this Christmas!

this post contains affiliate links

Avoid the trap of stuffing a stocking with more "stuff" (ie. junky little toys that will quickly be thrown in a landfill). Here are some ideas for toys, treats, and practical items that kids will love. I have commented on some of them to make my case for including them, but mostly it's just a list. I like to find things that kids will use and that take up plenty of space in the stocking so you don't have to buy so much stuffing stuff. (gift cards are nice, but they don't take up much space!)



Painter's Tape - my kids love using my blue tape to mark out all sorts of things while they're playing with Lego blocks and Playmobil. They mark out kingdom boundaries, lakes and rivers, and roads for their vehicles (you could even throw in some little cars with the tape!)

headlamp or flashlights - kids love flashlights, and headlamps are even better because they leave your hands free! Also works well as a reading lamp for book lovers.

tennis balls - Tennis balls are perfect for kids to throw around, hit with a bat, or bounce against the garage. They're bouncy but won't do to much damage. Also, they take up lots of space in a stocking.

Tape Measure - my kids love measuring things, and this sewing tape measure doesn't have the sharp edges of a normal metal one so I feel okay with them using it whenever they like.

Rubber Bands - I'm not sure what my kids do with them, but they are always wanting to play with them.

Post-it notes

back scratcher- have a child who loves to have their back scratched? Let them scratch it themselves, or just make it easier for someone else to scratch with a massage tool.

Stopwatch or wristwatch with stopwatch - a new watch is a great thing for a stocking, especially if it is a stop watch so kids can time themselves or their friends doing things.

wallet

tools - hammer, screwdriver, etc . . . You be the judge of whether or not your kids are ready, but we've let our kids use a hammer to nail bits of scrap wood together and make their own creations starting when they're about 6 or 7. They love it! And it's fun to see the crazy stuff they come up with, like the hammer holder they gave Jason.

Kids Gardening Gloves - great for working out in the dirt!

super hero cape - make one yourself or buy one - either way they'll love it!

kid's swim goggles - either for swimming in the summer or just for dress up play.

yarn - a small ball of yarn or string is great for crafts or pretend play.

slipper socks - who says you can't stuff a stocking with stockings?

sunglasses

chapstick

pocket knife - again, you judge when they're ready and direct them how to use it safely.

compact umbrella

Sunprint Kit - such a fun way to make art!

Model Magic or play dough - these take up quite a bit of space and are great for creative play

band aids - kids love having their own bandaids to be in charge of, especially if they have their favorite character on them.

jump rope

Lego minifigures- my kids have lots of Lego bricks and are always excited to see what mini figure they get when they open the package

Small Playmobil set- Lego and Playmobil are two of our favorite toy brands around here, and it's great to just add a little figure or set to their collections because I know they will be loved and played with.

bicycle bell (also could give them a basket, but that won't fit in a stocking)

Compass

whistle - just make sure they know when and where they're allowed to blow it or you might regret such a purchase

juggling scarves or balls

Cookie Cutters - for the budding baker, you can also include an apron and all sorts of fun supplies!

dried fruit - my kids love dried mango and we usually include a package or two in their stockings every year.

mini boxes of cereal - bonus, christmas morning breakfast is taken care of!

Pez

Chocolate Gold Coins

combs, brushes, and other toiletries

Belts, ties, scarves

gloves, hats, and mittens

gum

Magic Wand  - I don't know any child who doesn't like pretending they have a magic wand, and these light up ones are really fun

Card Games - some of our favorites are Sleeping Queens, Rat-A-Tat-Cat, and Set. Also, my boys love getting new Pokemon Cards!

Orange - It's always been a tradition for us to have an orange in the toe of the stocking, but you could always do a nice Chocolate Orange instead. 

What are your favorite things to stuff in a stocking?

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Creative Christmas Letters

We write a creative Christmas letter to go out with our picture every year to let our family and friends know what's going on in our lives. Here are some ideas to help your Christmas letters stand out.

My mom is a very creative lady and every Christmas when we were growing up she would send out a cute Christmas letter to accompany our picture in a Christmas card. I have continued the tradition because I guess I just like to make life more complicated. . . . well actually I enjoy it. I enjoy thinking of a clever/cheesy/ridiculous way to share what's been going on in our lives.

Here are a bunch of creative ideas to help you write your Christmas card letter this year: 

1. Write a letter to santa

Write a letter for Santa asking for things that will help in your families activities from the year. For example "Dear Santa, This year Maren would really love a new violin; she's wearing hers out with all the performances and practicing!"


2. Write a haiku for each child

Seriously. I know it sounds ridiculous, but that's part of the fun of writing Cheesy Christmas letters. A Haiku (in case you don't remember from school) has a line of 5 syllables, then a line of 7 syllables, then a line of 5 syllables. And they're kind of fun to write. For example:

Joshua's Haiku:

piano playing
early morn' trumpet blowing
where are my earplugs?


3. Dictionary

We did this one a few years ago and people really liked it. Check out this post about our family dictionary. 

4. Newspaper

Make your family letter like a newspaper, with different sections for sports, education, politics, the Arts, and classifieds. A very fun way to present a card.

5. Doll family

Pretend your family is being packaged as a doll family. What sort of accessories would you come with? Check out our Doll Family Christmas Letter from a few years ago.

6. Cancelled Christmas letter

This was probably the easiest letter to write. We listed all the reasons our family was too busy to write a Christmas letter that year, and let people know it was cancelled. People really enjoyed it. Read the full Cancelled Christmas letter in this old post.

7. Candidates

During an election year, you can present your family as political candidates up for election. Check out our Candidates Christmas letter post from several years back.

8. Recipe

What makes  up your family? Write a recipe for each of your family members. Read more about this idea in our Recipe Christmas Card blog post from a few years ago.

9. Top 10 list

What are the top 10 things that happened to your family this year? Write about what's going on.

10. Multiple choice quiz

See how well your friends and family have been following your lives. Write up a clever multiple choice quiz just for fun. For example:

Christopher has recently started:

a. piano lessons
b. chewing with his mouth closed
c. reading voraciously
d. basketball
e. all of the above except b

11. Poetry form

Some of you might be clever enough to pull this off. I am not a great poet, but maybe I'll make Jason write one someday. I have a poetic family though. One year my brother Greg wrote a great poem for a family Christmas letter that makes me laugh. Here is a snippet of the beginning and end:

It's that time of year when the Smith's get together
And rattle their brains for the new Christmas letter
Marty said "Let's do a cross-word puzzle"
The rest said "That's stupid" and put on his muzzle
Fighting ensued until Liz bellowed "Stuff it,
We'll tell all our tales in trite rhyming couplets."
The stanza's aren't good, they're not worth five pence
They reek with abuse of artistic license
Read on for enlightenment all about us
Verbatim veracity of all last year's stuff.

(here there was a stanza on each of the family members)

Well that's about it for the Smith Family update
We hope this bad poem doesn't ruin your holiday
Have a good year, and please keep in touch
And feel good inside 'cause we love you so . . .
. . . next year we'll just send you a stupid crossword puzzle.

12. A Crossword puzzle

Of course, right? Give clues and let people fill in a crossword puzzle, because Marty's idea wasn't that stupid.

13. Family Holiday Songbook

One year when I was in college my mom called me and told me I was responsible for creating new words to a Christmas song for their Christmas letter that year. Each child was supposed to do their own. They compiled them in a "Smith Family Songbook" and mailed it out to friends. Crazy, huh? And actually, my youngest brother John got out of doing one and my mom just did it for him, because that's what happens when you're the baby of the family. I'd share mine as an example, but it's just a bit too embarrassing.

14. Police photos

Make a wanted poster. What "criminal activities" has your family been up to? For example:

Wanted: Nathan (5), for excessive laughing and cuteness, snitching fruit snacks, and reading above his age level. Take precaution when apprehending - suspect has fierce ninja moves and carries lots of swordlike objects.

15. Superhero Family

What super powers does your family have? What's the name of your Super Team? What heroic things have you done this year? What evil have you conquered? There's lots of possibilities with this one.

16. Year By The Numbers

Write a list of numbers and why they represent your family this year. For example:

2 - children at public school this year
5 - the number of teeth Christopher has lost
150 - the number of books Maren read this summer
etc . . .

17. Write it from the baby's/child's/pet's/neighbor's point of view

How would your baby/child/pet/neighbor describe your year?

18. "Which Family Member are You?" Quiz

This one invited our friends and family to discover which one of us they were most like by answering some questions. Read more about our Creative Christmas Quiz.

That's all for now. I will add more as I think of them. I haven't put in the Christmas Letter I'm doing this year because I want it to be a surprise . . .

Best Toys for Creative Education

These toys are sure to inspire children's imagination and encourage their creativity!

this post contains affiliate links

When we talk about "learning toys" we usually think of things that teach kids about science or reading or math, but these imaginative and creative toys are an equally important part of education. Creativity is so important for our children. Creative children are able to approach a problem from different angles to find the best solution.  We need creative thinkers who put old things together in new ways to solve problems. Unfortunately our public schools emphasize memorizing facts to answer questions on tests.  It's up to us as parents to give our children opportunities at home to learn creativity.  Check out this article called Why Creative Education is Important for Kids for more about this important topic.

Creativity is learned through play. We need to protect their playtime and provide them with the right kind of toys. Look for toys that can be played with in more than one way, toys that encourage role playing, and toys that allow kids to make their own unique creations.

Here are links to some of our family's favorite creative toys on Amazon. These are affiliate links, so if you purchase through them a small amount will go to the blog without any extra cost to you. Amazon just pays me for referrals, but sometimes you can find better deals elsewhere so go ahead and shop around. I just give you the links so you can better see what I'm talking about.

Blocks

Every child needs a good set of blocks! Or two or three!
Our favorites:

1. Magna-Tiles® Clear Colors 100 Piece Set

Expensive, but worth it! We love love love our Magna-tiles!

2. Melissa and Doug 60-Piece Standard Unit Blocks

My kids love these wood blocks. We have two sets. They can be stored in the wood box they come in. My kids build zoos and castles and ninja hideaways. Great blocks!

3. Melissa and Doug Deluxe Jumbo Cardboard Blocks (40 pc)

Well, we don't actually have these, but Grandma does, and the kids love playing with them! She has a bunch of sets and the kids will build houses and towers and knock them down. So fun!

4. MindWare KEVA Contraptions

We received this as a gift and the kids love building ramps for the balls to go down! Very fun set of blocks. 

Dolls and Such

By dolls I just mean "toys that have people for kids to act out life with", so don't think dolls are just for girls! My 3 boys all love acting out scenes with dolls (they just don't call them dolls). Here are some of our favorite "toys with people for acting out life":

1. KidKraft Chelsea Doll Cottage with Furniture

Maren loved her dollhouse. It's still in our attic because she just couldn't get rid of it. Occasionally we'll get it down and play with it. The boys play with it too when Maren's not looking. The dollhouse she had is no longer made (she's getting so old!) but this one looks good too. 

2. Playmobil Police Station

I love Playmobil toys! I always wanted some when I was little and I've bought my kids a bunch. Yes, the little pieces can be annoying, but the details are so fun! This is another product where you should check the official playmobil website before buying to make sure you are getting a good deal. It's hard to know if the price has been inflated because it's a retired set. My boys love the pirates and dragon castles and Maren loved all the fairytale sets.

3. Duplo Lego Farm

I love Lego Duplo Bricks too. This is a toy that could go in the block category or the doll category. My kids love building with them, but then they also love playing with the Lego people too. You can read my post on Why Every Child Needs Lego Bricks for more suggestions on great sets to buy!

4. Fisher-Price Little People Fun Sounds Farm
Doesn't every kid need a Little People Farm? The design has changed over the years but this was always a favorite toy of my toddlers.

5. Imaginext City Center

We have lots of Imaginext! I mean LOTS! We have 2 castles, a fire station, a space station, helicopters, cars, etc . . . I am partial to the old sets because I think they were better made, and you can still find them on ebay or at yard sales, but the new sets are good too.

Dramatic Play

Role playing is one way kids make sense of the world around them. They act out what they've seen the people around them do. Role playing can also be used to teach kids how to respond in situations. These toys are great for encouraging kids creativity.

1. Melissa and Doug Stamp and Sort Mailbox

My son Joshua purchased this for himself one year and the kids have had lots of fun with it! They set up collection and delivery schedules and write mail to each other. A great buy for dramatic play!

2. Imaginarium Adventure Costume Trunk Set Viking, Pirate, King, Knight and Wizard

Imaginarium makes great dress up clothes! But apparently they're a Toys 'R Us thing so you can't buy many of them on Amazon. I linked up to this dress up set so you could see what I was talking about but you could probably get a better deal at the Toys 'R Us website. They make foam shields and swords that my boys love also, and Nathan has this really neat two sided knight/king costume with a cape that is pretty great.

3. Folkmanis Funky Chicken Hand Puppet

Folkmanis makes great puppets. I don't have this chicken puppet . . . yet . . . but I do have a lot of others. We have a knight puppet, a princess, a three headed dragon, a monkey, a swan, a mouse, a big furry dog, a monkey, a rabbit and did I mention I like puppets? You can buy a puppet theatre or make one yourself. Kids love making up and performing their plays. 

4. Learning Resources Teaching Cash Register

This is a great prop for role playing snack shop or store (and teaching about money)!

5. KidKraft Vintage Kitchen - White

My little boy loves pretending to make me food and I love pretending to eat it. We don't have this specific kitchen (we got ours at IKEA) but this looks like a good one too. We especially like the Melissa and Doug Felt Food - Sandwich Set to go with it. So much pretend fun to have!

Art Supplies

Giving kids opportunity to create and explore art is an important part of childhood. These are some of our favorite art essentials.

1. Melissa and Doug Deluxe Standing Easel

We have the easel from IKEA, but this is a good one too if you don't have an IKEA close to you. My kids love drawing on our easel, writing messages to each other and using it as a prop in pretend play.

2. Play-Doh Sweet Shoppe Frosting Fun Bakery Playset

We love playing with Play-Doh! We have a bucket full of cookie cutters, knives, and toys to play with. 

3. Do A Dot Art Marker Rainbow, 6-pack

These Dot Paint markers are a great way for toddlers and preschoolers to paint without too much mess. You can also buy painting books to go with them, such as this Colorful Critters Do-A-Dot Art Creative Activity Book.

4. ALEX Toys - Craft, Giant Art Jar, 170N

Sometimes you just need to give kids a bunch of supplies and let them go at it, with no end product in mind. Just let them create for the joy of it.

Puzzles

Puzzles require creative thinking and problem solving skills. Start kids doing puzzles when they're young and encourage them to keep trying when things get hard.

1. Melissa and Doug First Shapes Jumbo

Puzzles with large knobs are great for babies and toddlers. Find puzzles with simple shapes and familiar animals to start with.

2. Melissa and Doug Wooden Bear Family Dress-Up Puzzle

My kids always enjoyed these mix and match puzzles when they were little.

3. Jungle Juniors 24 Piece Floor Puzzle

These big floor puzzles are great for groups of kids to do together on the floor. My 4 year old liked to do them by himself too. 

4. Ravensburger Animal Kingdom - 35 Piece Puzzle

Ravensburger makes great quality puzzles! We have been lucky to find several at yard sales. The kids do the puzzles over and over again. I love that they have these simple 35 piece puzzles for little kids. We also have several of the 60 to 200 piece puzzles and they are all great! And look! They even have a  Disney Frozen Puzzle !

Musical Instruments

Just like it's good to have a bunch of different art supplies around for the kids to explore, it's good to have lots of different musical instruments around for the kids. They will discover how different instruments sound together, and you might just need earplugs. Here are some great musical toys:

1. Hohner Kids Toddler Music Band

This set has a xylophone, drum, and shakers. Great for toddlers!

2. Melissa and Doug Band in a Box

For older kids, this set includes a tambourine, triangle, cymbals, maracas, and wood block. My kids have played with this set for years!!

3. Rhythm Band 13 Note Chromatic Handbells

This is a great set of bells for a budding musician. My kids love playing with the bells.

4. Casio SA-76 44 Key Mini Keyboard, Orange

What kid doesn't love pounding on a keyboard? We are lucky enough to have a real piano, but this is a good alternative for something smaller.

5. Alfred's Kid's Guitar Course, Complete Starter Pack: Everything You Need to Play Today!

We surprised Joshua with this guitar last year and he has loved it (he had just turned 9)! Great for older musicians.

I hope this list has given you some ideas of great gifts for encouraging creativity in your kids.

What are your favorite creative toys?

This post is part of the KBN gift guide. Hop over to What Do We Do All Day to see the different gift lists.

 

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