Five Things To Do With Your Family This Weekend

MAKE DIY GREETINGS

Need some ho-ho-home-made Christmas card-spiration? We love these lino printing ideas while these are more complicated, but just gorgeous. Or try sewing! These geometric designs look clean and contemporary but yarn trees are easier for kids to make. For something more spectacular, get crafting a pop-up tree greeting. Easiest of all, try recycling last year’s cards for this season – some great ideas here and here.

Making seasonal decorations together is a magical way to spend time together as a family. Put on your favourite wintry records and take down your art box. We love this simple star garland that can be used for all manner of celebrations, or just to jazz up a wall, home-made crackers, spice-scented pomanders to hang on doors or give as gifts, tiny trees made from pine cones and corks and this hand-print tree (you’ll want to keep those tiny prints forever!)

EVENT LET THERE BE LIGHT
It’s Hanukkah! The eight-day, Jewish festival of lights starts this weekend. It’s celebrated around the world with candle-lighting, gifts and good food. Traditionally, adults and children play a game involving a dreidel – a die with a Hebrew letter on each of the four side. Find out how to make one and play the game here. Or make some Hanukkah recipes; find latke, desserts and challah inspiration here and vegan alternatives here. In London? Celebrate in Islington with live klezmer music, dreidel games, candle workshops and shadow puppetry courtesy of the Little Angel Theatre or at JW3 with a series of discos, singing and comedy events.

EVENT SOLSTICE BELLS
The winter solstice falls next Wednesday, and we’ll have more ideas to celebrate it next week, but there are events to mark it this weekend and early next week. The wonderful Butser Ancient Farm in Hampshire plays host to a Winter Magical Adventure on Saturday and Sunday, with a Holly King and Deer Queen, woodland decoration making and lots of non-denominational, festive fun. Or head there on Monday for enchanting seasonal stories in the Iron Age roundhouse. Alternatively, take a guided walk to the top of Welsh peak Pen Y Fan to enjoy the sunset, or join a celebration in real life or online at Glastonbury’s Chalice Well. Find more Pagan and witchy event inspiration here.

EVENT COOL YULEFancy celebrating the season a little differently this year? Perhaps you might find inspiration in other country’s festive traditions – find a round-up of ways different cultures celebrate midwinter here. Or celebrate Yule in the old way; find our ideas here. We adore bringing in red berried holly, deep green ivy and evergreen leaves to decorate our house at this time of year. Take a trudge around your garden, nearby wood or park to find bits to make your house cosy, welcoming, but with a hint of dark pagan tradition. There are some good hints for keeping your leaves fresh here.

This year, we’re going to make our own Yule log, try crafting this unusual Christmas star, and decorate our Christmas dinner table with these chic-but-simple glass bottle and foliage candle holders.

EVENT ALL IS CALM

If your family is anything like ours, Christmas fever is starting to inch from bright-eyed merry to full-on crazy. It can feel impossible to keep things calm and bright. We love these gentle tips to soothe the frenzy, while these techniques from around the world bring some new ideas to the parenting party (we’re going to try the finger holds idea which can be used wherever you are. Reading a wintery book together could also help you find your calm. We’ve rounded up some of our favourites here.

Finally, there are some great tips for making your Christmas less overwhelming for an autistic visitor here or for your own child with sensory issues here

WHAT WE’RE EATING CHERRY ALMOND GRANOLA BARS Check out these on-the-go power food bars for those days when you need a lil’ boost. Laura Fuentes is queen of the clean, healthy, nutritious treats. These’ll be snapped up! Get the recipe here

WHAT WE’RE READING How to Pick Gifts Even Better Than Santa Using Science: “Happiness doesn’t come from adding positives. It comes from removing negatives. So when it comes to how to pick gifts, find a problem in your recipient’s life and solve it with your generosity.” Read more here