Making Holidays Meaningful
If you are a Christian, you may find yourself wondering how to instill values in your children about the true meaning of holidays such as Easter & Christmas, or wondering how to handle things like spooky Halloween parties you aren't too comfortable with. I am slowly going to compile some links here that suggest alternate ways to handle "traditional" holidays. With 4 kids in our family, we want to instill good morals and shelter from violent worldly influences, but we don't want to become the "religious family" who doesn't let their kids have any fun (as I can imagine our children complaining). Be sure to scroll down through the categories, no matter what time of year it is now, because the last one is "Any Occasion".
Halloween:
Pumpkin Carving
Image courtesy of www.freedigitalphotos.net
With Halloween approaching, I am always at a loss as to what to do and not to do with our kids. Some Christians celebrate Halloween, others do not. I am not going to tell you what you should decide for your family, but if you find you would like to do something for Halloween, but want something that brings your children's attention to glorifying God rather than gore, I've gathered a few resources:
- This site has 2 different activities that are done while carving pumpkins, as well as one story about a pumpkin who learns to be happy just the way God made him and "The Jack O'Lantern Poem" with a suggestion for how to do a craft along with the poem.
- Here is a website that has [free] printable carving templates to carve your pumpkin with a Christian theme. PumpkinGlow.com also has [free] Christian printable carving templates which are more advanced. They also have a selection of other non-Halloween templates in categories such as patriotic (I love America), animals, famous american heroes, and more.
- I have heard several times the story of "How a Christian is Like a Pumpkin" God picks us, washes the dirt off, ect. I found two different sites that use this story and a pumpkin as an object lesson/devotional/sunday school lesson. They use the same story, but this one is shorter so probably better for younger kids (pre-K/kindergarteners?) and this one is a bit more in depth so it offers more for elementary age through adults. Neither of them is too labor intensive or time consuming, so check them both out before deciding which is the best fit.
Trick or Treating? What do you share?
Whether you go out trick-or-treating or you stay at home and give out candy to the parade of costume-clad little (and big) kids, what do you share? Do you share some of the snickers or tootsie rolls that you purchased (but have been sneaking into just a little early)? Do you share laughs and smiles and make memories by spending time with loved ones? Do you share the Good News, the Gospel of Jesus Christ, a love for the Lord that is overwhelmingly contagious?
There are simple ways to spread the Good News on Halloween. If you're a Christian, you should consider using this not-so-holy holiday as an opportunity to evangelize. After all, how many other times will you come face-to-face with so many neighbors and complete strangers & exchange something with them? It's easy to incorporate into whatever you currently do on Halloween- unless you do nothing at all and you shut off the lights and lock yourselves in the basement for a movie night, which is not an uncommon Christian tradition on Halloween night.
If you go out trick-or-treating, simply hand a tract (or have your kids do it, it is good for them to learn to be comfortable sharing their faith, and tracts are a great first small step) to whomever gives you candy. After saying "Trick-or-Treat" and receiving a candy, say something like, "Thank you, this is for you," hand them a tract and walk away. Simple as that and it may just plant a seed that matures into their salvation and perhaps even grows a hundred fold (See Mark 4:8)!
If you stay home to hand out candy, simply hand out a tract per child you give candy to. If there are a couple kids together, try give them different tracts (trust me, they will want to read each other's if they're different). Some sites, like the one for Chick Tracts have Halloween-specific tracts. Please make sure you read the tract to make sure you're handing it out to the appropriate age group. (You can read all of the Chick Tracts in full online before ordering them.) If you would rather buy tracts that aren't holiday specific, that's fine too. I personally recommend the "Charlie's Ants" tract because I feel it conveys the heart of the Gospel message in a way that's easy to understand for any audience.
Okay, now, if you do happen to be one of the aforementioned shut-off-the-lights-and-pretend-you're-not-home-Halloween-night Chrisitans, I respect your decision. The origin of the holiday is undeniably not glorifying to God in any way. However, please take a moment to read what the Chick website has to say about Halloween (they make a clear statement that Christians should NOT celebrate Halloween) as an evangelistic opportunity.
There are simple ways to spread the Good News on Halloween. If you're a Christian, you should consider using this not-so-holy holiday as an opportunity to evangelize. After all, how many other times will you come face-to-face with so many neighbors and complete strangers & exchange something with them? It's easy to incorporate into whatever you currently do on Halloween- unless you do nothing at all and you shut off the lights and lock yourselves in the basement for a movie night, which is not an uncommon Christian tradition on Halloween night.
If you go out trick-or-treating, simply hand a tract (or have your kids do it, it is good for them to learn to be comfortable sharing their faith, and tracts are a great first small step) to whomever gives you candy. After saying "Trick-or-Treat" and receiving a candy, say something like, "Thank you, this is for you," hand them a tract and walk away. Simple as that and it may just plant a seed that matures into their salvation and perhaps even grows a hundred fold (See Mark 4:8)!
If you stay home to hand out candy, simply hand out a tract per child you give candy to. If there are a couple kids together, try give them different tracts (trust me, they will want to read each other's if they're different). Some sites, like the one for Chick Tracts have Halloween-specific tracts. Please make sure you read the tract to make sure you're handing it out to the appropriate age group. (You can read all of the Chick Tracts in full online before ordering them.) If you would rather buy tracts that aren't holiday specific, that's fine too. I personally recommend the "Charlie's Ants" tract because I feel it conveys the heart of the Gospel message in a way that's easy to understand for any audience.
Okay, now, if you do happen to be one of the aforementioned shut-off-the-lights-and-pretend-you're-not-home-Halloween-night Chrisitans, I respect your decision. The origin of the holiday is undeniably not glorifying to God in any way. However, please take a moment to read what the Chick website has to say about Halloween (they make a clear statement that Christians should NOT celebrate Halloween) as an evangelistic opportunity.
Mid-October through Early November:
Packing Shoe Boxes:
Operation Christmas Child, a project of Samaritan's Purse, has become a something that my whole family looks forward to and benefits greatly from. Although it involves packing a Christmas gift, it needs to be done before Thanksgiving to allow for processing & shipping, and it certainly reminds us of all that we have to be grateful for.
The concept is simple enough: find a shoebox, fill it with simple inexpensive gifts, school supplies, personal hygiene items or clothing articles and a check for $7 to help cover the cost of shipping overseas (or you can pay the $7 online for a chance to "Follow Your Box" and see what country it is distributed to). You drop it off at the nearest drop-off location during national shoebox collection week in November. They send it off to Samaritan's Purse where it will be inspected to ensure it will meet customs requirements for the nation to which it will be shipped, and finally, your shoe box is given to a child in need, who may not have received a gift this Christmas otherwise. All of this information is my paraphrase, and you can learn much more detail about the "Journey of a Shoebox" as well as checking a list of recommended & restricted items for packing a shoebox on the Operation Christmas Child website.
My children love selecting items to send to another child. You can choose to pack a box for either a boy or girl, and you designate the box for one of the following age groups: 2-4 yrs, 5-9 yrs, 10-14yrs. My children enjoy being able to pack a box for a child the same age and gender as they are because they predict the child may like to play with the same sorts of toys and may wear close to the same size of clothing, etc.
The concept is simple enough: find a shoebox, fill it with simple inexpensive gifts, school supplies, personal hygiene items or clothing articles and a check for $7 to help cover the cost of shipping overseas (or you can pay the $7 online for a chance to "Follow Your Box" and see what country it is distributed to). You drop it off at the nearest drop-off location during national shoebox collection week in November. They send it off to Samaritan's Purse where it will be inspected to ensure it will meet customs requirements for the nation to which it will be shipped, and finally, your shoe box is given to a child in need, who may not have received a gift this Christmas otherwise. All of this information is my paraphrase, and you can learn much more detail about the "Journey of a Shoebox" as well as checking a list of recommended & restricted items for packing a shoebox on the Operation Christmas Child website.
My children love selecting items to send to another child. You can choose to pack a box for either a boy or girl, and you designate the box for one of the following age groups: 2-4 yrs, 5-9 yrs, 10-14yrs. My children enjoy being able to pack a box for a child the same age and gender as they are because they predict the child may like to play with the same sorts of toys and may wear close to the same size of clothing, etc.
A few things to remember:
photo courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net
1) Make the most of the opportunity to talk to your children about what they are doing. They are blessing another person because God has blessed us. Show them the photos and videos of children on the Operation Christmas Child Website, talk to them about what conditions may be like in other countries, and show them a globe or map, pointing out how far the shoe boxes may travel. This site will give your kids a visual of how far it is between two countries.
<-- If they begin to whine (like my little ones have) on a shopping trip to select items for shoe boxes, politely remind them of how lucky they are and how much they have already. Don't yell at them for whining (I'm guilty of this all to often), take the time to really try explain the situation to them so that they can be excited about giving rather than just receiving. It may be the best lesson they learn all year. Below is a .pdf file you can download with a coloring page that your child can color & fill in about themselves (version below for USA) to enclose in the shoe box they packed. It will be fun for the child receiving the box to see who packed it!
<-- If they begin to whine (like my little ones have) on a shopping trip to select items for shoe boxes, politely remind them of how lucky they are and how much they have already. Don't yell at them for whining (I'm guilty of this all to often), take the time to really try explain the situation to them so that they can be excited about giving rather than just receiving. It may be the best lesson they learn all year. Below is a .pdf file you can download with a coloring page that your child can color & fill in about themselves (version below for USA) to enclose in the shoe box they packed. It will be fun for the child receiving the box to see who packed it!
occ_about_me_coloring_page_for_shoe_boxes.pdf | |
File Size: | 203 kb |
File Type: |
Photo courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net
2) Check the guidelines for packing a shoe box specific to your country (if you are in the US, then the links above are for you, if not, be sure to get to the Operation Christmas Child webpage for your country because customs allow/deny different items), also, although the website for the US suggests that toys with batteries are ok and that you should send extra batteries, consider that the child may not be able to replace them again, and, unfortunately, in some countries they won't be permitted through customs or they may be at risk of being stolen from the child once he/she receives them. If packing clothing, bigger is better since they can grow into it. Keep in mind that the child receiving your gifts may not speak/read the same language that you do, so shirts with words, story books, etc, may not be the best choice. Operation Christmas Child does distribute a gospel booklet (age appropriate and in their native language) whenever appropriate. Click here for more information about this on their website.
3) For those of us on a budget, it would be nice if we could send our children's outgrown toys that are still in good condition, but you'll have to donate those elsewhere. Due to customs, used items are not permitted in shoe boxes. However, you can still pack a shoe box full on a budget, here are some tips:
3) For those of us on a budget, it would be nice if we could send our children's outgrown toys that are still in good condition, but you'll have to donate those elsewhere. Due to customs, used items are not permitted in shoe boxes. However, you can still pack a shoe box full on a budget, here are some tips:
- hit the Dollar stores: coloring books (no crayons, they could melt), notebooks, pencils, pencil sharpeners, socks, hair ties or costume jewelry for girls, stickers, small toys, etc.
- buy in bulk and divide items up: purchase a package of white T-shirts/socks and place one or two in each shoe box, be sure to check out Oriental Trading Post's website also, as they have a wide variety of toys, crafts, and supplies at unbeatable prices (expect Dollar Store quality). I am ordering 30 toy cars (cheap Hot Wheels) for $12. Check. It. Out. If you get their catalog in the mail, you may be able to snag free shipping in the 48 contiguous U.S. on orders over a set amount. (If you're not ordering that much, check with friends, neighbors and others at your church or organization to see if they'd like to combine orders to hit the mark for free shipping.)
Thanksgiving:
We can all benefit so much from showing gratitude, like the Veggie Tales sing [in the story of Madame Blueberry], "A thankful heart is a happy heart." More than the fact that it is good for us to remember how much we have to be thankful for, God commands us to be thankful (see 1 Thessalonians 5:18). Interesting how His commands are always for our benefit, eh? Such a wise and loving Father we have.
Even with Thanksgiving having this underlying theme of gratitude, which fits so wonderfully into the Christian worldview, I have to admit, I have repeatedly failed to find a fun family tradition that brings deeper meaning to Thanksgiving for our children. Oh, we've tried things, no doubt, but they either fell into the category of being "more fun than meaningful" or "very meaningful but couldn't keep the kids' interest".
So, until I find one that really seems to work for us, you'll have to do your own research and/or rely on someone else's suggestions for Christian ways to celebrate Thanksgiving Day. If your family has already discovered a way to make Thanksgiving meaningful that is a hit with kids, please contact me and tell me about it!
Even with Thanksgiving having this underlying theme of gratitude, which fits so wonderfully into the Christian worldview, I have to admit, I have repeatedly failed to find a fun family tradition that brings deeper meaning to Thanksgiving for our children. Oh, we've tried things, no doubt, but they either fell into the category of being "more fun than meaningful" or "very meaningful but couldn't keep the kids' interest".
So, until I find one that really seems to work for us, you'll have to do your own research and/or rely on someone else's suggestions for Christian ways to celebrate Thanksgiving Day. If your family has already discovered a way to make Thanksgiving meaningful that is a hit with kids, please contact me and tell me about it!
Christmas:
Prophecy Ornaments
free photo courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net
A couple of years ago our family made what we call "Prophecy Ornaments". My husband cut out 25 circles of wood about 3" in diameter and drilled holes in them so that we could hang them by strings on our Christmas tree. After cutting them out, our children painted them solid colors (red, green, gold, white, you could do whatever colors you choose). When the paint had dried, I took a black permanent marker and numbered them each #1-#25, being sure to leave space to write Scripture references on each side. We found a list of Messianic prophecies and their fulfillment and selected 25 of them to use on our ornaments. There are over 300, some say over 400 Old Testament prophecies that Jesus fulfilled (I personally haven't counted them...), we simply narrowed it down to 25 because we intended to place one prophecy ornament on our tree each day from December 1-December 25. You could easily make many more than 25 if you wanted to. I chose to have the ornaments numbered so that our family could go through the selected fulfilled prophecies in chronological order of their fulfillment (for example, starting with Christ being born of a virgin and finishing with Christ being Resurrected). On one side of the first ornament I wrote the reference to the Old Testament prophecy (example: "Psalm 34:20") and on the reverse side I wrote the reference to the New Testament fulfillment (example: "John 19:32-33"). On December 1, we searched for the #1 ornament and had Bibles in hand to read the verses referred to. The younger kids had fun simply searching for the right # on the ornament, while older children can help reading the verses, and of course, it opens the door for all kinds of discussion. We thought that by day 25 (or somewhere in between) the kids would've bored of this mini devotional, having sensed it was yet another effort of their parents to sneak education into a "fun" context, but we haven't seen this occur yet and this will be our third year using the same ornaments.
Candy Canes & Advent Calendars
Candy canes are abundant during thing Christmas season.Whether you're taking them out to hang on the tree, to give away as gifts, or to eat as a tasty treat, you can check out this site to read about the history of candy canes, including reading some stories and legends regarding Christianity's take on the origin of this candy. Kids can enjoy a bit of history and treat their imagination while having this favorite holiday goodie.
If you want to do an advent calendar (a calendar which counts the days between December 1 until Christmas Day, often giving a little candy or toy behind a door numbered for each day) and you don't own one, consider making one. Search online for do-it-yourself advent calendars and you will come up with a huge variety of styles, made with various materials, and ranging from anyone-can-make-it to seasoned-crafter skill levels. If you aren't keen on the idea of putting candy or toys into the "spot" (pocket, drawer, etc) for each day, you could place a small object to discuss (such as a donkey to talk about when Mary rode the donkey to Bethlehem, or a piece of straw to represent the straw on the manger) each day in the places. These items could be reused year after year or swapped out with different ones to change things up if you have older kids who won't be thrilled with repetition. Another wonderful idea I read was to place a slip of paper in each spot which gives a "good deed" to commit for that day. The focus on service can be catered to fit your families needs, schedules, and abilities. (examples: donate an item to the food shelf, write a letter/draw a picture for a relative or friend, shovel for someone else, hold open doors for others today, bake cookies for neighbors, etc)
If you want to do an advent calendar (a calendar which counts the days between December 1 until Christmas Day, often giving a little candy or toy behind a door numbered for each day) and you don't own one, consider making one. Search online for do-it-yourself advent calendars and you will come up with a huge variety of styles, made with various materials, and ranging from anyone-can-make-it to seasoned-crafter skill levels. If you aren't keen on the idea of putting candy or toys into the "spot" (pocket, drawer, etc) for each day, you could place a small object to discuss (such as a donkey to talk about when Mary rode the donkey to Bethlehem, or a piece of straw to represent the straw on the manger) each day in the places. These items could be reused year after year or swapped out with different ones to change things up if you have older kids who won't be thrilled with repetition. Another wonderful idea I read was to place a slip of paper in each spot which gives a "good deed" to commit for that day. The focus on service can be catered to fit your families needs, schedules, and abilities. (examples: donate an item to the food shelf, write a letter/draw a picture for a relative or friend, shovel for someone else, hold open doors for others today, bake cookies for neighbors, etc)
Presents & Stocking Stuffers
How do you decide how many gifts to get your child(ren)? If you have more than one child, do you buy the same number of gifts per child, or spend the same amount of money per child? This gets pretty tricky when younger kids compare quantity and size of gift, while older kids may end up with fewer, more expensive gifts. With the budding interests of our little ones and all the advertisements boasting of creative, even educational, fun gift ideas, how do you decide what is worth buying and what isn't (and when to stop!)? I first heard of a solution to this dilemma years ago at a MOPS meeting around Christmas time. One mom shared that they give each child only 3 gifts each year (not counting inexpensive stocking-stuffers). This concept stems from the fact that baby Jesus received the three gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Narrowing it down to 3 gifts per child also reduces the urge to impulse buy.
And now, what about those stocking stuffers? We always fill the bottom (foot) of the stocking with mixed nuts still in their shells and occasional candies, and then place small trinkets and toys in the upper portion. When my kids were young, it was easy to find inexpensive items to fill their stockings. As our daughter gets older (now a teen), I find it much harder to locate items that she would actually WANT (not need, like socks) that are small enough to fit in the top of the stocking AND aren't really expensive. If I get her one pair of $15 earrings, her stocking looks pretty measly compared to if I'm spending $15 for my son at the dollar store. I really wasn't sure what to do about this (aside from continuing to give her more nuts and counting "toe socks" as something maybe she'd be thrilled about?) until this year. I read about a family (it was in a comment on some blog- sorry I don't remember where to give a link) that stuffs their kids' stockings with...... wait for it..... ........
Breakfast! I know, it's a profound idea! But, they put dried, flavored oatmeal packets (I'll be premixing our own in ziplock baggies since we are GF and I'm cheap- my kids would eat at least 3 of those preportioned packs each) along with: trail mix, dried fruit, nuts, chocolate chips and/or other goodies to stir in. Also, an apple or orange, even a can of fruit (my kids would be genuinely excited to have their own can of mandarin oranges- YUM). Maybe I'll throw in an instant apple cider mix? At first I thought, this is lame, my kids would be really bummed to not have toys in their stockings. But would they? Would they really? I am not sure. I think the two ages 5+ are starting to realize the lack of quality that often comes with quantity and would be pretty stoked about the idea of making their own breakfast with lots of sweets. As for the 2 under 5 years old, if their older siblings are excited, well, so are they! (I have to be honest and confess here that the idea of them fixing their own breakfast when they get up on Christmas Day is very appealing to me as I am typically up wayyy to late on Christmas Eve for one reason or another.)
And now, what about those stocking stuffers? We always fill the bottom (foot) of the stocking with mixed nuts still in their shells and occasional candies, and then place small trinkets and toys in the upper portion. When my kids were young, it was easy to find inexpensive items to fill their stockings. As our daughter gets older (now a teen), I find it much harder to locate items that she would actually WANT (not need, like socks) that are small enough to fit in the top of the stocking AND aren't really expensive. If I get her one pair of $15 earrings, her stocking looks pretty measly compared to if I'm spending $15 for my son at the dollar store. I really wasn't sure what to do about this (aside from continuing to give her more nuts and counting "toe socks" as something maybe she'd be thrilled about?) until this year. I read about a family (it was in a comment on some blog- sorry I don't remember where to give a link) that stuffs their kids' stockings with...... wait for it..... ........
Breakfast! I know, it's a profound idea! But, they put dried, flavored oatmeal packets (I'll be premixing our own in ziplock baggies since we are GF and I'm cheap- my kids would eat at least 3 of those preportioned packs each) along with: trail mix, dried fruit, nuts, chocolate chips and/or other goodies to stir in. Also, an apple or orange, even a can of fruit (my kids would be genuinely excited to have their own can of mandarin oranges- YUM). Maybe I'll throw in an instant apple cider mix? At first I thought, this is lame, my kids would be really bummed to not have toys in their stockings. But would they? Would they really? I am not sure. I think the two ages 5+ are starting to realize the lack of quality that often comes with quantity and would be pretty stoked about the idea of making their own breakfast with lots of sweets. As for the 2 under 5 years old, if their older siblings are excited, well, so are they! (I have to be honest and confess here that the idea of them fixing their own breakfast when they get up on Christmas Day is very appealing to me as I am typically up wayyy to late on Christmas Eve for one reason or another.)
Christmas Music
I can't believe I almost forgot to link to my FAVORITE Christmas song EVER by Go Fish. I include this on this page because I think it may just become a tradition for your family to jam to this song like it has become in my family.... enjoy! There are two videos because they are slightly different versions. The first is the most humorous, but perhaps not the version you want your kids to memorize. . .
Easter:
So much of celebrating Easter has become about the Easter Bunny, decorating & hunting for Easter Eggs, and, of course, candy. Looking for a way to encourage children to grasp the significance of Biblical Truths without removing the elements of fun they have always gotten excited about? (In other words, not boring them or making them feel like it is punishment to celebrate Easter the "Christian" way...)
Resurrection Eggs
Check out the link below to download a three page .pdf file (for free, of course) explaining exactly how to make your own "Resurrection Eggs" set, which can be used for Easter egg hunts, games, or just to start off conversation. It's inexpensive, educational, memorable, and has been a hit with our children from the ages of 3 to 11!
how_to_make_resurrection_eggs.pdf | |
File Size: | 842 kb |
File Type: |
Easter Story Cookies
Another sweet way to celebrate & demonstrate the real reason we celebrate Easter is through Easter Story Cookies, a hands-on way to help kids try to grasp some of what Christ & his followers went through during their last days before Christ's Ascention. The cookies are simple to make and the kids will have active roles in mixing the dough, while an adult reads & explains Scriptural references for each ingredient. The cookies are to be made the evening before Easter & placed into the oven. Kids will then "seal" the oven closed with a piece or two of tape (like Jesus tomb was sealed after his death on the cross) and then GO TO BED, leaving the cookies all alone in the oven all night long (don't worry, your oven will be off, so no danger of a fire!). Kids will undoubtedly be disappointed that they don't get to taste the "fruits of their labors", and this provides a great learning experience for them to relate to how heartbroken the disciples and followers of Christ must've been when He died and his body was left in the tomb. In the morning, however, the cookies will be ready to eat and will have a special trait that allows them to be an excellent treat as well as a wonderful teaching opportunity!
The recipe, including all directions & Scripture references is included in the one page .pdf file you can download below:
The recipe, including all directions & Scripture references is included in the one page .pdf file you can download below:
easter_story_cookies.pdf | |
File Size: | 346 kb |
File Type: |
Any Occasion:
Gratitude Gift Game
free photo courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net
Okay, so I totally made up the name of this game, but I didn't make up the game itself. I actually have no idea who came up with this game, but it is ingenious. I heard about it during a MOPS group when we were sharing about Christmas traditions we do with our families, particularly with younger children.
You know those gifts you open and inside you are thinking "oh my..." or "ughhh" or "What were they thinking?", etc. Those gifts that you see and you know immediately that either you don't like it, won't use it, or maybe you don't even know what it is! Well, our kids get those types of gifts too and they aren't nearly as well versed in being polite and keeping their inner thoughts to themselves. So many parents try to teach their children to respond with a simple "thank you" or a smile regardless of what their opinion of the gift itself is- because the point of the matter is that someone else cared about them enough and was generous enough to bring them a gift in the first place.
Someone, somewhere got the bright idea to make this practice of showing gratitude regardless of first impression into a game. It is simple and you don't need to purchase anything, do any prep work, etc. There are no "winners" or "losers" and everyone has fun- even the adults, it really is a blast. I should warn you, though, if you teach your kids this game, they may just beg to play it over and over and over.
Here's what you need:
2 or more players (any age, old enough to talk, ages 3+ will probably grasp the idea)
a bag, box or other container that you can't see through (optional)
That's all!
Here's what you do:
Explain how to play the game: One person goes and gets any item. If you have a bag or box, they place the item in the bag or box so it is out of view. If you don't have a bag/box, they can simply hold the item behind their back. They then present this item as a "gift" to another player. (You may want to explain to younger kids that the item being "given" is not truly going to become the permanent possession of the other person. Example: You can "give" your favorite toy as a gift in this game, but it will still belong to you when the game is over.) Whoever receives the gift must smile and say, "Thank you, _____________________________," filling in the blank with a statement naming one positive thing about the item. For example, if someone was given a spoon, the recipient could say, "Thank you, this will be great for when we have soup." If given a washcloth they could say, "Thank you, this is very soft!" Older kids will get creative fast. For example, if someone is presented with a dirty sock, the response could be, "Thanks, I love the color!"
You know those gifts you open and inside you are thinking "oh my..." or "ughhh" or "What were they thinking?", etc. Those gifts that you see and you know immediately that either you don't like it, won't use it, or maybe you don't even know what it is! Well, our kids get those types of gifts too and they aren't nearly as well versed in being polite and keeping their inner thoughts to themselves. So many parents try to teach their children to respond with a simple "thank you" or a smile regardless of what their opinion of the gift itself is- because the point of the matter is that someone else cared about them enough and was generous enough to bring them a gift in the first place.
Someone, somewhere got the bright idea to make this practice of showing gratitude regardless of first impression into a game. It is simple and you don't need to purchase anything, do any prep work, etc. There are no "winners" or "losers" and everyone has fun- even the adults, it really is a blast. I should warn you, though, if you teach your kids this game, they may just beg to play it over and over and over.
Here's what you need:
2 or more players (any age, old enough to talk, ages 3+ will probably grasp the idea)
a bag, box or other container that you can't see through (optional)
That's all!
Here's what you do:
Explain how to play the game: One person goes and gets any item. If you have a bag or box, they place the item in the bag or box so it is out of view. If you don't have a bag/box, they can simply hold the item behind their back. They then present this item as a "gift" to another player. (You may want to explain to younger kids that the item being "given" is not truly going to become the permanent possession of the other person. Example: You can "give" your favorite toy as a gift in this game, but it will still belong to you when the game is over.) Whoever receives the gift must smile and say, "Thank you, _____________________________," filling in the blank with a statement naming one positive thing about the item. For example, if someone was given a spoon, the recipient could say, "Thank you, this will be great for when we have soup." If given a washcloth they could say, "Thank you, this is very soft!" Older kids will get creative fast. For example, if someone is presented with a dirty sock, the response could be, "Thanks, I love the color!"