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Ah, December. The last month of the year and the host to so many different holidays, and with those holidays, comes the swarming masses looking for the perfect gift. Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with giving gifts to family and friends, but the “give me” and “getting” of the season should not be our main focus. Instead, here are five different activities for men to do with their families and friends to draw their focus back to what is really important.
#1 Take a winter day trip.
Skiing, snowboarding, ice skating, sledding, dog boarding, ice fishing and more! There are so many fun and exciting activities and adventures to be had for the whole family this winter. My advice would be to pack a lunch, bundle up the kids, turn off the phone, and have a family fun day. They don’t have to be planned out to a tee, some of the best memories that we make as children and parents are memories of when we just go out and do!
#2 Have an indoor game day.
Let’s face it. Some of us live in areas where during the winter months whiteouts, below 0 temperatures, and blizzards just come with the territory. However, this doesn’t mean you and your families can’t have special family time together. Growing up in my house, each holiday was assigned a board game. Easter was Risk™, and Thanksgiving was my dad crushing us every year at Monopoly™ for the Golden Wishbone. For Christmas, that meant Yahtzee!™. I can remember having so much fun, even though my dad or mom would win every single year at this game. It was always great spending quality time with my family and was so special, that my husband and I hope to make it a tradition in our home as well.
#3 Bake cookies and other holiday treats for the neighbors.
Nothing quite says “Merry Christmas” like a plate full of cookies. Equally, nothing is as exciting as being able to cook or bake with your kids (not to mention the mounds of cookie dough that needs “testing”). I can remember doing this activity with my dad many times and hand delivering them to our neighbors. The smiles, hugs, and laughter flowed freely and made the best bonding memories between my dad and I. Not to mention that we were always on very good terms with the neighbors.
#4 Decorate the house.
With Christmas looming, it’s time to deck the halls, hang the lights, and decorate that beautiful tree. However, it can get pretty boring and be tiring doing it all alone. So, turn on your favorite music, and get the whole family involved in hanging up lights, glass balls, and garland. Give everyone a special job and once you’ve finished, sit down and admire all the hard work with a cup of cocoa and a cookie or two and have a family sharing time.
#5 Christmas Eve Lights
Out of the activities I’ve listed, this one is, by far, my absolute favorite thing to do each year. Right after the Christmas Candlelight Service, my dad would load us all up in the family car and we would spend a good hour or two driving all over my little hometown awing and admiring all of the outdoor Christmas decorations and lights people would hang up each year. The cold, dark winter nights don’t seem as dark with all of the beautiful multicolored lights dancing off the snow. This was always a favorite for my family, and hopefully for yours as well.
If you are looking to get away from the busy, rushing madness of the season and want to spend the Holidays more with your families, I hope that these few suggestions spark ideas for you and your families to spend time together this year and start new traditions that are fun for the whole family.
Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year to you all!
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Photo Image: Getty Images