While there are a lot of parties and events to attend this time of year, nothing beats a quiet evening at home to bond with the family. Cozying up with the kiddos and enjoying each other’s company is the best.
With my husband and I having opposing schedules, we don't really have a lot of evenings home together especially on the weekends. He generally performs at the dinner theater 4 nights from Thursday- Sunday plus he has evening rehearsals. So a night with everyone home this time of year is special.
For us, a great night in consists of food, a movie, and a fun activity.
Food
Yummy food is essential for any family night in. I love a warm mug of hot chocolate and Tyler and Hailey are all about the chocolate milk. They have not yet discovered the joys of hot chocolate, although I think Tyler may try some this year.
Snuggling with your favorite beverage and some yummy snacks makes any time a good time.
One way to go is to make the food part of the activity. It shouldn’t be something that will take a ton of time, but definitely a fun activity to kick off the night. Check out these quick and easy treats:
Christmas tree OREO pops from It's Always Autumn
Christmas Tree Brownies from One Little Project
Reindeer Chow from This Silly Girl's Life
Easy Christmas Bark from Graceful Little Honey Bee
These are all super cute and very festive. On the other hand, we don't always know when we will want/need a relaxing night in. I suggest having a package of ready to bake cookie dough on hand just in case.
You may not win the award for Holly Homemaker, but you will have nice warm yummy cookies, a clean kitchen, and plenty of time to move on to the rest of your evening.
What to Do
A night in is the perfect time for holiday crafting or family games. There are tons of games you can purchase, but also a ton that you can make.
This part may require some planning on your part, but if you prep a few different activities now now, it will be super easy to just set up when the time comes. Here are some ideas for fun family crafts and games to entertain and bond with the family
Silver Bells Memory Game from I can Teach my Child
Christmas Bowling from Keeping it Simple
Christmas Charades Game from Mom and Munchkins
DIY Christmas Matching Game from Dirt and Boogers
Christmas Salt Dough Ornaments from I Heart Arts N Crafts
You can also check out some of the Christmas crafts we’ve posted on the blog here. Tyler and I had a blast making these. We plan on recreating some this year now that Hailey is 2 and can get into crafting more.
What to Watch
The best way to end a night in is with a fun festive holiday movie. My husband is an avid movie collector, so we have a plethora of choices at our fingertips. The following are just a small selection of our favorite Christmas movies to enjoy as a family.
The Original Christmas Classics Gift Set this includes Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Santa Claus is Comin to Town, Frosty the Snowman, Frosty Returns, Mr. Magoos Christmas Carol, The Little Drummer Boy, Cricket on the Hearth
National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation
Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas
There you have it. Everything you need for a cozy night in with the family and still feel super festive. Do you have a favorite holiday movie, treat or activity? Share it in the comments below!
Cheers,
Emily
