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Charities can often get forgotten at Christmas, with our minds being more focused on our own needs than the needs of others.
You could gather up the toys which your kids no longer play with and donate to a toy drive. This is a great one for getting children involved too. If you have an animal shelter nearby, offer your time for fundraisers, or ask around friends and family for old bedding to use for the animals. Homeless shelters are also always in need of bedding and clothes, or if there's a local soup kitchen, donate your time to helping with meal prep.
Whichever way you choose to donate our time and efforts, it's a great way to help make someone elses Christmas a little brighter.
The idea for this is to be annonymous. Not knowing who a gift is from removes the feeling that it needs to be reciprocated, or the feeling that something is now owing.
Make or buy a small gift for a neighbour, maybe someone that is alone for Christmas, or an older person who can't get out in the bad weather. It could be a batch of your signature cookies, or a festive door wreath made with greenery from the local woods.
Leave it on their doorstep with a handmade Christmas card, without signing your name.
Winter can be a really hard time for birds, with less food available and more energy needed to stay warm. We also tend to forget to fill the bird feeders when we're busy getting our homes ready for Christmas.
Try making your own bird treats at home with seeds and nuts, using old milk cartons or containers if you don't have a bird feeder. If you don't have birds coming to your garden, or maybe you don't have a garden, take some homemade feeders to your local park or woods and hang them as high as you can reach on the tree branches. If you're out for a walk in the same area over Christmas, don't forget to bring some supplies to refill the feeders.
Christmas traditions vary across the countries of the World, and from one town to another. We also tend to forget that over half of the World population doesn't celebrate Christmas!
Do some research on traditions from other places, find out what other nationalities and cultures do to celebrate their important holidays. And try some! If you enjoy them, share them with friends and family so they too, can try new experiences.
Christmas just wouldn't be the same without beautiful lighting. Whether it's the twinkling fairy lights on the tree, the flickering candle on the windowsill, or the warm glow from a roaring fire, the lights we use help to set the Christmas mood.
The lights in our home aren't the only ones we can enjoy at this time of year. Go and find a tree lighting ceremony, walk the neighbourhood to enjoy other peoples displays, or go to a Christmas light show.
Don't be tempted to take loads of photos or videos, instead be present in the moment and enjoy the festive atmosphere.
This is something you can do, with or without children!
Perfect for a cold Winter evening when the wind is howling outside. Light a fire, find a great Christmas movie and snuggle down with cosy blankets and lots of pillows, while you fall asleep under the twinkling Christmas tree lights (on a timer, please!).
If you do have children, this is a lovely activity which will can be enjoyed and remembered for years to come.
Nothing says Christmas quite like a good old sing-song! But it doesn't have to be confined to the local pub! Plan a night of fun and laughter with friends and family at home instead.
Using a blanket and some Christmas lights, create a stage in your sitting room. Then create a Christmas playlist on Spotify (you can use mine) or wherever you listen to your music and line up all your favourite seasonal songs for a memorable, and highly entertaining, evening! You can even print out some lyrics online if you're really organised!
Invite friends, family and neighbours around for an evening of mince pies, mulled wine, and belly laughs!!
As nice as it is to stay home where its cosy and warm, it's also nice to get wrapped up warm and spend some time outside.
Whether you go by yourself, or bring family and friends, try to notice the plants and wildlife around you, the scents in the air, and the sounds around you. Pay attention to the feel of the ground underfoot, and the touch of the air on your skin as you walk.
Spending some time in nature can help you to feel more relaxed, confident and clear headed, things we certainly all struggle with at this time of year.
I hope you've enjoyed these ideas and if you're interested in discovering more, you can find them in my full set of Seasonal Activities Cards. The set includes 24 prompts and ides for activities to try in the run up to Christmas, and also includes access to some free bonus content here on my website.
Wishing you and yours a very wonderful holiday season,
Gráinne
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