This post was most recently updated on January 13th, 2022
Hey, we’re almost to the end of my ‘12 Days of Christmas‘ posts — that actually kind of makes me sad, because I love sharing our traditions and activities with you. I hope they are giving you ideas to use to enhance your own Christmas. Or perhaps give you gift ideas for others. Today’s ‘Eleventh Day of Christmas’ is dedicated to play — yep, you know the kind of play that children like to do!
Sometimes as adults, we think it’s not okay to be childlike at all. But actually, it’s very good for us to take the time to find the magic in things…to bring out our inner child. Especially at Christmas. In fact, Charles Dickens said, “For it is good to be children sometimes, and never better than at Christmas, when it’s mighty Founder was a child Himself.”
Playing at Christmas time: Coloring Pages
Okay, get out the crayons, markers, colored pencils, and even the watercolor paints — ’cause we’re going to encourage you to sit down with your family and do some old-fashioned coloring. My daughter designed brand-new coloring pages, just for you.
Here are the links to download the pdf’s of the coloring pages:
Deck the Halls, Let it snow, and Silent night
And here’s what they look like:
So, so cute, right? Enjoy your coloring time! Turn on some Christmas music and just relax. And then print out a few more and take them to your friends so they can have quality family time during a busy Christmas season, too. If you’re interested in more coloring options, I found more Christ-centered pages at bestcoloringpagesforkids.com. Check out these Coloring Placemats, too.
Playing Christmas Games
Here’s a game that’s especially fun for the kids (and parents, if you’ll just let your hair down, you’ll enjoy it, too!). It’s called Christmas Dare. All you do is print out the Christmas Dare Game (best to print on cardstock if you have it) and cut out the individual cards. Put the cards face down, and take turns drawing cards and following the instructions on them for a silly and Christmas-sy fun time together. You’ll find instructions like “Dance to Jingle Bell Rock” or “Pretend to ice skate around the other players.” Trust me, it’ll be goofy, but it will make you smile.
Ready for some more games? I’ve found a few more you might enjoy.
- Here’s a Christmas Story where you fill in the blanks and then find them in a Word Search.
- A Christmas Bingo game just for toddlers
- Have fun with this Christmas Carol Crossword
- Create your own nativity with this free printable
Summary of the 11th Day of Christmas
Just PLAY with your kids. Have some fun together. Relax and don’t let your mind wander to that Christmas list of things to do. Being with your family will be more meaningful. Pack up a box of crayons and some of these coloring pages/game ideas and share them with someone else who could use some down time too. Have a merry Christmas!
Cute ideas! I like how you mentioned needing to take some time to focus on playing and seeing Christmas through the eyes of a child; it truly does bring the ‘MAGIC’ back into Christmas!