School’s out for Christmas and your little ones are bubbling with festive excitement. With Christmas songs playing wherever you go, and the entire population wearing novelty knitwear, this is one of the most magical times of year.
However, even during a season full of fun and laughter, keeping the kids entertained can be a bit of a challenge. While in the summer you can enjoy long afternoons in the park or at the beach, in the lead up to Christmas, all you want to do is stay inside where it’s warm and cosy. However, with a little festive inspiration, there are plenty of ways you can keep your own Santa’s little helpers busy.
Check out our favourite winter activities and add a little sparkle to days spent at home with Sofology.
Build an igloo
Putting a festive spin on the perfect sofa fort, ‘tis the season to build a sofa igloo. Recruit your youngsters as igloo builders, laying down a fleece blanket on the floor and piling up soft sofa cushions around it. Drape a cosy throw over the top to make a roof and add the finishing touches with some tinsel decoration inside and out. Then it’s time to pull on your Christmas pyjamas and cuddle up in your new winter hideaway to read a festive story.
Part of building your winter sofa igloo is knowing how to choose a sofa that is perfect for the job. You’ll want something with durable, removable cushions that the kids can easily stack up and put back after a hard day’s building.
The Autograph is the perfect family sofa for igloo making, with plenty of plump fabric cushions, perfect for piling on top of each other to build walls. You can choose from a variety of colours, including blue and cream, which will look elegant all year round in your living room.
Make a snow globe
Channel your inner Christmas elf and transform your home into Santa’s workshop with festive projects like making a snow globe. These charming Christmas toys are simple to make, spectacular to look at and perfect for keeping little hands busy. Follow our instructions to make your own snow globe:
- Wash out an empty glass jar
- Choose a figurine and stick it to the underside of the lid with glue
- Fill the jar with water and a couple of teaspoons of glitter
- Screw on the lid, seal it with glue and leave to dry
- Hold the jar with the lid facing down and shake
You could use your snow globes to decorate your home, adorning windowsills and the fireplace, or you might even want to wrap them up as charming homemade gifts for friends, family and teachers.
Make some Christmas treats
Put on your cooking aprons and rustle up some delicious festive snacks. Youngsters love getting hands-on in the kitchen and when it’s chilly outside, there’s nothing more comforting than warm treats fresh from the oven, filling your home with delicious festive smells.
Christmas cookies are quick and simple, taking as little as 20 minutes to prepare and bake. When they’re ready, it’s over to your little helpers to get creative with the decoration. Stock up on colourful icing, sprinkles and edible glitter for maximum festive fun. If your children are a little bit older, why not try something more adventurous, like baking a gingerbread house?
The perfect accompaniment to Christmas bakes is the ultimate mug of hot chocolate, piled high with whipped cream, marshmallows and chocolate sprinkles. And while the kids are tucking in, you can simmer up some mulled wine to enjoy your own Christmas cheer later in the evening.
Build a snowman
Waking up and opening the curtains to see a blanket of crisp, white snow outside is simply magical. Scrap your plans for the day, it’s time to build a snowman. Get the whole family bundled up in hats, coats and gloves and head outside to enjoy the wonder of winter with your nearest and dearest.
You could keep it classic with your snowman by rolling three balls of snow and adorning with a carrot nose, coal eyes and a top hat. Or you could get creative – there is so much inspiration on Instagram. We’ve seen snowmen doing handstands, snowmen in swimsuits, and a whole host of snow animals too. Our favourite, of course, is snowmen relaxing on snowy sofas.
Watch Christmas movies
At the end of a fun-filled festive day, snuggling up together on the sofa and watching a Christmas movie is the perfect way to wind down. From Home Alone to Elf, there are so many amazing Christmas movies for kids. Your biggest problems will be deciding which one to watch first and how to choose a sofa that will serve as the perfect place from which to enjoy those festive classics.
At the start of the holidays, write down all your favourite Christmas movies onto pieces of paper and put them in a festive stocking. When it’s time to turn on the TV, let the kids take it in turns to pick a movie out of the stocking to decide what you’ll watch that evening. That way, everyone gets to enjoy their favourite film and you can avoid any festive fallouts.
With soft, warm leather seats which recline at the touch of a button, the Heritage is an amazing family sofa for watching Christmas movies. Sink into the soft back cushions, let your little ones cuddle up in your lap and watch the festive magic unfold on the big screen.
Have a merry little Christmas with these warm winter activities from Sofology and find out how to choose a perfect sofa for winter with our handy sofa guru tips.
