Creating Low-Cost (and Meaningful) Holiday Traditions!

If 2020 has stretched you a bit thin, you may wonder where to find time, energy and funds to make this holiday season festive. Fortunately, you just need a little ingenuity to maximize the fun, minimize the cost and stress — and maybe even start some new traditions.

Halloween

Carve a jack-o’-lantern and eat it too. Try a sugar pumpkin that you can roast along with the seeds (like this Roasted Sugar Pumpkin Recipe at https://snack-girl.com/snack/roasted-sugar-pumpkin-recipe/) after carving. Or avoid mess (and knives) by letting kids decorate mini-gourds or pumpkins with paints or markers.

Do an online Halloween party with an at-home scavenger hunt challenge: Give everyone 15 minutes to come up with the best costume they can. Honors for Most Creative, Silliest and Scariest!

Arrange a socially distanced neighborhood costume car parade.

Stay safe during COVID-19. Check out Halloween safety guidelines from the Los Angeles Department of Public Health at http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/.

Thanksgiving

Change up Thanksgiving dinner. Who says it has to be turkey this year? Try Tips and Recipes for a Kid-Friendly Thanksgiving Dinner (https://www.chowhound.com/food-news/190949/tips-and-recipes-for-a-kid-friendly-thanksgiving-dinner. Better yet, let the little ones help you cook.

Create Thanksgiving decorations together. See First 5 LA’s Learning Between Generations (https://www.first5la.org/parenting/articles/learning-between-generations-695/?language=zh) for “Hand Turkey” directions!

Play 30 Gratitude Games and Activities for Kids to Practice Thankfulness (https://bestow.com/blog/gratitude-games), or try one of these fun, family-friendly 30 Cooperative Games for All Ages (https://www.ultimatecampresource.com/camp-games/cooperative-games).

Winter Festivals of Light (Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Divali and others)

Return to your roots. What did your great-grandparents do to mark a holiday? Whether drumming, dancing, singing or praying is part of your heritage, give it a try this year.

Get creative with gifts. Stick to a firm dollar limit, agree on a no-buy holiday (only homemade, upcycled, or previously-loved items allowed — organize a no-contact toy exchange with friends), or give the gift of your time (coupons good for chores or a special time together). Play Homemade Secret Santa — each family member draws a name out of a hat and must create something for the person they pick.

Reuse wrapping paper or make your own from paper grocery bags that kids decorate. For more information on recycling, visit https://dpw.lacounty.gov/epd/rethinkla/recycle/.

New Year’s Eve

Make resolutions fun. A 10-minute phone call to a friend every day? Ice cream sundaes once a month? More family game nights?

Dress up. Even if you aren’t going out, looking nice for your at-home celebration makes it feel special for everyone.

Snuggle up. Get together in a big pile and read together. Give kisses (real or chocolate)!

Have a family gratitude moment. Even if the past year has been hard, what are each of you thankful for? For more ideas on cultivating gratitude, visit www.first5la.org/parenting/first-5-las-50-ways-to-show-gratitude-during-the-holiday-season.

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