The holiday season is all about togetherness and family. While this year might look a little different, as many of us are only celebrating in person with the people who live in our home, there are still a lot of ways to make the holidays magical, festive, and fun. From decorating the Christmas tree to lighting the menorah candles to rolling out dough for homemade cookies, there’s definitely something that every member of the family can be a part of.
Of course, sometimes the youngest kiddos in our families need their own little kid-friendly things to do that will keep them entertained while the rest of the household tackles the big stuff.
Luckily, there are a few things that kids of all ages can definitely enjoy — especially kids between the ages of 2 and 6.
1. Stream the NEW Mighty Express Christmas Special
If you have a preschooler, chances are you have a PAW Patrol fan in your home. Well, consider this your early Christmas gift, because there is a brand new series from the creators PAW Patrol called Mighty Express, streaming now on Netflix. Featuring a team of trains and their kid best-buddies who keep things moving, Mighty Express offers non-stop adventure in the vast and quirky world of Tracksville. In the newly released 22-minute holiday special, A Mighty Christmas, Mandy Mail, the sometimes-impulsive express delivery train, is tasked with delivering letters to Santa, but a storm could derail her plan! Luckily, her train friends rally to make sure every child’s letter is delivered to Santa Claus on time.
Filled with adventure, trains, action, music, and Santa, Mighty Express: A Mighty Christmas is streaming now on Netflix. Your preschooler can hop on board for the festive fun — and rest assured, there are 10 other episodes ready and waiting for your little one to enjoy over the holidays.
2. Make DIY Holiday Decor
The mighty fun continues! After hopping aboard Mighty Express, explore the quick and easy printable arts, crafts, activities, and games available on the Mighty Express website. Your little one can easily decorate festive illustrations of their favorite Mighty Express characters in adorable ornament and gift tag shapes. Kids can also create a mighty-themed picture frame for your favorite family holiday photo. Once done, enjoy the heartwarming results by hanging them around the house or sending them to family and friends.
3. Decorate cookies
While your preschooler might not want to help with every single part of the cookie-making process, it’s pretty likely they will enjoy what is probably the best stage before eating: decorating! Pre-bake some basic sugar cookies, then set up your youngest kiddos with all the frosting and sprinkles you can stand and watch them go to town. Of course, there might be a little bit of clean-up involved afterward, but it’ll be worth it.
4. Have a holiday song dance party
If there’s one thing you can always find on the radio this time of the year, it’s holiday music! You can easily pull up a station on your phone or other device and have a mini dance party. There’s even a Mighty Express playlist, complete with songs from the series and mighty-inspired updates to classic preschool tunes that you can stream from Amazon Music or Spotify. This activity is perfect for right after all that cookie decorating… what better way to get your wiggles out than by dancing?
5. Go on a neighborhood “scavenger hunt”
Another way to entertain your youngest kiddos (and yourselves!) is to plan out a neighborhood “scavenger hunt” together to look for holiday decorations and lights! This is a sweet way to see how your neighbors are celebrating the holidays, and it will also be a great excuse to get your kids outside to walk or run around a little. Don’t forget your mittens and your coats!
This holiday season, the Mighty Express world is getting extra festive and magical with fairy lights, fluffy snow, Christmas trees and even snowmen! Get into the holiday mood and extend learning beyond the big screen. Learn shapes, numbers, colors, and refine math, fine motor and problem solving skills all while completing fun missions and games in the Mighty Express App now available to download for free from the Google Play or Apple Store."
