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Getting kids excited for the holidays can be a challenge, but with a bit of imagination, you can turn any holiday into a magical event they’ll remember forever. Whether it’s Halloween, Christmas, Easter or even more lowkey events like Valentine’s Day, here are some fun ideas to spark their imagination.

Halloween

Transform your home into a haunted house with cobwebs, spooky lighting and homemade decorations. Let kids design their own room to be as scary or as silly as they like. Organise a neighbourhood costume parade so they can show off their outfits and get treats from neighbours. Tell ghost stories around a pretend campfire in the garden with hot chocolate and marshmallows. And most importantly, get creative with pumpkin carving – draw funny or monster faces on pumpkins for them to carve out.

Christmas

Help kids write their list for Father Christmas in the form of a poem or drawing. Bake and decorate festive gingerbread men biscuits together. Let them pick a new ornament for the tree every year that holds a special memory. Organise a festive treasure hunt with little presents hidden around your home. And capture the magic by reading classic Christmas tales like A Christmas Carol or The Nutcracker every year during the season.

Easter

With some fun Easter activities, your children will be excited for more than chocolate. Plan an egg decorating session where kids can colour eggs with natural dyes from foods like blueberries, turmeric and spinach. Hide chocolate eggs in the garden for them to hunt down on Easter morning. Help them create cute Easter baskets from cardboard and fill them with homemade egg-shaped treats. Organise an Easter bonnet parade where they can show off their crafty hat creations. And get them excited by reading about the Easter Bunny’s magical egg workshop in stories leading up to the big day. Use Easter activity inspiration ideas to help you come up with even more fun things to do.

Valentine’s Day

Let kids make funny or sweet Valentines for their friends and family. Bake cupcakes or biscuits together that they can decorate with red icing and sprinkles. Help them put together small tokens of appreciation like homemade cards, artwork or poems for the important people in their lives. And have a celebratory family meal where everyone can express why they appreciate each other.

Diwali

The Hindu Festival of Lights is a sensory explosion kids will love. Let them make their own clay diyas to place around the house. Arrange a rangoli sand art station with coloured powder and templates. Prepare sweet treats like barfi or gulab jamun for them to enjoy. On the night of Diwali, dress in new traditional clothes, light dozens of flickering candles and diyas, set off sparklers outdoors and watch

the fireworks together. Tell the story of Rama and Sita’s return to Ayodhya and the victory of light over darkness.

The key is tapping into children’s natural creativity around the holidays. Craft activities, magical stories, exciting countdowns, delicious treats, costumes and decorations will build anticipation and lasting memories they’ll cherish as they grow up. So, spark their imagination, and every holiday – no matter how big or small – can become something they look forward to with wide-eyed wonder.

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