With all of the hustle and bustle this time of year, it can be all too easy to forget that Christmas is supposed to be a magical time, especially for children. The holidays are times that should be remembered fondly by your children, and there are all kinds of things that you can do to ensure that every Christmas is a magical one. Today we are going to give you some tips that will help you to bring the magic of Christmas into your home, and to your children.

1. Write a Letter to Santa

If your children still believe in Santa, make sure that they get their letters ready well in advance, and take them to mail their letters, C/O Santa Claus, North Pole, HOH OHO. Or, if Santa is at the mall, you can take them to drop off their letters in person, and have their pictures taken with Santa.

2. Leave Treats for Santa

We all left milk and cookies for Santa when we were kids. Continue this tradition with your own kids, and don’t forget to include treats for his reindeer as well. We hear that reindeer really love carrots, and this is a great treat that you can dispose of later without indulging in fattening treats (which is going to happen enough throughout the holiday season).

3. Start New Traditions

Does your family have old holiday traditions? There is still no reason not to start some new traditions with your kids. Make getting the Christmas tree an event. Plan an outdoors day, complete with sledding and a sleigh ride. Gather canned goods together, and have your children donate them to the local food bank (they will be enjoying a tradition and helping others).

4. Give them Hand Made Gifts

Every kid wants the latest gadgets this Christmas, but it is also important to teach them the importance of giving from the heart. Make sure that each of your children receives at least one hand-made gift. Don’t worry if you are not a crafter. It can be anything that you make yourself, even some of your kids’ favorite cookies, decorated with Christmas themes.

5. Don’t Go Overboard

Many parents think that they have to spend thousands of dollars each Christmas, whether they can afford to or not. You can give your children holidays to remember without spending a lot of money. If you do need extra cash, you can sell laptop and use the money to get them presents, including new electronic gadgets.

6. Have Fun with Craft Projects

There are loads of fun and quick crafting projects you and the kids can do together throughout the holiday season. One fun idea is to “grow” a candy cane. Get a bag of swirl peppermint candies, candy canes, a few plant pots, and some cookie crumbs to use as potting soil. Have your kids “plant” the candies in the cookie crumbs, and while they are sleeping, replace the candies with the candy canes.

7. Create a Christmas Eve Box

Instead of giving your kids a gift to open on Christmas Eve, give them a Christmas Eve box that contains a pair of comfy pajamas, a Christmas story book, a Christmas DVD, snacks for the movie, hot chocolate, and another activity, such as a Christmas crafting project.

8. Take Plenty of Photos

You are making memories that you want to last for a lifetime, so make sure that you are taking plenty of photos with your kids throughout the holiday season. Get them their own inexpensive cameras, so they can get in on the photo-taking action themselves. Print off some of their photos to send to family members, in their letters to Santa, etc.