What you need:

• A silly hat for a grown-up
• Enough treats for all the kids

Instructions:

1. Have the children sit in a circle on the floor and a grown-up lead the game as "Silly."
2. A child is out of the game if they carry out an action without the phrase "Silly Says" in front of it.
3. For example, Silly says, "Silly says put your hands on your head!" and the children do so.
4. If for example, Silly says, "Put your hand on your tummy!" (without the "Silly Says" ahead of it), kids who put their hands on their tummy are out of the game.
5. Let kids know they are out of the game by telling them, "Oops! You've been silly and are out of the game."
6. Hand out treats to all the kids at the end of the game.

What you need:

• Treats - apples, walnuts, oranges, candy canes, stickers, lollipops, etc.
• Large bowl (large enough to hold all the treats)
• Mittens or socks for little hands
• 2 medium-sized boxes
• Music (a CD of holiday or fun party songs)

Instructions:

1. Divide the children into two teams.
2. Have each child wear mittens or socks on their hands.
3. Place a large bowl of treats at one end of the room on a chair.
4. Form two team lines at the other end of the room and place a medium-sized box at the beginning of each line.
5. Play music. The game starts as soon as the song begins and ends when the song stops.
6. As soon as the song starts, have the first child from each team race to the treat bowl, grab as many treats as they can, race back to their team's line and hand all the treats to the second child in line. The second child must then drop all the treats into the box. It is then the second child's turn to race and grab treats and so on. Repeat until time runs out.
7. Dropped treats must remain on the floor.
8. At the end of the game, count the treats in each team box. Dropped treats do not count in the final score. The winner is the team with the most treats in their box.
9. Give out the treats in each box to all the teams as prizes.

Let Daisy and Minnie help spread your family's news of the season with this merry holiday newsletter.

What you need:

• Download and printout the newsletter template here

Instructions:

1. Option A: Ask your child what they'd like to share in their newsletter, and then type their sentiments in the editable title and body text areas. You can copy and paste your text from another program too.
2. Option B: For a truly sentimental feel, delete the three text fields on the template.
3. Print and allow to dry.
4. If you chose the second option help your child handwrite their message in the open space.
5. When sitting down to write your holiday newsletter, think about who will be reading it. What would this friend or family member like to hear about? What is old news to you might be exciting to your reader! Here are some ideas to get you thinking:
   • New pets
   • Moving to a new home
   • New class, school, friends, hobbies
   • Family vacations or summer camps
   • Things you've learned to do
   • Funny stories that happened during the year
6. Remember, as you're writing, keep in mind that the goal is to spread holiday cheer:
   • Write about your feelings or experiences instead of just stating the facts.
   • Focus on the good things that happened to you and your family.
   • Share a joke, riddle, or fun fact.
   • Let the reader know how thankful you are to friends and family.
7. Before mailing, place a small photograph of your family in the envelope to make your greeting more personal. It doesn't have to be a holiday photograph. It could be a beloved snapshot from a vacation, soccer practice, ballet recital...something fun that lets your friend or family member share in the great year you had!