A Clutter-Free Christmas that Lasts All Year—LDS Homeschooling in California—and everywhere!


Recommendations Free Resources Membership has its Rewards Curriculum By Subject Choosing Curriculum Learning by Listening Virtual Field Trips	A Clutter-Free Christmas that Lasts All Year Since Christmas is traditionally a time of giving, many of us spend weeks and even months searching for just the right gift for our children and other loved ones. I think most of us realize that we, our kids included, have way too much stuff already. Many of us could scale back by 80% and still have more belongings than most of the rest of the world. When we moved overseas, our belongings could only weigh a certain number of pounds. Consequently, we were forced to scale back a lot. We learned several things from that, including that by cutting back on our material things, we could afford to spend our money on more valuable items and make our home easier to clean at the same time. But of course our family members are expecting Christmas gifts, and for many of us, that is part of the fun of Christmas. Most of us also have friends and relatives that love to provide Christmas presents as a token of their love for us. So what do we do? Homeschooling families love to give educational gifts such as books, videos, art supplies, puzzles, and the like. These are often needed anyway and are a good way to teach children that education can be fun. But even these items can sometimes become overwhelming. Besides, children don’t need toys and books as much as they need our attention. For the last 25 years we've spent most of our Christmas budget on things to do as a family, or as they've gotten older, with friends, rather than junk to clutter the house. In addition to cutting back on the stuff, it gives us an excuse to get out of the house and do something together! The memories of our family doing things together are much more valuable to me than opening mountains of presents on Christmas morning. This is especially true since my husband passed away and now that two of my children have moved out of state. Millions of dollars worth of toys, clothes, and jewelry have no value when compared to building relationships and creating memories. Many of these activities are also educational. Our favorite gifts have been annual passes to local amusement parks, museums, zoos, aquariums, and so on. These have provided many days of fun and learning for our family. Special museum engagements like the King Tut exhibit or Body Worlds would also be fascinating for some families. Each year we attend several concerts featuring all types of music from classical to pop and even some comedy. Tickets can be Christmas gifts, or given for birthdays, Mother's Day, etc. Other ideas have been tickets to the circus, an ice show, plays, sporting events, or other types of shows. We've chosen to live in an area that has a lot of cultural resources, but if you have to travel a bit to experience these things, it only adds to the excitement. Bring a picnic lunch and listen to a story on CD on your way. A trip to a nearby resort or state park would also be a great adventure. You can package literature about your trip in a box to put under the Christmas tree for the family to open on Christmas morning. As my children have gotten older, I also like to include gift certificates they can use to build wholesome relationships with their friends. For instance, gift certificates for skating rinks, bowling alleys, arcades, laser tag, movies, video rentals, miniature golf, and restaurants are gifts my teens have always liked. Girls would enjoy a manicure, pedicure, or a trip to the hairdresser. Boys would enjoy a few hours at the batting cage or driving range. If your children have mobile phones, a gift certificate for games or ringtones would be appreciated. Youth with mp3 players would love gift certificates to purchase music online. If they drive, gift cards for gas would come in handy. Some youth would appreciate a membership to a spa or gym, or registration in a fun class or sport such as horseback riding or gymnastics. If you live in a winter climate, your family might enjoy ski lift passes. Kits to create fun things together would also be a good alternative. For instance, building a birdhouse together could turn in to a lifelong family hobby. I'm sure you can come up with other ideas to fit your circumstances once you start to think about it. Your area may have special opportunities that I haven’t thought of yet. TOP
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	More Information The Association of Science-Technology Centers (ASTC) Things to Do in California MuseumLink:California California Museums California State Parks State and County Fairs in California California Festivals 26 Things to do in California Orange County Field Trips Orange County Local Orange County Wild Orange County Parks Museums in Sacramento Museums in Northern California Museums in San Diego California Attractions Museums in California Field Trip Factory Go City Kids—Los Angeles area Fun Places in Southern California Hollywood Bowl Activities Events at Forest Lawn Ticket for Fun Disney Youth Education Series Knotts Berry Farm Adventures in Education Legoland Homeschool Days Sea World Homeschool Field Trips Homeschool Day at the Aquarium of the Pacific Monterey Bay Aquarium Homeschool Days
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