Every happy Christmas has a recipe for success: familiar traditions, delicious food and a whole load of festive cheer. But if you’re a worn-out parent, there’s a fourth: an hour or so of peace. From fun podcasts that teach children about the science of Santa (yes, really), to feel-good apps that’ll turn them into dancing elves, these ideas will keep your kids busy, making sure your whole family stays connected to the magic of Christmas.
Tune in to the science of Santa
The Science of Christmas podcast on Fun Kids via the Fun Kids app, or subscribe to the podcast on iTunes. Free.
If your kids are forever asking “how?” and “why?”, tune in to the Science of Christmas podcast. Revealing everything from how Santa delivers so many presents (it’s all down to antimatter, don’t you know?) to why Rudolph’s nose shines so bright (a neat scientific trick called bioluminescence to create light – the same idea that fireflies use to attract their mates), this will make Christmas even more magical. Who knew quantum physics could be such fun?
Whip up a festive feast
jamieoliver.com/get-kids-cooking. Free.
Jamie Oliver’s nine-year-old son, Buddy, is doing a series of cookalong videos to inspire children to get creative in the kitchen. We love Buddy’s one cup, three ingredient pancakes, which are so deliciously simple that your mini foodie could easily whip them up themselves (with some help using the stove, of course).
Join a jolly draw-along
robbiddulph.com/draw-with-rob. Free.
Award-winning children’s book author Rob Biddulph’s brilliant draw-along videos – which he launched earlier this year to help parents whose children were forced to stay at home – have become so popular that he’s set a world record for the largest online art lesson. To accompany his new book Draw With Rob at Christmas (expect fabulously festive art activities and “that’s a framer!” results), Rob is looking to inspire kids to come up with amazing Christmas card designs by running a special art class, in association with Vodafone. Catch it from Sunday, 6 December, on his Instagram and YouTube channels
Light up their creations
Vodafone Light Up. Free.
Once they’ve been inspired by Rob, get the kids to help brighten up Britain on these dark wintry nights by drawing Christmas cards that will become part of a giant light installation. All you have to do is send a photo of your child’s hand-drawn design to Vodafone’s social media channels using the hashtag #ConnectTheMagic. Then, thanks to technological wizardry, their card will be livestreamed, along with countless others, from a supersized light show. The images will even be sent back to the young artists so they can spread the magic of Christmas by pinging off e-cards to loved ones. To top things off, each design submitted will spark a donation of £1 from Vodafone UK Foundation to its charity partner Barnardo’s. Good tidings indeed ...
Christmasify their favourite characters
bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/curations/christmas. Free.
CBeebies’ most loved characters but with a Christmas twist? Tick. Festive games that are spot-on for preschoolers? Tick, tick. Smart, high-quality content that sneaks in educational aspects of the early years curriculum for guilt-free screen time? Tick! From dressing up Hey Duggee as Santa and playing Christmas Spot the Difference with Peter Rabbit, to completing festive jigsaw puzzles with Mr Tumble and learning funky Christmas facts with the Go Jetters, there’s endless magic and merriment here.
Transform the family into dancing elves
ElfYourself app. Free.
This app is a doddle to use: download, and then let the kids have fun replacing the faces of up to five dancing elves with family members (or four-legged friends) and watching their personalised videos. Once they’ve created their favourite video, they can share it with family and friends.
Have joyful times crafting
Pinterest (app and online). Free.
Whether you search for something generic such as “children’s Christmas crafts” or “children’s crafts with old toilet rolls”, you’ll be amazed at how much inspiration you can find for preschoolers and sharp-eyed teens alike. With step-by-step instructions on everything from turning old white socks into cute, mini snowmen and making snow globes, to DIY-ing scented candles, expect a whole host of adorable new Christmas decorations.
Play interactive games on video calls
Heads Up! Kids app. 99p.
Christmas isn’t Christmas without family games. The Heads Up! Kids app works brilliantly alongside family video calls because it’s a simple twist on classic charades, so anyone from the age of four and upwards can easily play. All they have to do is guess the word that’s on the screen (hidden from their view) based on the other person’s clues before the time runs out.
Track Santa around the world
Google Santa Tracker. Free.
“How many days before Christmas?”; “Where is Santa?”; “What do I doooo?” If these three sentences are on repeat in your household, navigate your kids to Google’s Santa Tracker. In this colossal Christmas cyberworld, they can do everything from learning to code with Santa’s elves to discovering holiday traditions around the world with Google Maps and, of course, following the big man himself as he travels the globe from 24 December.
Santa comes to tea
Live online experience. £12.99.
As his usual cosy grotto doesn’t meet social distancing requirements, the ever-accommodating Santa Claus will be conducting virtual sessions this Christmas. Rather than the patience to queue for hours, all you need is reliable unlimited broadband. Wonder Adventures is offering 40-minute video calls with Santa in groups of 30. The cost for up to three children is £12.99, and each call promises a personalised shoutout, storytelling, and a singalong virtual sleigh ride.
Vodafone #KeepConnecting
Keeping the ones we love happy, entertained and connected is more important than ever at Christmas.
At Vodafone, we’ve built a strong mobile and broadband network that keeps you close to your family and friends … so that we’re still together, even if we are apart.
Find out more about how we’re helping you keep connecting to the magic this Christmas.
Third party products mentioned in this article are not Vodafone products and are not associated with Vodafone or endorsed by Vodafone in any way. All prices accurate as of publication on 3 December 2020
