Holiday Newsletter

Ages:8 to 12

Materials: Writing/illustrating materials

Here's a fun way to encourage your kids to share sundry happenings with family members during the holiday season. Designate one of your children as editor-in-chief of your family newsletter. This person assigns news stories to other family reporters. Family members can report on school or work happenings, special accomplishments, vacation plans, sports and community events, and the like. Younger children can draw pictures to illustrate older reporters' stories; and older children can act as scribes for their younger siblings.

Once the stories are written and illustrated, your kids can "publish" the newsletter by photocopying the handwritten or typed stories, and stapling the pages together. Or, they can use a word processing or desktop publishing program to streamline the newsletter-preparation task.

When guests arrive to share the holidays with your family, make sure your kids hand them copies of your newsletter. They'll want to catch up on all the family news -- before they create memorable moments to write about in the next family newsletter.

More on: Christmas Activities and Resources for the Whole Family