Many traditional holiday celebrations revolve around food, which presents a challenge to parents of children with food allergies. 

To overcome this, the key is to focus more on the festivities, and less on the food. Follow these tips containing food free activities and crafts to bring joy this holiday season:

Create homemade Christmas decorations:

• Make ornaments for the Christmas tree out of a variety of household items, including jar lids, bottle tops, ribbon, wood, beads, cotton balls, yarn, felt and other fabric scraps.
• Make garlands out of the items listed above to wrap around the tree or hang anywhere around the house.
• Construct a non-edible gingerbread house out of cardboard or cereal boxes. Decorate it with watercolour paint, beads, sticks, cotton balls, glitter and colourful craft paper.

Enjoy holiday festivities outdoors:

• Walk through the neighbourhood or drive through the city at night to see the Christmas lights and other cheerful holiday decorations.
• Gather a group of family members, neighbours and friends to sing Christmas carols through the neighbourhood, in the park or backyard under the moon and stars.

Spread holiday cheer to others:

• Make Christmas cards, along with a written holiday message for grandparents, relatives and friends.
• Visit and share Christmas cards with residents at a local nursing home or with children with special needs.

Spend special holiday family time together:

• Watch heart-warming holiday TV specials loved throughout the generations from Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer and Frosty the Snowman to Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas.
• Read classic Christmas stories, such as Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, with the family together. Consider covering a chapter every night as a countdown to Christmas day.

Have you made any crafty type presents this year? What did you make?

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