The festive season is an indulgent time of year but that doesn’t mean you have to overdose on presents for your little ones. There are some fabulous ways to enjoy Christmas without the plastic toys and games, and they’ll help teach your child about the value of Christmas too.

I would love…

‘For my children to appreciate Christmas more’

Buy a present for your children that can change the lives of some of the world’s poorest children and families. This is a great way to introduce your child to the idea that others elsewhere in the world won’t be able to have such a prosperous Christmas as they are.

Consider this Give a life-changing gift from The Alternative Gift catalogue www.greatgifts.org or feed a child for a year by donating £40 at www.globalangels.org

I would love…

‘To give my children an experience rather than more toys’

Children are often bombarded with presents from many relatives. So why not consider giving them something that you can enjoy together and look back on and share great memories? See their faces light up when they unwrap tickets (create giant tickets for fun) for, say, a West End show, the circus or a concert to see their favourite TV character.

Consider this www.babyexperiences.co.uk
offer some exciting and fun ideas for spending time with your little ones
that don’t involve a trip to the shops.

I would love…

‘To teach my child about caring for the environment’

Teach your child about growth, wildlife and the environment and buy them their very own tree! They can plant it themselves in your back garden, care for it by watering it and watch it develop and grow. It’s a wonderful way to teach them about nature and the importance of caring for the environment and they’ll love having their own special little project that they can show off to family and friends.

Consider this www.treesdirect.co.uk sell a wide range of beautiful trees that your child will love. Each tree comes wrapped in hessian with full gardening instructions.

I would love…

‘To teach my child about the importance of giving’

It’s important that your children understand that you can get great satisfaction and happiness from giving as well as receiving. Encourage them to make cards and gifts for their friends and family and help them pick out a used toy or two that they can take to the local charity shop. This will teach them about positive, responsible gift-giving and help them to explore their creativity at the same time.

Consider this our feature ‘Festive Fun on a budget’ offers some great home-made gift ideas.

I would love…

‘To help others this Christmas’

Most local communities have regular collections for the soup kitchens that run for the homeless throughout the year. Many ask for Christmas food parcels. Why not ring your local council and find out? Or better still help to serve Christmas lunch to the homeless?

Consider this Buy a Christmas Pud from www.crisispud.org.uk. You’ll get a tasty treat for all the family and your money will fund a ’Christmas meal with all the trimmings’ for one of the thousands of homeless people in the UK.

I would love…

‘To get them involved with the cooking’

Getting your children involved with the cooking can be lots of fun and it’s a great way to teach them basic culinary skills from a young age. Get some soft utensils and old fashioned cake recipes and get them mixing, kneading and shaping the ingredients with their fingers. They’ll love seeing their family and friends devour the finished result and you’ll be increasing their appetite for more cooking once the festive season is over!

Consider this Annabel Karmel’s ‘Kids in the Kitchen’ section has some inspirational recipe ideas:

I would love…

To educate them on the importance of saving’

Create a money-saving chart for your child and for each pound they put in their piggy bank, put a mark on it to show them exactly how much they’ve saved. It can be gifts from family or little donations from you for being a good little helper! Whatever the rewards, it will help to demonstrate the importance of saving and that the true value of Christmas doesn’t depend on expensive presents.

Consider this See www.honeypotgifts.co.uk for some fun and exciting smashable money pots. The funky-looking money boxes will encourage them to save and they’re unlikely to want to crack it open until they get older!

I would love…

‘To teach them the true meaning of Christmas’

The festive season is a special time for family and friends but the spirit of Christmas often gets lost in the rush to buy presents, attend parties and do the cooking. To ensure your children have a good appreciation of where Christmas originates from, read them stories, create nativity scenes and show them books that explain the Christmas story.

Consider this Buy them a book which explains Christmas traditions in other cultures around the world. Depending on your religious beliefs, you can ask them to pick out their favourite customs and tailor it to your special family day.