Unplug and Reconnect this 2022 Holiday Season

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It is important during the stressful holiday season to unplug and reconnect with loved ones. With input from many South Bay parents, we share below ways to do just that through acts of kindness and giving, enjoying the many beautiful South Bay attractions, going device-free, brushing up on social skills at home, doing a family movie night and taking advantage of the many holiday events in the South Bay. Wishing you all a very meaningful and connected holiday season!

Share some acts of kindness and giving

Pomander balls

  • Secret Santa idea within your own family—each person picks a name and must create something special for their family member (a picture, a poem, writing out a special quote, playing a song on the piano). Here is a guide to Secret Santa with traditional and modern rules to use this year.

  • Check out this list of DIY gift ideas for family and friends.

  • Make this an unforgettable holiday season for your family with these tips from PBS.

Enjoy adventures in the South Bay

candy cane lane in torrance, ca

  • Check out Candy Cane Lane in Torrance to get your fill of the most dazzling displays of holiday spirit you will find in the South Bay. You can either drive through or park nearby and walk! For more places in the South Bay to see Christmas lights and decorations, click here.

  • Take a relaxing ride with family and friends to check out Christmas decorations around your neighborhood

  • Go to the LA Zoo to see their incredible light show with glowing animals and an unforgettable nighttime journey that includes the world’s largest illuminated pop-up storybook, a magical disco ball forest, giant glittering snowflakes, and a twinkling tunnel filled with dynamic swirls of color.

  • Go to the South Coast Botanic Gardens.

  • Check out our many Farmers Markets. You and your kids can try the produce and/or come up with a recipe to shop for and make together.

  • Take a bike ride down to Crafted in San Pedro, an amazing Etsy-come-to-life warehouse

  • Head to your local park (click here for a list of the best parks in the South Bay) or beach for a bocce ball family tournament. Stay late, order a pizza.

  • Explore the San Pedro Cabrillo Marina Aquarium and tide pools

  • Go back in time with a visit to Fort McArthur, San Pedro

  • Visit the Korean Bell of Friendship, San Pedro. Interesting history, a beautiful view and an amazing kite flying spot.

  • Finding the right hike for your family in Palos Verdes is easy with the hiking guide provided by the PVP Land Conservancy. Pack lunch and enjoy the spectacular views at the picnic tables just north of Terranea Resort.

Give Device-Free Meals a Try

  • Sign-up to receive conversation ideas, weekly tips, and so much more from The Family Dinner Project. For more ideas, visit Common Sense Media and take the #DeviceFreeDinner Challenge.

  • Cover the family table with butcher paper and put out crayons, pens, and color pencils. Hard to resist, and it keeps device-free hands busy.

  • Keep a book of questions or talking cards (you can make or buy them) and take turns asking family members questions during dinner. Here are a couple of examples: "If you could eat dinner with any ancestor of yours, who would it be?", or " If you had a million dollars, what would you do with it?”

  • Pick a book—or chapter of a book even, or newspaper or magazine article—that's at a level accessible to the least experienced reader in the family. There are no formal questions to answer, no essay to write; just a conversation, no matter how long or deep it goes. If the idea appeals, family members can take turns choosing subsequent reading selections. These are conversations that will extend beyond the dinner table.

Practice Social Skills at Home

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  • Winter break is a great time to help your child brush up on social skills, including body language and personal space

  • Check out the SBFC Teaching Social Skills page for tips and videos, including a new video from the SBFC Youth Advisory on the social challenges and successes they are experiencing being back to in-person learning

Make it a great movie/game night

Click here for a list of 15 family friendly movies

  • Check out this list from TV Guide of the best holiday movies available on all the major streaming services

  • Enhance the family experience by banning phone use during movie time

  • Make popcorn, hot cocoa and other festive treats!

  • Keep a quick and fun game at the dinner table (like Tenzi) and play a couple rounds after dinner. Winner doesn't have to help with dishes.

  • If you haven't yet, try these South Bay parent-recommended games: Catan, Snak, Sequence, Blokus, Apples to Apples, Qwirkle, Scattergories, Hedbanz, Monopoly (old-school is a great way to go).

  • Keep a family puzzle going during Winter Break in the family room. It might even be fun to make it a festive holiday puzzle!

  • Do a chocolate tasting with a variety of different chocolate bars. Flavors might include basics like milk chocolate with caramel to unusual like dark chocolate with speculoos cookie spread, as well as festive flavors like peppermint bark! You can label the flavors on the bottom of paper plates.

Check out these holiday events

The Lightscape

Go on a day trip beyond your usual spots

  • Joshua Tree is wonderful to visit in the Winter due to less extreme temperatures! Here is a helpful guide for visiting in December, including hiking and camping tips.

  • Take a short trip to spend some time in the snow. Here is a great list of places around Los Angeles that offer snow activities and scenic views. 

  • Spend a day in Long Beach, starting with a trip to the Aquarium of the Pacific, followed by a walk around the harbor. Race up the hill to the lighthouse 

  • Hike the Hollywood sign or Getty Park

  • So many museums to choose from! Everyone loves watching Metropolis at LACMA. Young kids love Noah's Ark at the Skirball and sometimes there are free concerts at The Getty.

  • Connect on the drive to your destination:

    • Listen to your kids’ music

      • Let your kid play their current play list through your bluetooth instead of their headphones.

      • Resist the urge to answer incoming calls and check texts at lights. Just listen. You’ll get a great introduction to some new music, and you’ll be surprised by how many of your own favorite oldies are currently resurfacing or being sampled.

      • Get the scoop from your kids about the artists they admire, concerts they hope to attend and why certain songs resonate for them. And if they aren’t in the mood to talk, just listen together.

    • Let your kid pick a book on tape and listen to it together in little bursts or during a longer road trip.

    • Many parents have shared that the magic happens en route somewhere -- their kids actually open up. This is more likely to happen if your drive is device-free (as in, don't pick up any calls unless they're an emergency). Hard to believe, but those driving/connecting opportunities will be over before you know it.

 

By, Laura McIntire, Founder SBFC & Kelsey Reilly, SBFC Manager of Quality Assurance

Thank you to all of the following who contributed activity ideas for this blog: Laura McIntire*, Jill Millstein*, Monica Fyfe, Laurie James, Aga ChenFu*, Nannette Bucan, Kate Manuel, Leah Niehaus, Helen Codron, Carrie Gonzalez*,  Autumn Stephens*, Kelly Hendrickson, Erin Fiorito, Liz Glozman and Carol Adler.

* Families Connected Parent Advisors, and advisory of parents representing Beach Cities Schools on behalf of Beach Cities Health District and South Bay Families Connected.