THE ENGAGE FAMILY HOLIDAY GUIDE
7 Ways to Keep Kids Active and Engaged During the Holiday Season
By Senior Master CD Young ·
Less boredom, more movement, and meaningful family moments, without making every day another complicated activity to plan.
Simple, screen-free holiday activities that help children stay active, build confidence, and create meaningful family memories.
The holiday season is full of excitement.
There are family gatherings, special traditions, holiday movies, celebrations, and sometimes a little more downtime than usual.
And while kids look forward to the break from their normal school routines, parents often find themselves hearing one familiar question:
"What can I do now?"
When schedules change, it's easy for screens to become the default entertainment. And there's nothing wrong with enjoying a holiday movie or some video game time.
But children also benefit from opportunities to move, explore, create, and connect with the people around them.
The good news? You don't need expensive equipment, elaborate activities, or a perfectly planned holiday schedule.
Sometimes the most meaningful activities are the simplest ones.
Here are seven ways to keep kids active and engaged during the holiday season while building skills that matter beyond the holidays.
YOUR HOLIDAY ADVENTURE MENU
Seven ideas. Pick one to start.
1. The 10-Minute Movement Break
Not every activity needs to take an entire afternoon.
Sometimes ten minutes of movement is enough to help children transition between activities, release some energy, or reconnect with their bodies.
Between holiday movies, family visits, or quiet time at home, invite everyone to take a quick movement break.
Try This With Your Family
- March or jog in place for 30 seconds.
- Do 10 squats or sit-to-stands.
- Practice 10 controlled punches into the air.
- Try a short balance challenge.
- Finish with a few gentle stretches.
Younger children can use smaller movements or shorter intervals. Older children can help choose the exercises.
The goal isn't an intense workout.
It's showing children that movement can be a natural, enjoyable part of everyday life.
At Engage, we use short, purposeful movement activities to help students develop coordination, body awareness, and the ability to follow directions.
Those same skills can be practiced at home in just a few minutes.
Keep each movement to 15–20 seconds and model it first. Counting out loud together helps younger children stay with the group.
Attach the break to something that already happens, like the end of a movie or before a meal, so it doesn't need extra planning.
2. Build a Living Room Adventure
One of the easiest ways to make an ordinary afternoon more exciting is to transform a familiar space into something new.
A few pillows, pieces of painter's tape, and some imagination can become a family adventure course.
Children can help design the path, decide where each challenge belongs, and figure out how to move through it.
Try This With Your Family
Create a safe indoor course that includes:
- Stepping over a low, soft obstacle.
- Following a taped line on the floor.
- Crawling through an open space.
- Balancing on one foot.
- Finishing with a superhero or martial arts pose.
Keep the course on a clear, nonslip surface and avoid climbing on furniture or jumping from elevated objects.
For younger children, focus on simple movements and following the sequence.
Older children can help design the course or create new variations.
The real benefit isn't just physical activity. Children also practice planning, adapting, and solving problems as they go.
A single hallway works: one taped line, one pillow to step over and a finishing pose. Change the order instead of adding more stations.
Ask older children to design a course with a rule, like "move slowly and silently," and then teach it to the family.
3. Turn Family Time Into Play
Holiday gatherings often bring together people of different ages.
Instead of leaving children to entertain themselves while adults talk, look for opportunities to bring everyone into a shared activity.
It doesn't have to be complicated.
A family game can create moments of laughter, teamwork, and connection.
Try This With Your Family
- Play a round of holiday-themed charades.
- Create a family dance challenge.
- Play balloon keep-up in a clear indoor space.
- Organize a gentle game of follow-the-leader.
- Let each family member teach everyone a movement or stretch.
The key is participation, not performance.
Grandparents, parents, siblings, and younger children can all contribute in ways that work for them.
These activities give children opportunities to practice cooperation, patience, and communication while enjoying time together.
And sometimes the funniest family moments become the memories children talk about for years.
Give the older child a helper role, like leader or timekeeper, so the game stays fun for the younger child without feeling too easy.
4. Try a Holiday Balance Challenge
Balance is a skill children develop through practice.
It requires body awareness, concentration, and the ability to make small adjustments.
The best part is that you can practice it almost anywhere.
Try This With Your Family
Challenge everyone to:
- Stand on one foot for a few seconds.
- Switch feet and try again.
- Walk heel-to-toe along a clear floor path.
- Balance a soft object on an open palm.
- Finish by holding a controlled martial arts stance.
Make it playful by letting children choose a fun holiday name for each challenge.
For younger children, allow a hand on a stable surface for support.
For older children, encourage slower, more controlled movements rather than simply making the activity harder.
In martial arts, balance and coordination help students develop stronger movement patterns and greater physical control.
But these skills also support everyday activities, from playground games to sports and other physical hobbies.
Progress comes from practicing with patience, not from getting everything right the first time.
Notice effort out loud: "You kept your eyes focused that time." Avoid timing or ranking children against each other.
5. Make Holiday Errands More Active
Holiday errands aren't always exciting for children.
But they can become opportunities for movement, observation, and participation.
Instead of thinking of every errand as something children must simply sit through, invite them to take an active role.
Try This With Your Family
During an age-appropriate outing, ask your child to:
- Help locate items on a shopping list.
- Notice different holiday decorations.
- Help carry a lightweight bag.
- Choose a walking route through a park.
- Find three interesting things during a family walk.
A walk through the neighborhood to see holiday lights can also become a family tradition.
Children get to move, observe their surroundings, and spend time together without needing another screen.
Of course, not every errand needs to become an activity.
The goal is simply to recognize opportunities for engagement in everyday routines.
Give one clear job at a time, like "find the red box," rather than a whole list.
6. Give Kids a Holiday Mission
Children often enjoy feeling useful when they have a meaningful role.
The holiday season provides opportunities to practice responsibility while contributing to family traditions.
Rather than giving children a long list of chores, invite them to take ownership of one manageable task.
Try This With Your Family
Ages 5–7 might:
- Help arrange safe, unbreakable decorations.
- Set out napkins for a family meal.
- Organize a simple holiday game.
- Help prepare a card for someone special.
Ages 8–12 might:
- Help plan a family activity.
- Prepare part of a simple recipe with supervision.
- Organize supplies for a gathering.
- Help a younger sibling participate in a tradition.
Give children clear expectations, then allow them some independence in completing the task.
At Engage, leadership begins with learning to take responsibility for our own actions and finding ways to contribute to the people around us.
Those lessons become even more meaningful when children practice them at home.
Let them own the whole mission from start to finish, including checking in with you when it's done.
7. Keep Their Favorite Routine Going
Holiday schedules can get busy.
Between celebrations, family visits, and travel, it's natural for routines to feel different.
But maintaining familiar activities when possible can provide children with a sense of consistency.
For children who enjoy martial arts, sports, music, or other structured programs, continuing those activities during the holiday season can offer something valuable.
They get to reconnect with familiar instructors, coaches, and friends.
They continue working toward goals.
And they maintain a positive routine that supports their development.
Try This With Your Family
- Keep regular activities on the calendar when they're available.
- Plan family celebrations around important commitments when practical.
- Encourage children to share something they've learned recently.
- Celebrate progress, effort, and consistency rather than perfection.
At Engage Lifestyle Martial Arts, our students build confidence and character through regular practice, supportive coaching, and meaningful challenges.
That consistency matters, even during a season filled with special events.
The goal isn't to make the holidays rigid.
It's to enjoy the flexibility of the season while preserving the routines that help children thrive.
Pick the one or two routines that matter most and protect those, rather than trying to keep every activity going.
Finding the Right Holiday Balance
Keeping kids active doesn't mean every moment needs to be scheduled.
Children also need opportunities to rest, play independently, enjoy family traditions, and simply have fun.
And screen time doesn't need to become the enemy.
A favorite holiday movie or a little gaming can fit into a balanced family routine.
The important thing is making sure screens aren't the only available option.
Offer opportunities for movement, creativity, connection, and responsibility.
Some days that might mean a family adventure.
Other days, it might mean ten minutes of movement between activities.
A healthy holiday routine isn't about keeping children constantly busy. It's about giving them a variety of meaningful ways to spend their time.
The Holiday Memories That Matter Most
Years from now, your child might not remember every gift they received or every holiday movie they watched.
But they may remember the afternoon everyone built a living room adventure course.
The time the whole family tried a silly balance challenge.
Or the moment they were trusted to help with an important family tradition.
Those experiences create opportunities for children to build confidence, practice responsibility, and strengthen relationships.
And they remind us that some of the best holiday moments don't require elaborate plans.
Sometimes they begin with ten minutes, a little imagination, and someone saying:
"Want to try something fun?"
The best holiday memories aren't always planned. Sometimes they begin with ten minutes, a little imagination, and someone saying, 'Want to try something fun?'
At Engage Lifestyle Martial Arts in Henderson, Nevada, we help children ages 5–12 develop confidence, character, connection, and community through structured, age-appropriate martial arts training.
If you're looking for a positive activity that helps your child stay active and continue growing throughout the year, we invite your family to experience three complimentary classes.
Visit EngageLMA.com to get started.
Martial arts is the tool. Character is the mission.
Keep Building Confidence and Character Beyond the Holidays
At Engage Lifestyle Martial Arts, children develop confidence, coordination, discipline, and connection through fun, structured martial arts training.
Martial arts is the tool. Character is the mission.