Winter break can feel like a breath of fresh air, with children and teens home from school and ready to celebrate. But it can also feel like a bit of chaos wrapped in twinkling lights. Kids are excited, routines fly out the window . . . and suddenly parents are juggling work, family time and the emotional ups and downs that can come with the season. 

The good news? With a little intention, winter break can become a meaningful time to reconnect, slow down and support your child’s emotional wellbeing. How can parents keep children and teens engaged and emotionally healthy over winter break? It starts with understanding why structure, connection and simple daily rhythms make such a big difference this time of year.

Why Structure and Engagement Matter

Youth mental health during the holidays is statistically difficult, with 3 in 5 Americans saying that the holiday season negatively impacts their mental health. The combination of family stress, financial worries, overstimulation and the cold, dreary weather — and the temptation of screen time! — all can contribute to symptoms of depression, anxiety and the “winter blues.” For teenagers, they may start experiencing the effects of Seasonal Affective Disorder as well, which commonly develops in young adulthood.

The loss of structure and daily active engagement often makes matters worse as children and teens have more time to sit in their feelings and fewer outlets for their emotions. To effectively care for youth mental health during the holidays, it’s important to introduce security and routine in new ways and avoid extensive isolation.

Ideas to Keep Youth Active and Connected

Parenting through winter break may be different without the structure of school, extracurricular activities and homework to fill the days, but that’s part of what makes it special! Here are some ideas for keeping your children and youth both active and connected throughout the holiday season:

Ideas for Young Children (Ages 3-6)

Preschool- and kindergarten-aged children will get the most enjoyment from sensory or movement-based activities in shorter time blocks, so they won’t lose interest. Here are a few ideas to spark inspiration:

• Baking: Get a simple muffin or cookie mix and help them make a yummy treat.
• Building: Make a blanket fort as a “winter hibernation den” for their stuffed animals.
• Crafting: Build playdough snowmen with white playdough or clay. Mix in some glitter for a winter wonderland sparkle!
• Reading: Go to the library and let them choose some new books to read together during the winter break.
• Volunteering: Let them pick something out to donate to a local toy drive.
• Getting Outside: Go on a nature scavenger hunt, looking for little treasures like pinecones, bird feathers and pretty rocks.
• Socializing: Invite your child’s friends to meet for an outdoor playdate at a park on a sunny day. 
• Family Bonding: Start new family traditions, like looking at holiday light displays or pictures with Santa. If you don’t celebrate any winter holidays, take advantage of the school break to form your own family traditions.

Ideas for Older Children (Ages 7-11)

Elementary-aged children are all about results. They like projects and activities that give real, tangible outcomes they can take pride in. Here are some ways to instill confidence and make the winter holiday special:

• Baking: Let them make a whole recipe independently (with parental supervision).
• Building: Try your hand at a Rube Goldberg machine with toys and household items like books, dominoes and toy cars. Get started with this guide from Tinker Lab!
• Crafting: Make homemade salt dough ornaments
• Reading: Choose a novel to read together before bed every night. Here are some festive options: The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson, A Boy Called Christmas by Matt Haig, Dog Diaries: Happy Howlidays by James Patterson and The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis.
• Volunteering: Decorate paper lunch bags and fill with a lunch and a homemade cookie, then deliver to residents of a local homeless shelter or low-income housing community.
• Getting Outside: Start a winter “field journal” drawing pictures of the weather, animals they see and other outdoor discoveries.
• Socializing: Host a fun winter afternoon with their three closest friends. Don’t forget the hot cocoa bar!
• Family Bonding: Choose a winter-themed puzzle to work on together throughout the break.
• Ideas for Teens (Ages 12-17)

Ideas for Teenagers (11-Up)

Teenagers are embracing their autonomy and sense of personal identity, but that doesn’t mean they won’t benefit from some structure and family time during the winter holiday! Here are some winter break ideas for teens that celebrate them coming into who they are in a safe and supportive way:

• Baking: Bake or cook a holiday dish from a country they’re interested in.
• Building: Do a mini-renovation in their bedroom (repaint a color of their choice, install built-in shelves, or DIY upgrade the furniture. Let them take the lead on this!)
• Crafting: Brainstorm ideas for a craft-based business, like handmade jewelry, designing vinyl stickers or small resin keepsakes.
• Reading: Have a winter break book club as a family or with their friends—let them choose the book.
• Volunteering: Find a local nonprofit to volunteer with for a few hours! Food pantries, homeless shelters, animal shelters and retirement communities are all great places to start.
• Getting Outside: Go on a resolution picnic! Pack warm goodies and thermoses of hot cocoa, bundle up and bring journals out to a park to each write down New Year’s Resolutions or hopes for next year.
• Socializing: Host a board game night and let them invite a bunch of friends to join in the fun!
• Family Bonding: Plan a few different outings or at-home activities to do as a family, with each one spearheaded by a specific family member.

Coping with Holiday Stress: Six Tips for Parents

While taking care of your child’s mental health is important, you won’t be equipped to support them if you don’t take care of your own mental well-being first! Here are five tips for easing the holiday stress and ensuring you are in a good place to be there for your family:

1. Maintain Healthy Routines

Routines are important for adults, too, especially during challenging times. Prioritize getting enough sleep, eating a balanced diet and exercising regularly to keep your physical body healthy and energized.

2. Minimize Screen Time

Watching a holiday movie as a family can be fun! But when everyone is focused on their own devices, it’s hard to engage with loved ones. Model healthy screen time use as a parent by putting your phone away during quality family time. It feels tough at first, but screen-free time helps minimize anxiety and maximize connection.

3. Try Light Therapy

Also known as “phototherapy,” this light-based technique is great for anyone who lives in more overcast and chilly parts of the country—like Nebraskan winters! Invest in a small phototherapy lamp and sit in front of it for 10-20 minutes a day while reading.

4. Be Patient with Yourself and Others

All of the activities above are great, but overtaxing yourself is just as bad as doing nothing. Leave space in your schedule to relax without a stringent schedule of activities. Check in with yourself and your family regularly to see if anyone needs to slow down.

5. Accept How You Feel

Don’t try to suppress or ignore negative emotions. It’s okay to feel happy, sad, tired and any other way this time of year makes you feel! Give yourself the space to sit in your feelings, accept them and release them.

6. Ask for Help

Unless you’re a homeschooling parent, you’re likely not used to being around your children 24/7. It’s okay to need a break from being with them constantly! Plan a few nights to have a babysitter, let them sleep over at a friend’s house or ask the grandparents to take them for a couple of days so you can have time to yourself. Even turning on a festive movie for them so you can have a couple of hours alone in your room to decompress can make a difference!

KVC Support Services

You never have to face the challenges of parenthood and mental health alone. KVC Nebraska has individual and family counseling support available if you or your child are struggling with mental health. If parenting is feeling like a particularly big challenge around this time of year, KVC Nebraska’s Parenting Tips Guide can help you get back on track!