Worldwide Express Delivery

FESTIVE FUN (AND FASHION) WITH THE KIDS

While adults mingle during at-home holiday parties

Words by Bridget Barnett

Entertaining at home over the holidays with little ones on the loose? We look to Amiee Squires-Wills — Lane Crawford’s Vice President of Marketing & Communications and, more importantly, mother of four — in search of tips for keeping kids busy while the grownups catch up.

  1. “Create a dress-up box and let the kids go wild. Not everything needs to be official “dress-up attire” — embellished dresses, bright snow boots, and little loafers that look “just like dad’s” will also be a hit. You can also have the kids put on a fashion show.”

  2. “My kids could spend hours playing around on an App called JibJab. You can put your face in funny GIFS and Christmas-themed dancing Ecards and send them in messages, or upload them on social media. You can fit up to five faces on each Ecard making it fun to do as a family, too.”

  3. “Parties can be overwhelming for kids, and in turn, hype them up. One of the easiest ways to settle everyone back down is with a movie session. My kids absolutely love Elf — they could watch it over and over. That, along with some cookies and popcorn, will give you at the very least an hour and a half to yourselves.”

  4. “Send the little ones on a Christmas scavenger hunt. I like to use wrapped candy canes, which we hide around the house before other kids arrive. Then let the kids loose to see how many they can find. Put them in some in harder hiding spots too. They’ll be up for the challenge — and no doubt for eating the reward.”

  5. “For this one, you’re going to need to sacrifice one of the adults. Give them a white beard and a Santa suit, and have them pull small and expensive gifts from a sack to give to the kids. Throw some crackers in there too, especially if they are filled with jokes and stickers. They’re interactive enough to give kids another layer of delight — and distraction.”

2019-11-27 00:01:00.0