8 Tips for Decorating the Christmas Tree with Little Ones

November 29th, 2011

Decorating the tree with kids isn’t always picture perfect, but it should be enjoyable and memorable.  Fighting the urge for perfection and the stress of the task of trimming the tree, can be a tall task, but I think these tips should make your decorating merry and light!

1. Soak Up Their Excitement.  Their enthusiasm is priceless and should be contagious.  Our boys were telling everyone they ran into Sunday morning that we would be putting up the tree that afternoon.

2. Celebrate the Imperfections.  The boys’ first couple of year’s there were no ornaments on the bottom of our tree, because they couldn’t leave them alone.  Fight the urge to have everything picture perfect, and enjoy the moment of having little ones to decorate the tree.

3. Set Boundaries. For little ones it may be touching the ornaments using the “one finger” rule, or it may be “hands off”, or perhaps you’ll go for the gate around the Christmas tree look. Do what works best for your family, and remember that these safeguards are only temporary.

Image Source

4. Make It Meaningful. Begin family traditions early and instill meaningful elements to decking the halls. The Jesse Tree is a great way to bring meaning into the Advent season. {And it’s a free download!}

Image: Ann Voskamp

5. Make It Festive.  Turn on Pandora or put on your favorite go-to Christmas CD and put a little jingle into the task. Pop popcorn or make a fun snack to munch on while you work together.

6. Sometimes the Box Is The Best Part. Our boys were entertained for most of the night with this cardboard box.  It’s the simple things, right?

7. Take Pictures and Video to Capture the Moment. They’re only little for so long, right?  Gotta remember to capture it!  

8. Turn Off the Lights. There’s no better way to admire your work as a family than to turn off the lights and enjoy the glow of the Christmas tree together – pure magic!