• Did the movie version capture the characters and scenery the way you imagined them when we read the book?
• Did you enjoy one more than the other? Why?
• What did you like about the book over the movie version, or the movie over the book?
• Would you recommend either to a friend? Why or why not?
• What is one book you would like to see made into a movie? What actor would you choose to be the main character? Why would you choose that actor?

And of course, you’ll need to be sure to include food for movie night—whether you stick with popcorn and candy, make Turkish Delight to go with Narnia, or have a Dickens of a Dinner!

Show How Newsworthy Your Family Is

For a while, families sent Christmas letters with their cards, which was a great idea. But sometimes those newsletters actually sounded like bragletters—a list of everyone’s accomplishments instead. Why not reclaim the newsletter and give it a little pizzazz? Create something that really shares who you are as a family.

No matter the ages of your children, they can all contribute. Include stories from the past year, artwork, even advertisements. Have them write original stories or poems. Share some favorite holiday recipes. Get creative and have fun with the project. You can then send a printed copy to family and friends, or create it on the computer and email it! Whatever you do, make it really capture who you are as a family.

Give Them Something to Talk About

Spend time talking. Not only will you strengthen your family relationships, but you will also help your children develop a powerful language skill—the ability to participate in the art of conversation. Some families like to share a high and low from their day around the dinner table, but here are some Christmas conversation starters to add a little something at the holiday table.

• Why do you think we celebrate Christmas?
• If you could be any “character” in the Christmas story (besides Jesus), who would you choose to be and why?
• What is your favorite Christmas carol and why? (Be sure to sing it!)
• What is your favorite family Christmas tradition? What traditions do you want us to start as a family?
• What would you give each family member for Christmas if you could spend any amount of money?
• What are some things you could give that don’t cost any money?
• What’s the most meaningful gift you’ve ever received?
• If you could only watch one Christmas movie, what would it be and why?

Cook Up Some Math

You may be spending a lot of time in the kitchen, so why not sneak some math in? Baking and cooking give your kids the chance to develop real-life skills and practice their math. Have your kids do the measuring. Ask them to double or triple recipes—one of those stealth moves to make them add fractions.

Give them the opportunity to plan, shop for, and cook Christmas dinner. It doesn’t have to be the traditional turkey one, either. Sometimes our family picked a theme and had everything from soups, to enchiladas, to pasta over the years.

Go Global

It can be so much fun to learn about how different people around the world celebrate the same holiday. Before doing this, my kids and I had never thought about the fact that it is the beginning of summer in Australia. Just think about how that influences their traditions.

Use this as an opportunity to teach your children how to do research online and at the library. Then choose some of the following activities.

• Create a notebook that includes information such as traditions, songs, and foods popular in each country you study.
• Use an outline map to chart all the places you learn about.
• Compare Santa Claus/Saint Nicholas stories and legends.
• Do a presentation for your family. You can even include foods specific to the different countries you learned about.
• Also, be sure to check out the excerpt in this issue from Galloping the Globe by GeoMatters titled Christmas Around the World.

Be a Weather Watcher

I’ve always been fascinated by the weather, and I think many kids feel the same. Winter is a great time to observe and learn about this chilling time of year. Take some time to do some research together, asking questions like:

• What is the difference between rain, freezing rain, sleet, and snow?
• What makes a winter storm a blizzard?
• How can we stay safe during winter weather?

Have them observe the weather each day and write it down on the calendar. Record the temperature highs and lows, weather conditions, etc.

Here are some great websites to check out:

• Weather Wiz Kids
• Web Weather for Kids
• JetStream — An Online School for Weather

To be a stealthy-elf homeschooler, you may need to let go of some of your regularly scheduled subjects and assignments. But you can rest assured that your kids will keep learning and have a lot of fun along the way.