I don’t know about you, but I dread the question that every grandparent asks right around Thanksgiving: What do the kids want for [insert December holiday here]?
It’s a tricky tightrope act to allow grandparents the chance to show their love in some physical way while also retaining your family’s goal of making the holidays about being together and appreciating what we have and what we can give. It’s hard enough to promote the idea that the holidays are not about getting more “stuff” when every movie and TV show stresses the presents. It’s even harder when you live far away from relatives and they want to send your kids the equivalent of a hug inside a gift.
This is why we love asking for experiences instead of physical gifts. It started one year when our oldest kid’s birthday coincided with finding an outdoor class we couldn’t afford. Enter his grandparents who bought it for his birthday. As a thank you, we took photos of his adventures in the class and made them a little album. It was perfect: our son got a cool experience and our parents got a physical item that meant so much to them.
Beijing is no stranger to very exciting outings, so try to steer your kid’s gifts towards a fun activity or class. It will take a little time for both the grandparents and kids to get used to it, but how cool will it be to say that Papa and Nana got them a super cool science camp? Bonus: these presents won’t get stuck in Customs.
Go See a Show
Experiencing emotions in the same room as others is an excellent way to nurture a child’s empathy. Whether it’s the thrill of an acrobat show, the mystery of shadow puppetry, or a traditional bian lian (face changing) performance, children love seeing live theatre, and it’s sure to activate their imaginations as well as be an exciting night out!
Take Part in a Winter Camp
Since we can’t travel very far this year, keeping the kiddos happily occupied is even more important. There are a plethora of cool camps on offer this year, with everything from physical training to science experiments to learning about Chinese culture through the arts. Scan the QR code for all the latest winter camps listed on the beijingkids website.
Cooking Class With Friends
These are always a treat for birthday parties, so why not include friends in your kid’s gift? Whether it’s baking and decorating a cake or learning how to make traditional Chinese dishes, you have your choice of local favorite The Hutong, as well as mall offerings for unique cooking classes that all ages enjoy!
Ice Skating Lesson
Another cool (pun intended) outing to share with friends is an ice skating lesson. There are well-known rinks at Solana and China World Mall, or find an instructor for private group lessons at Shichahai, Kunming Lake at the Summer Palace, or the Bird’s Nest (aka Beijing National Stadium)!
Make-Your-Own Pizza Dinner
There’s no reason to reserve this kind of party for birthdays, either. Rent a table at one of the local pizza joints like Domino’s or Pizza Hut that also has a chef helping kids to build their own pizza. And you never know: if they get to choose their own ingredients, they may just try toppings other than pepperoni for once.
Explore an Escape Room
Teenagers will love one of the many escape rooms in our city. From horror themes to ice castles, Harry Potter to tattoo parlors, the birthday teen will get locked in a room with their closest friends and solve puzzles or make the right choices that lead them to an escape – if they’re lucky – and smart!
Flyover China
If your kids are more into taking flight than tight spaces, this could be a great excuse to finally try Flyover China. You take a ride across China without ever leaving the projection room. Special sensory effects with your feet suspended in mid-air work with the ride’s motion to make you feel like you’ve traveled for miles, even if you’re stuck in Beijing. The ride is only 10 minutes, but pair it with a day out at Shijingshan Amusement Park for some fun memories.
Virtual Santa Visit
Since kids are so used to making memories over video chat, why not extend that to Santa this year? If you missed one of the Santa sightings sprinkled throughout Beijing, just take a look at Kringle Mingle (https://kringleminglefun.com) or Jingle Ring (www.jinglering.com), the two that work best internationally. What better way to end such a Zoom filled year than a screen selfie with Santa?
KEEP READING: Last-Minute Christmas Gifts from Local Creators and Brands
Images: canva
This article appeared in the beijingkids 2020 December issue
