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This story originally appeared in the Jackson Free Press. It was added to the Mississippi Free Press website in 2025.
Note that any opinions expressed in legacy Jackson Free Press stories do not reflect a position of the Mississippi Free Press or necessarily of its staff and board members.

Holiday Projects with Very Little Ones

• Fingerpaint Santa and his reindeer.

• Create snowglobes by supergluing small action figures to the lid of a clean jar. Fill jar with oil and glitter, screw the top on tight and flip over.

• Write letters to Santa.

• Dress your pets up in Christmas garb and have a photo shoot with the kiddos.

Holiday Projects with Somewhat Little and Middle Ones

• Host a sugar decorating party with cookie cutters and colored icing.

• Get them involved in decorating the tree.

• Make a holiday countdown garland and tear off a bit each day until it’s time to open presents.

• Make an occasion out of wrapping gifts for the rest of your family.

• Write a holiday story together and let your kids illustrate it.

• Cut out paper snowflakes to decorate your walls and windows.

Holiday Projects with Preteens and Teens

• Take a lesson together—try sewing, knitting or clay crafting.

• Throw a gourmet hot chocolate tasting party.

• Make your own holiday wreaths.

• Let them design your family’s holiday card and/or write a letter to send to all your family and friends about your year.

• Teach them to cook your family’s favorite holiday meal.

MFP Solutions Lab logo

The Mississippi Free Press produced this story through the MFP Solutions Lab, supported by the Solutions Journalism Network. This series digs into Mississippi’s systemic issues and sheds light on responses to them in other communities. Beyond just reporting on problems, these stories interrogate their causes and inspect potential solutions.

Mississippi native Donna Ladd and partner Todd Stauffer founded the Jackson Free Press in 2002 in the capital city. The heavily awarded local newspaper did many investigations heralded across the state and nation and served as a paper of record due to its diversity, inclusion, in-depth reporting and deep connection to readers and dedication to narrative change in and about Mississippi. In 2022, the nonprofit Mississippi Free Press, founded by Ladd and JFP Associate Publisher Kimberly Griffin in 2020, purchased the journalism assets and archives of the Jackson Free Press. A Google grant through AAN Publishers enabled Newspack's integration of the JFP archives into the Mississippi Free Press website to become part of a more searchable archive of recent Mississippi history and essential journalism.