Our children not getting to be at home is always tough, but especially around Christmas time. We can’t change their situation, but we can try to make their holidays as merry as possible. This includes the fun things most children get to do including holiday parties, Elf on the Shelf shenanigans, and more!
Our campuses get to participate in various fun holiday activities like seeing the Christmas lights at Bristol Motor Speedway and taking a ride on the Polar Express. This year, our Avery campus is going to enjoy a night watching the Charlotte Hornets play during Christmas week.
Our Winston campus had a great Christmas Party at Little Richard’s where, of course, Santa came for a visit. Our Avery campus enjoyed their annual Christmas Party and Gingerbread House making at the gym on campus, where Santa and Mrs. Claus were present for the night’s activities and brought much cheer to all the boys and girls.
Each cottage, of course, gets a Christmas tree, and the cottages have fun decorating. Often, the kids have handmade most of the ornaments!
One of our cottages plants “candy cane seeds” (candy cane tic tacs), and overnight, the seeds grow into a candy cane garden. And of course, there is the paper chain countdown to Christmas.
Elf on the Shelf is big in all of our cottages, and our cottage parents astound us with their creativity. In one of our cottages, the 16-year-0ld is full of mischievous elf spirit, and is having a great time helping with ideas.
And of course, all of our children receive many gifts for Christmas, and also get money to buy gifts for loved ones. There’s cookie making, Christmas parties, and elf shenanigans galore, and we wouldn’t have it any other way.
We are exceedingly thankful to our residential teams and to our cottage parents who go above and beyond to make Christmas a special time for our kids. Even when the road is hard and the situation is not ideal, they are passionate about making the holiday season special and magical for our children.
