KJLINKED

12 Fun, Family

Activities for Christmas As we look forward to a well-

earned Christmas break and prepare to bid farewell to 2020, we wanted to give you all some ideas to keep you entertained over the holiday. From virtual experiences and baking, to keep fit and crafting, there’s something to suit everyone.

As the Covid-19 vaccine is rolled out, we can hopefully look forward to a brighter 2021 with increased freedom. In the meantime, enjoy a safe festive season with your family. Merry Christmas and a Happy new Year!

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Why not have a go at making some origami Christmas decorations?

You can make wreaths, stars and bows to decorate your home, christmas tree or presents. All you need is some different coloured paper and wrapping paper is ideal! The Artful Maths website has full instructions and links to video tutorials; visit www.artfulmaths.com/blog/origami-christmas-decorations and get folding!

1. Make origami decorations

This Christmas holiday, take an armchair tour to Lapland at www.

lightsoverlapland.com/virtual-aurora-tours. You can choose from a variety of tours; you’ll have the opportunity to see the awe inspiring northern lights in Abisko National Park, tour the famous Ice Hotel, take a virtual Reindeer Sledding tour, or experience the thrill of a Dog Sled excursion.

3. Take a virtual tour in Lapland

Christmas Special!

Each year the BBC broadcasts the Royal Institution Christmas Lectures, a series of

fun and informative science lectures aimed at young people. This year, the series entitled Planet Earth - A User’s Guide features three shows from December 29th-30th at 8pm on BBC Four. Topics include Engine Earth, which focuses on climate change; Water World, which explains why the ocean is vital to life on earth; and Up in the Air, which explores the air we breathe.

2. Watch the Christmas Lectures

If you have never visited Durham Cathedral at Christmas here’s your chance to see inside and experience a service from the comfort of your

living room. Celebrate the Christmas season with the joyful liturgy, readings, and music sung by Durham Cathedral Choir to herald the birth of Christ. This pre-recorded service will be broadcast on Durham Cathedral’s YouTube page at 6.00pm on Tuesday 22nd December. www.youtube.com/user/durhamcathedral1093

4. Join the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols at Durham Cathedral

Salt dough is quick, cheap and great for making tree decorations; all you need is flour, salt and water. To create a batch of dough, mix 4 cups of

all-purpose flour with 1 cup of salt and 1 1/2 cups of warm water in a bowl. Knead until the dough is firm and smooth. Roll out the dough and cut into desired shapes using cookie cutters or just mould by hand. Use a straw to poke a hole for hanging, then bake at 150°C until dry; this will take around 1 hour. Cool completely before painting or decorating with glitter or gemstones.

5. Make your own salt dough tree ornaments

Ingredients100g milk chocolate, chopped100g dark chocolate, chopped7 red Smarties8-10 small pretzels22 white mini marshmallowsBlack food writing pen

1. Line a baking tin with baking parchment.

2. Heat the chocolate in separate bowls in the microwave in 30-second blasts. Pour

the dark chocolate into the baking tin, then pour the milk chocolate on top in a trail. Spread the chocolate out to make a reasonably thick slab.

6. Get cooking! Irresistable Reindeer Chocolate Bark

3. Arrange the red smarties over the slab at intervals – these are the reindeer noses.

4. Cut a marshmallow in half and press above the smarties to make eyes.

5. Snap a pretzel in half for each set of antlers, snapping off any excess pretzel, then push into the chocolate near the eyes.

6. Once the chocolate is hard, use an icing pen to add pupils to the reindeer eyes. Use a knife to cut the bark into pieces around the reindeer.

Tip... You can also make snowmen in the same way but with white chocolate and a piece of jelly shoe lace for the scarf.

7. ChristmasSportingQuiz1. In which year was the last English football league match played on Christmas Day?

2. Which England football manager was famous for his use of the “Christmas Tree” formation?

3. For which Premiership side did Andy Carroll make his professional debut in 2006?

4. Which country sport traditionally takes place at Sandringham on Boxing Day?

5. Which manager was sacked by Chelsea just after enjoying Christmas dinner with the team?

6. Which ground traditionally hosts the Australian Boxing Day Test Match?

7. In which country does the elite bandy match known as Annandagsbandy take place every Boxing Day?

8. Which sporting event takes place in Hyde Park each Christmas Day over a course of 100 yards?

9. What was special about the Chelsea team that took the field against Southampton on 26th December 1999?

10. Which Welsh International footballer, born on Boxing Day 1990, joined Arsenal from Cardiff City in 2018?

Answers on page 5

8. Languages Challenge

10. Organise a family movie night

Bring out the popcorn and hot dogs and

tune in to one of these family classics.

Arthur ChristmasTuesday 22nd December, ITV, 11.35am

Santa Claus the MovieChristmas Eve, ITV, 1.00pm

Paddington 2Christmas Eve, BBC1, 4.15pm

Home Alone 2: Lost in New YorkChristmas Day, Channel 4, 5.30pm

Jurassic WorldSunday 27th December, ITV, 4.40pm

How to Train your Dragon 3: The Hidden WorldNew Years Day, BBC1, 2.00pm

The Greatest ShowmanNew Years Day, Channel 4, 5.30pm

Sporting Quiz Answers1. 1965 (Blackpool v Blackburn)2. Terry Venables3. Newcastle United4. Pheasant Shoot5. Jose Mourinho6. Melbourne Cricket Ground7. Sweden8. The Serpentine Swimming Race (Peter Pan Cup)9. First Starting line-up to contain no British players10. Aaron Ramsey

Sign up for a free account at www.

kahoot.com and you’ll be able to create a host of fun quizzes to entertain your family over the Christmas period. You could even organise a festive tournament with a different quiz every night and announce the champion on New Year’s Eve!

9. Make a family Kahoot quiz

This year, more than any other, local

residents are lighting up our community by decorating their homes with fantastic displays of twinkling lights. Why not wrap up warm and head out for a family walk around your neighbourhood to appreciate them at their best... on foot!

11. Go Christmas lights spotting

Produced at King James I Academy December 2020

Every year, millions of people across the UK

tune in to watch the Queen’s speech at 3pm on Christmas Day. Her address to the nation reflects upon events of the past year, but it is also an opportunity to look forward with optimism for the year to come. 2020 has been a year like no other for us all, so why not remember it with your own Christmas Day speech which you can revisit in years to come when the pandemic has passed. If you were the Queen (or King), what would you say to inspire British people and give them hope for a better 2021? You could even use your mobile phone to record it and create a lasting memory for your family.

12. Write an alternative Queen’s speech

This year, the government has made funds available through its Covid Winter Grant Scheme to support families this winter, by offering additional help towards

household costs in the run up to Christmas.

In County Durham this support is available as vouchers for eligible families to spend at ASDA, Morrison’s, Sainsbury’s and Tesco. Families receive £20 per child per week to help keep children fed and warm over the coming weeks.

At King James, our office staff have worked incredibly hard to ensure that all of our eligible families are aware of the support available and that they have received the details they need to claim their vouchers well before the Christmas holiday begins. We have 345 pupils at King James who are entitled to free school meals which means that we have issued letters and online links to claim vouchers worth an incredible £13,800.

If you have received notification but have not yet claimed your vouchers please do not delay as it may take up to three days to receive them from placing your order. After placing your order, please look for an email from your.egift@digitalgateway.online; this will contain your vouchers but this email can often go into your spam/junk folder so please check regularly. Vouchers can be printed and taken to the store or shown to the cashier at the checkout on a mobile device.

Finally, if you have any children aged under 2 years old in your household you may be eligible for further support. You can check this by contacting the NHS at HDFT.winterfoodvoucher@nhs.net.

Covid Winter Grant Scheme