Here are some suggestions:

• Establish family traditions. Perhaps you have a family skating party. Or, perhaps you always attend a certain religious service. Whatever your family’s tradition, it will give your child memories that will last a lifetime.

• Set aside some time for reading every day. A short quiet break will do more than help your kids’ reading skills. It will also help everyone enjoy a few minutes of peace and quiet.

• Encourage your children to write. Ask your kids to write a letter, a poem, or a short story about this time of year.

• Watch a special television program together. Then read a book that relates to what you saw. You might watch the ballet of “The Nutcracker,” and read the book.

• Give a family museum membership. Massachusetts reader Jane Griffin has a family tradition of a museum membership. “It’s a gift that keeps on giving and exposes children to new experiences,” she says. Even better, “it costs about the price of a Nintendo cartridge.”

• Spend extra time with your children. Bake cookies. Take a walk and look at the stars.
  

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