Jump Away the Winter Stir-Crazy with Springfree
Sometimes the best way to spend the holidays is by staying home together and avoiding the crowds and traffic altogether. Transform your backyard into the best place to have fun together with a Springfree Trampoline! From jumping with the family all afternoon to rolling out the sleeping bags and cuddling up on the bouncy surface, the world’s safest trampoline is the perfect gift for the whole family this holiday season! Plus you can take advantage of the Black Friday Sale at the local Austin Springfree Trampoline stores for three free trampoline accessories when you buy a trampoline!
Volunteer with the Family
On Saturday, November 17, Generation SERVE will host the 2nd annual Austin Families Give Back event at the Millennium Youth Entertainment Complex! Free and open to the public, this event allows families to come together to sample volunteer projects in support of more than 30 local nonprofit organizations. The projects are family-friendly and all ages are welcome. Shifts last just over an hour and run throughout the day. Pre-register your family for a shift at generationserve.org/familyvolunteerday.
Austin Empty Bowl Project
The Central Texas Food Bank will host the long-running Austin Empty Bowl Project on Sunday, November 18. For two decades, potters in the Austin area have come together to paint their hearts out on bowls to help nourish children in Central Texas. Held the Sunday before Thanksgiving, attendees can select from thousands of locally crafted ceramic bowls that are decorated with anything from bunnies in space to flowers and have it filled with gourmet soup and bread. Participants can enjoy a delicious lunch while listening to local live music. The event will be held at Central Texas Food Bank, Sunday, November 18 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Admission is free and bowls are $20 and include choice of soup. Proceeds will help Meals on Wheels as well as the Food Bank’s Kids Cafe program, an after-school program where children can get a nutritious meal while they complete their homework and participate in enrichment activities.
Outdoor Movie Night
My favorite season in Texas is upon us. The fall and winter seasons bring cooler days and nights, warm sun, and mosquito-less moments in the outdoors. It’s finally possible to round up the kids for an outdoor movie night! We like to use our Springfree Trampoline as our base – piled with blankets and pillows, it makes for a comfy bed to snuggle on while watching festive favorites like Polar Express and Elf. Outdoor holiday movie nights are a pretty low key event to pull off for the entire family. Once the projector or movie viewing device is set up, all that’s need is some hot chocolate and snacks to make for the perfect family fun night during the often times overly stressful holiday season. Springfree also offers tgoma – a digitally-interactive gaming system that connects with the trampoline and the included Ipad holder makes for a perfect place to stream a movie!
Build a Gingerbread House
Feel the festive vibes with the family while sticking candy to frosting on gingerbread houses! If you are a DIY type gingerbread constructor, you can purchase a pre-cut kit that comes with the basics. For those who are a bit daunted by the pre-cut pieces of houses being held together with frosting (me!), you can also find houses that come pieced together already. Hallelujah! If all of that sounds too daunting, head to one of the many Gingerbread Workshops, where you’ll find everything except for the decorating already done for you! Celebrate your Gingerbread House accomplishment by heading down to the Four Seasons Hotel to view their amazing Gingerbread Village. The village is open to the public starting on November 19th.
Speaking of gingerbread and candy and frosting…. how about getting the gets out of the house for some family exercise time at the Gingerbread Fun Run on Saturday, November 17, from 9 am to noon. Kids of all ages and abilities will run an almost 1K while chasing The Thinkery’s festive gingerbread man around Mueller Lake Park. More details here.
On Saturday, December 8, from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m., bring the kids to The Contemporary Museum of Art at Laguna Gloria to build a Gingerbread Villa! Be the art-chitect of your very own candy home! They are whipping up edible houses like you’ve never seen before, inspired by the architecture of the Driscoll Villa at Laguna Gloria. Free with registration at thecontemporaryaustin.
Take a Cookie Decorating Class
There’s a lot of eating to be done during the holidays. What better way to prepare for all of that eating than to take a cooking class? Baked by Amy’s offers several cooking classes this holiday season:
Thanksgiving Cookie Decorating Class –November 17, 2018 10-11am or 1-2pm
Winter Cookie Decorating Class – December 15, 2018 10-11am or 1-2pm
Christmas Cookie Decorating Class –December 21, 2018 10-11am or 1-2pm and December 22, 2018 10-11am or 1-2pm
To reserve a spot, call Baked by Amy’s between 8am-2pm at 512-918-2253.
Get Crafty
Put the kids to work this holiday season by making crafty gifts to give to friends and loved ones.
– Nature Creations at The Wildflower Center: Explore the beauty of nature while making tree-inspired seasonal ornaments using acorns and ball moss, craft greeting cards out of found materials, and celebrate nature together. Saturday, December 1, from 1-3pm.
– HEB First Sunday at The Bullock Museum: Celebrate the season by giving back to others! Create, sing, and enjoy activities that focus on the joy of giving and receiving. Sunday, December 2, from noon – 5 pm.
Give Back
The annual Chuy’s Children Giving to Children Parade is happening on Saturday, November 24 at 11 am. This much loved parade benefits Operation Blue Santa. Parade spectators are asked to bring new, unwrapped toys that will be donated to children less fortunate this holiday season in the Austin area. Starts at the State Capitol at 11th and Congress, moving south on Congress all the way to Cesar Chavez, ending just north of the bridge.
Unable to attend the parade? Help Operation Blue Santa make their goal of serving all kids in need this holiday season. Donation boxes will be in all Austin-area Chuy’s locations beginning on November 5th.
Holiday Launch Party at The Domain
Kick off your family’s holiday festivities on Saturday, November 17, 2018, from 4-6 p.m. at The Domain’s Holiday Launch Party! There will be lots of fun for all ages, including jumping on a Springfree Trampoline, live music by Mister G, facepainting, balloon twisting, games, prizes and more! Free admission.
Thanks again to Springfree Trampoline for sponsoring these ideas on how to have some quality family fun time!
