How to Plan Festive Activities with Your Foster Child
The festive season is a wonderful opportunity for foster carers to create positive memories, deepen connections and nurture a sense of belonging within the fostering household. But planning Christmas activities with a foster child requires sensitivity, flexibility and a trauma-informed approach. Many children in foster care have experienced instability or difficult Christmas periods in the past, so thoughtful planning can make all the difference in helping them feel valued and supported.
If you’re wondering how best to enjoy festive activities with your foster child this year, this guide offers practical, fostering-focused ideas designed to build trust, encourage bonding and create magical moments for your entire fostering family.
Start with Open Conversations
Before planning any Christmas activity, take time to talk with your foster child about their past festive experiences. This approach is rooted in trauma-informed fostering, helping children feel heard and respected.
Gentle, open questions can help guide your planning:
“What activities did you enjoy at Christmas before?”
“Is there anything you would prefer not to do?”
“Are there any traditions you’d like to include?”
This allows you to tailor activities in a way that feels safe, familiar and inclusive. Some children may feel anxious about Christmas due to memories of previous disruptions, so offering clear reassurance and choice is essential.
Balance Familiarity and New Traditions
Children in foster care often benefit from consistency and structure, especially during the emotional intensity of the holidays. While your fostering household may have wonderful long-standing Christmas traditions, introducing everything at once can feel overwhelming.
Instead, strike a balance between your own festive customs and activities that the child already knows. You might incorporate:
Their favourite festive foods
A specific Christmas film they enjoyed before
A Christmas Eve routine from their birth family
Decorations or crafts that reflect their cultural background
This blended approach supports identity, belonging and emotional wellbeing – three core values within foster care.
Plan Activities That Encourage Connection
Festive activities can be powerful tools for bonding, especially with foster children who may find traditional family moments challenging. Focus on activities that naturally promote teamwork, creativity and positive interaction.
Some wonderful fostering-friendly ideas include:
1. Christmas Crafting
Homemade decorations, paper chains, stockings or salt-dough ornaments help children express themselves and feel part of your home’s preparation. Allow them to take the lead where possible – this boosts confidence and helps them feel included in the fostering unit.
2. Baking Together
Cooking Christmas biscuits, mince pies or a gingerbread house can be calming, sensory-rich and rewarding. It’s also a great moment for gentle conversation and building trust.
3. A Festive Family Film Night
Let your foster child help choose the film and snacks. Creating a cosy, predictable tradition like this can be hugely comforting.
4. Decorating the Tree as a Team
Offering your foster child their own ornament or inviting them to pick a decoration can help them feel they truly belong in the fostering family.
Keep Activities Predictable and Calm
Many foster children struggle with unpredictability, and Christmas can be overstimulating. When planning festive activities, keep routines as stable as possible.
Some ideas to support emotional security:
Use visual schedules or talk through plans in advance
Avoid back-to-back busy days
Provide quiet spaces if the child becomes overwhelmed
Offer choices instead of expectations
Take regular breaks during outings or busy activities
Predictability builds safety, which is at the heart of effective foster care.
Consider Sensory-Sensitive Activities
Some children in foster care may have sensory needs, especially if they have experienced trauma or have additional needs. When planning festive activities, think about how sound, light, texture and crowds may affect them.
Gentle, sensory-friendly ideas include:
Decorating gingerbread with calming music
Going on a quiet evening walk to see Christmas lights
Reading festive stories together
Making a Christmas sensory jar
Creating soft, cosy spaces with blankets and fairy lights
These activities promote grounding, emotional regulation and bonding – ideal for a nurturing fostering environment.
Include the Foster Child in Community Activities
Christmas is a wonderful time to connect with the wider community. Many towns offer inclusive events that foster families can enjoy together, such as:
Christmas fairs
Light switch-on events
Carol services
Local charity drives
Community craft workshops
Taking part in these activities can help foster children build confidence, develop social skills and feel part of something bigger than themselves.
Be Mindful of Emotional Triggers
Festive activities can sometimes bring unexpected emotions to the surface. A child may feel guilt, sadness, worry or confusion – especially if contact with birth family is happening around the holidays.
As a foster carer, your role is to offer reassurance, empathy and a safe space to talk. Let the child know it’s okay to have mixed feelings. Flexibility is key – if an activity becomes uncomfortable, change the plan or try again another time.
Create Lasting, Positive Memories
Planning festive activities with your foster child is about much more than filling the calendar. It’s an opportunity to build stability, trust and joyful experiences that can help reshape the way a child views Christmas.
By listening to their needs, honouring their history and creating inclusive, nurturing activities, you can help ensure the festive season becomes a time of warmth and belonging for everyone in your fostering household.