So many groups and organizations go above and beyond each year to host our children and make sure they have a wonderful Christmas. As the 2020 Christmas season approached, we were all having doubts about how many of our traditional Christmas parties would be able to happen. Yet the theme of this year became “adaptability,” as those hosts figured out ways to hold their celebrations in a safe, fun and healthy manner.
Woodlandville United Methodist Church in Mid-Missouri hosted their annual Christmas shopping spree. This is always a fun opportunity for the kids to pick out gifts for their loved ones using pretend money, so they can feel like they are purchasing the gifts themselves! This year, to adapt the event for social distancing, etc., each home chose a 30-minute time slot to arrive at the church and pick out their gifts. As they arrived at the church at their assigned time, children took turns going inside to pick out their gifts, which were placed in a basket that had been sanitized between each use. It was a lovely day for the other children in the home to wait outside and play until it was their turn to go “shopping.” This also allowed siblings to secretly shop for each other!
