Activities to Enjoy Around the Fireplace During the Holidays

New Hampshire winters can be foreboding, and while the weather outside is frightful, the fire is so delightful – so get the family together and maybe invite a few friends over to enjoy some special holiday activities around the fireplace. Here are ideas to get you started.

Read a Christmas story

Everybody loves a Christmas story, especially smaller children. Let everybody take turns reading favorites such as A Christmas Carol, The Night Before Christmas, The Elves and the Shoemaker and How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Holiday stories are always better with a fireplace crackling in the background.

Enjoy a hands-on holiday snack

Nothing beats marshmallows roasted over a roaring fire. Everyone can participate, as long as younger children are given safety instructions. You can also make yummy s’mores, hot cocoa and anything else that goes well with a frosty December night.

Follow Santa on Christmas

Use Google’s “Santa Tracker” to keep up with the big guy’s travels and learn about everything-Santa. The tracker provides lots of fun activities for people of all ages to enjoy.

Camping in the living room

If you like camping out during the summer, why not try it during the winter? Get supplies like sleeping bags, pillows, lanterns, snacks, a radio and more and have a fun campout in front of a lively fire in the living room this Christmas season.

Play games

Computer games are fine, but nothing brings the family together on long winter nights like a real old-fashioned board game or card game like Scrabble, Uno, Monopoly or Yahtzee. Go as a group to the toy store and pick out some games everybody can enjoy and do well at.

Throw a tree-decorating party

If you have a Christmas tree, get everybody together – including friends, family and neighbors – and make a party out of tree-decorating. Cook some food, make some snacks, pour some drinks and crank up some holiday music to make the event memorable.

Watch a holiday movie in front of the fire

Get your fireplace roaring, get cozy and cue up a cool holiday movie to while away the winter evening. Consider titles like Miracle on 34th Street, It’s a Wonderful Life, Scrooged, Home Alone, The Muppet Christmas Carol and other exciting flicks.

Fireplace safety: an important activity all winter long

To get the most out of your fireside holiday activities, make sure your fireplace is running safely and optimally. Here’s how.

Keep it clean: Schedule annual chimney sweep services to remove creosote from the chimney and reduce the chance of a chimney fire.

Let the air flow: Along with creosote, have obstructions like tree debris and small-animal nests removed from the flue to allow smoke and gases to exhaust properly.

Inspect your chimney: Have a CSIA-certified technician inspect your chimney for signs of leaking and damage.

Burn dry wood: Seasoned (dry) wood burns better and produces much less smoke than wet, unseasoned wood. Always burn dry wood.

Check smoke detectors and CO monitors: Make sure your detectors and monitors have fresh batteries for the winter season. If you don’t have smoke and carbon monoxide monitors, install them now.

 

 

Black Moose Chimney of Antrim, NH, wishes everyone a happy and safe holiday season that’s full of enjoyment and wonder. We’re here to do our part in making your holidays safe by providing expert chimney cleaning, chimney inspection and chimney repair services. We work year-round. Call us at (603) 525-7905.