Christmas Activities for the Family
The holiday season is an excellent opportunity to spend quality time with family and friends.
It’s a time of year to enjoy the festive spirit, create lasting memories, and engage in exciting activities that bring joy and happiness.
With Christmas just around the corner, we’ve created a comprehensive list of Christmas activities that your whole family will love.
1. Gingerbread House
First on our list is making a Gingerbread House. Baking and decorating a Gingerbread House is an excellent way to bring your family together and create lasting memories.
You can buy Gingerbread House Cookie Cutters, which allow each member to design their own house by placing windows and doors wherever they want.
Making your own Gingerbread House from scratch allows you to use your choice of cookies, and the cookies will then be fresh, allowing you to enjoy the Gingerbread House after decorating.
If you are in a rush, you can purchase Gingerbread House kits from the store with icing and candy already included. Therefore, you can get all the supplies needed to make one.
2. Baking Christmas Cookies
Baking Christmas Cookies is another activity that is not only fun but also a great way to bond with your family during the holiday season.
From making the dough to decorating the cookies, there are countless ways to make baking Christmas cookies an enjoyable experience for everyone involved.
Below are a few ideas for Baking Christmas Cookies
- You can experiment with new cookie recipes
- Have a yearly holiday recipe you only make during Christmas
- Host a Christmas Cookie Exchange with friends and family
- Decorate Cookies
- Bake Cookies as a gift for family and friends
3. Decorate the Christmas Tree
Decorating the Christmas Tree can be an excellent opportunity to spend quality time with your loved ones.
Decorating the Christmas Tree can be an excellent way to bring your entire family closer by sharing stories about each other and loved ones who are no longer around.
Furthermore, hanging customized ornaments on the tree and then sharing stories about those ornaments gives everyone the ability to recount memories.
4. Sing Christmas Carols
Adding Singing Christmas Songs to our Holiday Checklist is always a great idea, and it’s perfect for the whole family.
You can sing along using a karaoke machine or gather around the piano for good old-fashioned Caroling.
Regardless of your choice, it’s an excellent opportunity to spend quality time together, belting out your favorite holiday tunes while laughing and making memories that will last a lifetime.
5. Attending a Church Service
Gathering the family and attending a church service can be a meaningful way to celebrate the true essence of Christmas, which revolves around Jesus.
Attend a Holiday Orchestra or Play
Attending a holiday orchestra or play is an excellent option if you’re looking for a fun way to spend the holidays.
A musical performance can be enjoyable, as can listening to some of the timeless Christmas classics.
Additionally, during the Christmas season, many venues put on holiday plays. These plays may be retelling a biblical story or a popular holiday movie.
Attending a holiday orchestra or play provides a fantastic opportunity to enjoy the holiday season while immersing yourself in the festive spirit.
6. Sleep by the Christmas Tree
An overnight sleepover beside the Christmas tree is a great way to create memories.
It can be as simple as throwing down a sleeping bag to as elaborate as throwing up a tent and having an indoor campout.
Sleeping by the Christmas Tree can consist of a holiday movie marathon with the fireplace on, where you watch a few of your favorite holiday movies while drinking hot chocolate and snacking on some tasty sweets.
Possibly, it’s sitting by the fireplace, all cozy and reading a few holiday classics before curling up on the couch and taking a nap.
Idea: If doing an indoor campout, you can get a starlight lamp that turns your ceiling into the starry night sky and leave the top of the tent open for nighttime stargazing. It’s a great way to create a little holiday magic.
7. Cut Down Your Own Christmas Tree
If you are anything like the Griswalds, you may trek through the woods to cut down your Christmas Tree.
If not as adventurous (it’s OK, we understand), you may prefer the local tree lot, where you can get assistance getting the tree into your car.
However, cutting down or picking out your real-life Christmas tree is a fun activity that can quickly become a family tradition.
8. DIY Ugly Christmas Sweater
What a fun way to get into the holiday season than creating your ugly sweater.
Creating an ugly sweater can be as simple as purchasing sequences, garland, glitter, bows, and a glue gun to assemble. Possibly, you want to be elaborate and sew sequences or bedazzle your sweater.
Although, wearing the ugly sweater is even more fun than creating! You can wear your Ugly Christmas Sweater to see Christmas lights or hang out around the house watching holiday classics.
9. Create Holiday Stovetop Potpourri
One of the best parts of the holidays is the smell of Christmas. The cinnamon, pinecone, and sweet orange fragrance fill the air! Oh, how I love it.
Creating your own holiday scent is something you can do at home on your very own stovetop. Allowing you to fill the air of your home with the sweet scent of Christmas.
Furthermore, filling your home with the sweet scent of Christmas is a great way to get into the holiday mood, especially for the holiday festivities.
10. Advent Calendar
An advent calendar is a great way to count down to the big day, Christmas morning.
An advent calendar is a way to count down until Christmas with a gift given each day.
Advent Calendars can either be purchased for sale at the store or made at home. If buying from the store, you can purchase already filled gifts or reusable where you can add your gifts each year.
Creating your Advent Calendar is also an option if you want to get your creative juices flowing.
11. Volunteer Your Time
Another excellent holiday activity is volunteering your time.
The holidays are all about giving back and spreading joy, and what better way to do that than to volunteer your time?
12. Decorate Christmas Cards
Decorating Christmas cards is another fun activity, allowing your family to explore their creative side.
Once created, you can send Christmas cards to family members with your children’s names on them. Giving Christmas cards to family from your children is a great way to connect your children with your family, especially those who may not live close by or are extended relatives.
13. Christmas Brunch
A Christmas-themed brunch is a great way to wake up with your family and a perfect way to relax on a weekend morning.
You can serve eggnog, Christmas-shaped pancakes, candy cane-shaped pastries, Christmas cookies, and other delicious holiday treats to make your brunch more festive.
You can also add a touch of Christmas to your table setting by using red and green colors or Christmas-themed decorations.
In addition to the food and decorations, you can watch a holiday movie together as a family after brunch. This can be a great way to relax and spend quality time together while getting into the holiday spirit. [Read also: Christmas Traditions to Start with Your Family]
14. Holiday Movie Nights
Another great way to celebrate the holiday season with your loved ones is having a holiday-themed movie night.
It’s a great way to spend time with family cuddled up on the couch, eating holiday-themed snacks, and watching your favorite Christmas movie.
To make your holiday-themed movie night even more unique, consider decorating your living room with festive holiday decor, such as a Christmas tree, lights, and other decorations. You can also serve holiday-themed snacks and drinks like eggnog, hot cocoa, popcorn, and candy canes.
To truly embrace the holiday spirit, encourage everyone to wear their favorite holiday-themed pajamas or sweaters.
A holiday-themed movie night is a fantastic way to spend quality time with your family and friends during the holiday season.
15. Make Hot Chocolate Bombs
Making hot chocolate bombs made our list of Christmas Activities for the family.
It consists of melting chocolate, putting it into the chocolate bomb molds, and adding cocoa powder and miniature marshmallows.
Making hot chocolate bombs is a great way to make memories with your children while allowing them to enjoy the tasty treats they just completed.
16. Make a Snowman
Making a snowman is a great way to enjoy a cold winter day. Kids love making a little snowman and putting buttons in a carrot for their noses.
However, it’s even funnier whenever you get creative and use other objects to make facial features for your new snowy friend.
17. Go Sledding
Another way to enjoy the winter snow is by going Sledding. Sledding is a fun-filled activity that can be enjoyed by people of all ages. It is an excellent way to get outside and enjoy the snow while getting some exercise.
Sledding can be done anywhere, from your backyard to a nearby park. You can use a traditional sled, a sleigh, or a saucer. The possibilities are endless!
When sledding, it’s crucial to ensure that you are in an area that is safe and free of obstacles. Make sure the hill is not too steep or too icy, and always wear protective gear such as a helmet and gloves.
Sledding can be a competitive activity, and you can make it even more fun by having races with friends and family.
After a fun-filled day of Sledding, you can warm up with hot cocoa and some snacks while watching holiday movies. Therefore, Sledding is an excellent way to bond with family and friends during winter.
18. Write Letters to Santa
Kids love to write letters to Santa. It’s an excellent way for them to ask Santa what they want and a perfect way for you to know what to get them for Christmas.
Another remarkable aspect of writing letters to Santa is that they can actually send them off to the ‘North Pole.’
Click here for more information on writing Santa.
123 Elf Road North Pole, 88888
19. Make Treats for Santa
Another way to make holiday memories is by making treats for Santa and the reindeer.
Traits can include cookies, a veggie tray, or homemade bread. Really, anything that your child feels that Santa Claus may like to enjoy in the middle of the night while bringing them toys.
20. Play Family Boardgames
Although playing board games can be enjoyed throughout the year, it’s still a great holiday activity everyone can enjoy. It’s a fun way to appreciate spending time with your family.
21. See the Lights
Seeing all the different Christmas lights during the holiday season is a great way to spend time with family.
There are so many types of Holiday lights to enjoy!
Holiday lights can be seen by driving through the light display in your car. Then, some cities have zoos, parks, and local gardens decorated with lights, allowing you to walk around and enjoy the beautiful sights while exercising.
22. Christmas Family Photos
Another one that made our list is getting a yearly Christmas family photos. Getting family Christmas photos taken each year is a great way to spend quality time together.
Furthermore, the Christmas photos can be fun, doing silly poses or possibly everyone wearing matching clothes, such as pajamas.
Another significant aspect of getting yearly family photos during the holidays is that it is a great way to see how much your family has grown. Being able to look back on the family photos from when they were little until they reached adulthood and see the various changes!
23. Go Caroling
Caroling is a great way to connect with the local community.
Often, churches will offer Caroling to neighborhoods in the community, allowing you to get into the holiday spirit by singing Christmas carols while connecting with locals and neighbors.
24. Have a Holiday Themed Party
A holiday-themed party is a great way to get friends and family together. The best part of a holiday-themed party is the various types of activities to offer! Allowing you to choose the style and theme of the holiday party that best suits you.
Different activities for a Holiday Theme Party:
- Holiday Movie Marathon
- Cookie Decorating
- Ugly Sweater Party
- DIY Holiday Party: Make your own ornaments, advent calendars or Ugly Sweater
25. Donate to a Toy Drive
Christmas is about giving, making it the perfect time to donate to a toy drive.
In our society, there is immense pressure on parents to buy many gifts for their children for the holidays, which can be hard on families who cannot afford toys.
For this reason, many charities offer toy drives to help children receive gifts!
Therefore, donating to a toy drive can help children receive toys their parents would otherwise be unable to afford.
26. Go Ice Skating
Ice Skating is another Christmas activity to check off your list this winter. Many cities offer indoor and outdoor ice skating.
If you do not want to freeze outside while your children go ice skating, you can ice skate indoors, where the temperatures are controlled.
Most ice skating venues offer various holiday decorations and events, such as having Christmas lights hung, a fire pit for s’mores, or having a Santa visit. Finding ice skating venues that add Christmas decorations and offer fun events makes it all the more exciting!
27. Read Christmas Classic Stories
Relaxing by the fireplace, cuddling in a heavy blanket, and reading Christmas Classic Stories is a great way to spend the evening.
Christmas classics are a great way to swap out regular reading material with something holiday-themed to enhance the holiday mood.
28. Write Letters to Hero
The holidays can be lonely for some, especially those fighting for our freedom.
Therefore, it may be a fun tradition to start sending letters to heroes from your children.
Learn more on the requirements to send a letter to our soldiers: https://www.usasoa.org/christmas-cards-for-our-deployed-troops
29. Make Popcorn Garland
Popcorn garland is an old American tradition that came about in 1842.
It’s the process of stringing popcorn onto a piece of string and then hanging it around the Christmas tree.
I understand if hanging popcorn garland is something you don’t want around your house out of fear of attracting bugs. Still, if you make it a Christmas tradition, you can hang it for a day or two before taking it down.
30. Make a Christmas Ornament
Christmas ornaments are a fun way for your children to get creative and make something fun to hang on the Christmas tree for years.
As they age, they can look back at the different ornaments they made and recreate the memory of making it!
31. Breakfast with Santa
Breakfast with Santa is an excellent way for your kids to see Santa Claus!
It allows your child to get a healthy morning breakfast while seeing probably one of their favorite people, Santa, and the opportunity to tell him what they want for Christmas.
32. Holiday Theme Train Rides
Polar Express is such a popular movie that it’s created a new holiday tradition to come alive: holiday-themed train rides, usually around the Polar Express Movie.
Holiday train rides are an excellent way for your family to come together and spend time together while making memories that last a lifetime.
In conclusion, the holiday season offers many opportunities to spend quality time with family and friends and engage in exciting activities that create lasting memories.
The Christmas activities mentioned above are just a few examples of what you can do to make this holiday season extra special.
Whether you bake cookies, decorate the tree, attend a church service, or cut down your Christmas tree, the most important thing is spending time with your loved ones and enjoying the season’s festive spirit.
About Author, Sara Elizabeth
Writer, Amora V Lifestyle
Co-Owner of Elizabeth Besich Boutique
Sara is a writer for Amora V Lifestyle and is Co-Owner of Elizabeth Besich. Sara previously worked as a Marketing Manager and has her Master’s from Lindenwood University.
Sara studies everything of interest, from psychology, recipes, finances, mental health, and travel, thriving to find happiness and to live a good life.
When not learning, Sara loves all things outdoors, food, and hanging around great company. Furthermore, Sara loves spending time with family, who she is blessed to have in her life.
Note from the author: Through my articles, I hope to bring you joy and peace and that you enjoy it!
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