Festive Family Fun
Festive Fun: Christmas Activities for Families and Kids
The holiday season is a magical time for slowing down, creating memories, and bringing a little extra sparkle into everyday moments. Whether you’re looking for cozy indoor crafts, outdoor adventures, or traditions to start with your kids, this list of Christmas activities will help your family connect, laugh, and make the most of the season.
1. Holiday Baking Day
There’s nothing quite like the smell of cookies filling the house. Spend a day baking together—sugar cookies, gingerbread men, peppermint bark, or whatever treats your family loves most.
Let kids help with mixing, decorating, and delivering goodies to neighbors for an added act of kindness.
2. DIY Christmas Ornaments
A simple craft project can become a treasured keepsake. Try:
Clear ornament balls filled with glitter or mini pom-poms
Salt dough handprint ornaments
Popsicle stick snowmen
Felt gingerbread people
Write your child’s name and the year on the back to create a collection you can enjoy every Christmas.
3. Christmas Lights Drive
Pack hot chocolate in travel mugs, play your favorite Christmas playlist, and take a drive to explore local lights and displays.
Some cities even have synchronized light shows or themed neighborhoods worth the trip.
4. Holiday Movie Marathon
Build a cozy nest of blankets, string fairy lights, and choose a lineup of family favorites—The Grinch, Elf, Home Alone, The Polar Express, or classic claymation movies.
Add popcorn and a special “hot cocoa bar” with marshmallows, sprinkles, and whipped cream.
5. Letters to Santa (or Future Self!)
Kids can write letters to Santa and add a drawing or wish list.
For older kids, try writing a “letter to my future self” to open next Christmas. It’s a sweet tradition that grows more meaningful over the years.
6. Christmas Kindness Countdown
Instead of (or alongside) chocolate advent calendars, create a kindness calendar.
Each day, encourage one simple act:
Hold the door for someone
Draw a picture for a classmate
Donate canned goods
Leave a thank-you note for a teacher or delivery driver
It’s a beautiful way to teach empathy and gratitude during a busy season.
7. Family Game Night – Holiday Edition
Put a holiday spin on your favorite games:
Christmas charades
“Pin the nose on Rudolph”
Christmas bingo
Candy cane scavenger hunt
Kids love the silliness, and adults love the laughter that follows.
8. Build a Gingerbread House
Whether it's a DIY kit or homemade gingerbread panels, decorating a gingerbread house makes for a perfect open-ended creative activity.
Make it a challenge: “Most colorful,” “Most creative,” or “Tallest tree.”
9. Read-Aloud by the Tree
End the day with a Christmas story under the glow of the tree lights.
Some family favorites:
’Twas the Night Before Christmas
How the Grinch Stole Christmas
The Christmas Wish
The Snowy Day
This simple ritual becomes a memory your kids will cherish.
10. Winter Nature Walk
Bundle up and head outside to soak in the cold-weather beauty. Look for pinecones, evergreen branches, or holly to take home for holiday crafts.
Encourage kids to listen for birds, look for tracks in the snow or mud, and take pictures of their favorite finds.
11. Christmas Eve Box Tradition
Fill a small box with pajamas, a book, a treat, and cocoa mix for each child.
Open it on Christmas Eve for a cozy, calm ritual before the excitement of the next morning.
Final Thoughts
Christmas isn’t about perfection—it’s about connection. These activities are simple, meaningful ways to slow down, savor the season, and build traditions your kids will look forward to year after year. Choose a few that fit your family’s style, and sprinkle them throughout December for a month full of joy.