15 Fun Christmas Activities - By Beth Rupp
Most families have their own Christmas traditions, like decorating their tree together, cooking a nice Christmas meal or having a Christmas movie marathon.
However, there are some families who may not have a set of traditions yet and are in need of some ideas! If your family is in that boat, I have made a list of fun Christmas family activities that you are sure to enjoy and can add to your family traditions this holiday season!
1. Decorate gingerbread houses
There is nothing better than a craft that you can eat later. So take your kids to the kitchen, bake a gingerbread house, and decorate it with all the delicious toppings you can find!
I know not everyone has the baking expertise to bake their own gingerbread house. This is no problem. Nowadays, you can buy gingerbread house kits from just about any grocery store. These kits come with ready-made gingerbread walls, so you just have to put the house together and decorate it however you want!
2. Make a key for Santa
This Christmas activity is great for families who do not have a fireplace in their home. You might not have the option to hang stockings around the fireplace to welcome Santa through the chimney, but you can create a special key for Santa.
How to make a Santa key:
Step 1. Give your house key to your kids and ask them to take its print on a cardboard sheet.
Step 2. Cut out the keyframe from the cardboard.
Step 3. Use old ribbons or keychains to make a special home key for Santa to come and leave presents for your little munchkins.
3. Host a Christmas party
There are lots of different ways to throw a Christmas party! To make it easier on you as the host, you could make a potluck and ask your guests to prepare and bring their favorite dish to the party. Make it a karaoke party and have fun goofing around and singing with friends and family. Give your Christmas party a theme, like everyone wears an ugly Christmas sweater, a Christmas cookie exchange or everyone could wear their Christmas PJs!
4. Bake Christmas desserts
The best part of Christmas is getting to spend time with those you love. The second best part is all the yummy food and desserts you get to make during Christmas time! Get together with your loved ones and make cakes, gingerbread cookies, pumpkin pie, yule logs and much more!
Here are some recipe ideas to get you started: Gingerbread cookies, Eggnog cake, Chocolate yule log.
5. Christmas movie marathon
The easiest Christmas activity is to select a few timeless Christmas movies like Home Alone and The Grinch to binge with your family. You can make your Christmas movie marathon by making some hot chocolate, caramelized popcorn, and candy canes.
6. Make salt dough ornaments
All you need for this fun Christmas activity is flour, salt, water, and lots of colors. Set a separate workstation for your kids where they can make cute ornaments to decorate the Christmas tree, like bells or candy canes.
If you are hosting the Christmas party this year, this craft idea will help keep all the kids busy while the elders can mingle and enjoy eggnog.
7. Take family Christmas photos
You can wear goofy Christmas sweaters and Santa hats and decorate your home with Christmas decorations to set a backdrop for your family photoshoots. If your budget allows, you can hire a professional photographer to capture your precious family moments. If you don't want a professional photographer, your smartphone camera will work just fine to capture great candid family photos.
Shop Little Mama Shirt Shop for all your festive apparel this season.
8. Drive around to look at Christmas lights
I loved driving around looking at Christmas lights with my family when I was little. We even got Krispy-Kreme donuts to eat while we rode around, so yummy! You can bundle up in warm clothes and drive around the neighborhood with your family to look at all the pretty Christmas lights and decorations.
9. Volunteer in your community
Christmas is all about spreading cheer and happiness all around. One of the best Christmas activities is doing something nice for someone. Whether it’s helping out at home, volunteering at a soup kitchen together, or giving an unexpected gift to someone – it’s a great way to teach kids how important it is to give back.
10. Go ice-skating
This is a great winter activity to do with loved ones. Go to a local rink, lace up those skates and show off your skating skills! If you don't know how to skate, then you can learn- once you're there! Make it even more fun and wear your ugly Christmas sweaters to the ice-skating rink.
11. Play Christmas I-Spy
When running errands, taking a holiday road trip or just driving around town, keep the kids occupied with a game of Christmas "I Spy." Ask them to spot decorated Christmas trees, wreaths on front doors, light-up reindeer or your favorite holiday decor.
12. Make Reindeer treats
When setting out your milk and cookies for Santa, don't forget the support staff. Add some carrots for the reindeer to your platter, or totally mix it up and leave Santa something unique too.
Click here to learn how to make Reindeer treats!
13. Go to a holiday performance
Many churches, community theater groups, local choirs and other venues hold concerts or performances during the holiday season. If watching a show in person isn't possible where you live, pull one up on YouTube to get the experience from the comfort of your couch.
14. Make your own Christmas wreath
Everybody loves a festive wreath, and this is a great DIY Christmas decoration activity. Take the kids outside for a quick winter walk to gather evergreen branches and pine cones, trim some from the bottom of your Christmas tree or just buy some at the store. Attach your greens to a foam or wire ring and allow the kids to decorate it with Christmas ornaments and bows.
15. Christmas Advent calendar
An Advent Calendar will last you 24 days instead of just 12, so it's a fun visual countdown for kids that will make the Christmas anticipation last even longer. Kids can have a mini-Christmas party every day when they open a window and get a little closer to Christmas morning. Amazon has no shortage of choices from simple number Advent calendars, a small toy each day, or a fan favorite piece of candy each day!