The Holidays have arrived, and you want to make sure you do all the holiday events on your Holiday Bucket List. Whether you have kids or not, it is always great to partake in holiday activities.
You can find a fun activity to do for every family member and add a new holiday tradition to your list.
I love to spend quality time with my family and find fun Christmas activities to spread holiday cheer.
There are so many great ideas for your younger and older children that can keep you busy all season long.
Whether or not you live in a Winter Wonderland, you can enjoy many of these holiday activities for some family fun.
I have made a list of the top 12 activities to do this Holiday Season for the whole family.
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1. Bake Holiday Cookies
What better activity to do with kids, but to bake cookies and make your house smell like sugar or gingerbread. I love to participate in cookie exchanges, so I make a lot of cookies. Most years I end up making 10 to 12 dozen cookies. After they have cooled, I use a large airtight container I own, and I store all the cookies in my freezer. I am able to pull out a few at a time to eat or bring to get togethers.
It's also a great way to get to try new recipes you've never tried before. Just remember to put out Christmas cookies and milk for Santa on Christmas Eve to eat and drink before Christmas morning. You could even put out some carrots for the reindeer if you have some.
2. Go Ice Skating
Today, my daughter looked out the window and exclaimed, “Mommy, it’s snowing! Can we go ice skating?” It was the first snowfall of the season and unfortunately for her it will not stick because it is only the beginning of November. We do plan on taking her ice skating for the first time this year and I cannot wait to experience this with her.
You can still have fun ice skating no matter where you are, you don't have to go to Rockefeller Center. Ice skating is a fun way to enjoy the snow for older kids and little kids. Check your area for places that hold ice skating lessons and have open skate for everyone.
3. Go Sledding
We will need more snow and cold weather for this, but sledding is one of the best activities to do in the winter. You can feel like a kid again as you fly down a hill with no control, just hoping you don’t take out some unsuspecting person. There are so many local places we can take our children sledding, which includes small hills and large hills.
We will be buying a couple new sleds this year for our kids. I purchased these sleds for my nieces this past year off Amazon and they are the perfect size, so I’ll be purchasing the same ones for my kids this year. I love that an adult can fit on the sled with a kid and enjoy the holiday fun!
4. Build a Snowman
I won’t get the song stuck in your head, but it is a lot of fun to build snowmen. If you prefer not to search for coal and use a real carrot, there are Snowmen Kits you can buy off Amazon. We use this Snowman Kit and one of the good things is I don’t have to worry about my carrot rotting. Going outside in the snow can definitely get you in the holiday spirit and help you create fond memories with your children.
5. Go Skiing or Snowboarding
If you don’t already know how to ski or snowboard, it’s never too late to learn. You can have a great time with your family by throwing on a pair of skis or a snowboard and hitting the slopes. When you’re done, you can stop into the ski chalet and hit up the hot chocolate bar to warm you up. I'm hoping to take my kids skiing and snowboarding as they get older.
6. Watch Holiday Movies
We have started a tradition to watch a different Christmas themed movie every night. We start on Black Friday and continue until the New Year. It’s my favorite way to end out the year on a happy note. There are so many holidays themed movies, there is no way you could run out.
Some of our favorites include The Santa Clause, Christmas Vacation, Christmas with the Kranks, Elf, The Polar Express, A Christmas Story, and more.
Check out my Quiz to see if you can Name These Christmas Movies.
7. Mail a Letter to Santa Claus
My daughter is so excited to write and mail her letter to Santa this year. She has mentioned already how she wants to go see Santa and give him her letter. Many Post Offices have a mailbox specifically for letters to Santa that you can drop your letter off in. She mailed her letter to the North Pole last year by dropping it in this mailbox and she received everything she asked Santa for. It’s a fun activity for kids or those kids at heart.
You can also participate in Operation Santa by selecting a letter to sponsor a child. You can spread some Christmas Cheer and help a child get what they want for Christmas this year.
8. Take Christmas Photos
Whether you hire a professional or take the pictures yourself with your smartphone or DSLR, taking family photos dressed up in color coordinated outfits can be so much fun. I love to dress up my family in nice outfits (husband included) and take pictures we can send to family and friends on a Christmas card. The best time to take your holiday card photo is in fall because this gives you plenty of time to get the cards printed. This brings me to...
9. Send out Christmas Cards
What better way to say Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to your family and friends than to mail out pictures of your family. Many people think it’s cheesy, but I love getting Christmas cards in the mail every year to hang up in my entry way. It’s just a nice tradition to continue every year.
If you're not interested in sending out pictures of yourself, you can still send out generic cards or make cute cards without photos. I also receive letters from families telling us about the best part about the year for them. I like to hang the letters up with the cards in my entry way as well.
10. Sit on Santa’s Lap
Go take your picture with Santa or take your children to see Santa. Either way, it’s a fun tradition for the entire family and can be used for Christmas cards if you want. You can go to the local mall or grocery stores to find Santa and his jolly old elf. It's the perfect time to find out what your kids want from Santa if they have not told you yet. I have some wonderful pictures of my daughter crying with Santa. Funny part was, my husband and I are in the picture, and she is sitting on my lap!
11. Go Look at Christmas Light Displays
One of the activities we love to do is drive at night to look at all the Christmas lights. There are some beautiful homes, and a lot of people do a fantastic job decorating their homes. There is also a local festival of lights you can pay to drive through, and it takes you along the lake.
During this wonderful time of the year, you can also sometimes find places that have a holiday performance or a light show to watch. I like to throw on the Christmas music station on the radio to put the family in the Christmas spirit while we look at the lights.
12. Make a Homemade Gift
My family members receive homemade gifts every year. This tradition originally started because I was a broke college student who couldn’t afford to spend thousands of dollars on Christmas presents. Many years later and I continue making my immediate family members gifts because they continue to be my favorite gifts to give out. I try to make gifts they can use year-round. I have made snow globes, blankets, scarves, heating pads, spices, photo coasters, family recipe books, wooden wall signs, calendars, mugs, and more.
Check out these Personalized Christmas Mugs I made during the pandemic. It's a great opportunity to learn how to etch designs into glass yourself.
These are just a few of my favorite family activities to do during the holidays. As long as I’m with my family and making memories, I know we are going to have fun.
We are always looking for some new Christmas traditions to add to our list of creative Christmas activities.
If you are looking for more fun family traditions to enjoy this holiday season, check out our honorable mentions.
Build a Gingerbread House and Gingerbread men
Sing Christmas Carols
Hang up an Advent Calendar
Listen to Christmas Music
Pick out a Christmas Tree at a Christmas Tree Farm
Have a Snowball Fight
Go to an ugly holiday sweater party
Go to a local tree-lighting ceremony
Go for a sleigh ride
Make a holiday craft with your kids
Make snow angels
Decorate your Christmas tree with lights, Christmas ornaments, and candy canes
Sit down for a holiday meal with your family
Go watch live entertainment and listen to live music
Enjoy a hot cocoa bar with your children
This list of the best Christmas activities is only the start and there are so many more winter activities you can enjoy this holiday season.
You can create a new family tradition this time of year and enjoy some popular events you can only find around the holidays.
The important thing is making sure to spend the holidays with your family making memories your children will remember for their lifetime.
If you're still looking for more ideas to enjoy the spirit of Christmas, check out our list of Top 15 Favorite Children’s Christmas Books to read with your family during the holiday months.
These are great children's books to read to your young children and can make some of the best gifts every year.
Are you looking to add some Christmas magic to the holidays for your kids? Get yourself an Elf on the Shelf for you and your children Here on Amazon.
If you need some ideas on where to hide your elf, stop on over and check out my post 28 Elf on the Shelf Locations and get creative with your hiding spots.
What kind of fun holiday activities do you like to partake in during the holiday season?
Are there any fun activities your family loves to do the most or special places you like to go during the holidays?
Feel free to leave a comment below!
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