The Family Christmas Must-Do List

My children are old enough now that we can really start doing some fun stuff during the Christmas season. Whether it’s driving around armed with pajamas and cocoa to check out Christmas lights, having a specific “right” way to decorate the tree, or watching a certain movie on Christmas Eve, there are tons of traditions to do with your kids during the holiday season! We compiled a grand list: the family Christmas must-do list. Check out all of our ideas, and pick which ones would fit in to your home. And of course, add your own in the comments to share with other families!

Thanks so much to all of our loved ones who helped give us fantastic ideas! We are so excited to personally start a lot of these holiday traditions, and now we’re passing them on to you!

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Family Christmas Must-Do: Out and About

Firstly, a section of ideas for things you can do to celebrate family Christmas out of the house. A lot of this will depend on your community, so start checking newspapers and websites early!

• Most towns will have a tree lighting and/or a parade. Look up the parking situation in advance, and bring layers!
• I like us to do annual photos around Christmas. It doesn’t have to have a Christmas theme to it, but it’s nice to have that literal snapshot in time of what everyone looked like. Bonus: you can support local photographers and their families around the holidays!
• I’m going to add in here that you have to go see Santa, which of course is optional. Each year it’s a total chore for us but I adore having each child’s photo each year. (Plus I know the days are coming when they’ll no longer tolerate it!)
• We select a live tree every year, complete with pictures and a naming ceremony (yes I name my firs). I didn’t grow up with real trees but it’s a tradition for us to go pick one out now, usually on my birthday weekend, and caring for this beautiful-smelling, joy-giving, live masterpiece is so special to me. While this article advocating real trees is Australian, a lot of the justification is true here in the US too.
• We pick a night to drive around and look at Christmas lights. Some friends of ours get decked out in jammies, blankets, and bring cocoa and snacks for the full experience! Look up the best places in your area to go see light shows.

Family Christmas Must-Do: Before Christmas

These family Christmas activities can be done at home any time during the holiday season.

• Do a lesson with your child about the Nutcracker. I have a whole free lesson plan download that breaks down George Balanchine’s Nutcracker movie feature (which is the real ballet with a ton of production) so you can follow along!
• Get some real chestnuts and roast them on an open fire. We cut an “X” in the flesh before toasting them so that they’re easier to open. No seasoning required!
• Play Christmas music while you’re cleaning, eating, having quiet time, the occasion doesn’t matter. I start playing my favorite Christmas music during Thanksgiving week, and can’t no one stop me!
• My husband hates this tradition, but I have to do some kind of keepsake ornament for each child each Christmas. You can do anything from salt dough to fingerpaint, just something you can look back on and reminisce.
• What special holiday recipes do you have? My family has lots, from a lime Jello and pineapple mold, to tons of cookie recipes handed down from generation to generation. It just won’t be Christmas without those flavors. Let your kids help you mix, measure, and decorate!
• Some families like to wrap a new book – 24 in all – and let their kids open one each night. You end up with a month’s worth of new books! For great book ideas (not holiday related) that you may not have, check out my suggestions here.
• Speaking of books, we got The Donkey in the Living Room this year and it’ll be the first year that we teach our kids about the nativity. You can see our nativity set here which is perfect for kids. Nine days, one character each night, and a kid-friendly lesson that opens their eyes to the reason for the season.

• Money is tight around here, especially during the holidays, but we try to participate in an Angel Tree or food drive. I love letting the kids know what we’re doing and why (though you can certainly make an abridged version), and have them get involved too! Everyone can help, one way or another.
• Additionally, we have our kids go through their clothes, toys, and books – with Mom and Dad’s help, of course – to find things to donate. You can look at it as “Get rid of the old and make way for the new”, or as giving things to help others.
• Let your kids write to Santa! We let the kids draw pictures for Santa and ask him kindly for one major toy, and you can see my full Santa-writing guide here which includes information from the US Postal Service.
• Do you do the whole Elf on the Shelf nonsense? My husband and I are totally horrified by the soulless eyes of that little spy, but I do love seeing all the funny and creative ways that parents stage him night after night! Set an alarm on your phone so that you don’t forget to move him, or your kids might mutiny!
• I like to make a calendar for the next year on Shutterfly using family photos. I know it sounds a bit too “Pinterest mom” but I get free calendar coupons all the time, and we use the calendar for homeschool!
• Finally, we like to start talking as a family about our goals and plans for the next year. I like to do a bit of resolution-writing as well as name my year, but family discussions can include things like what each person wants to achieve or improve in their own life, vacations you can take, things to save up for, etc. Make sure someone writes it all down!

Family Christmas Must-Do: Christmas Eve

I had a few special things that we do specifically on Christmas Eve. As always, look through my ideas and see which ones might work for your own family Christmas!

• While we don’t have a specific meal that we eat on Christmas Eve, it usually ends up being spicy Mexican food, which is just fine with me. (Do you have a special menu for Christmas Eve?)
• We give our kids a Christmas Eve box. It’s completely customizable, but the idea is that they get one present to open after dinner on Christmas Eve. It’s a department store box and can have anything from new pajamas, to a new book, to snacks to make that night like cocoa and popcorn. We usually include a holiday movie that goes along with our theme, and a special ornament for each child, too.
• And you’ve gotta make “magical reindeer food” to sprinkle out in the yard! Think wildlife-friendly, so avoid things like glitter but add foods like birdseed, raw oats, sprinkles, and apple. We used to also throw out baby carrots but then my parents had to go gnaw on a few to get the full effect, ha! If Santa gets cookies and milk for doing next-to-no physical labor, the reindeer – who haul his merry ass around – should get something, too!

Thanks so much for reading my list of family Christmas must-do activities! I hope that I’ve given you some ideas, and I’d love to hear anything else in the comments! And feel free to share this post, or pin it too!

May you and yours have a safe, fun, blessed holiday.