Holiday Delights: 14 Fun Christmas Activities for Kids
Now that Thanksgiving has ended, the Christmas season officially begins. It’s a magical time of year, and the kids can hardly hold in their excitement. Why not tap into that excitement and enjoy some fun Christmas activities for kids?
From teaching your children Christmas music and baking festive treats to looking at Christmas lights and going sledding, these activities will tap into the season’s spirit and create lasting memories. So, gather your family, put on your festive sweaters and read on to learn how to make this Christmas season memorable for your kids.
Outdoor activities
Even though it’s cold in most parts of the country, you can still enjoy outdoor fun Christmas activities for kids as long as you bundle up. Put on your coats and boots and try some outdoor Christmas activities.
Ice skating
Ice skating isn’t just for Christmastime. Many ice skating rinks open for the winter during the Christmas season. If you are unsure if an ice rink is nearby, search online for ice rinks in your area.
Go sledding
If it snows in the month leading up to Christmas, go sledding nearby or head to the mountains. Warm up after with a bonfire and hot cocoa.
Look at Christmas lights
Depending on how early people in your area put up their lights, this activity can be done multiple times with a different route each time. Bundle up and pack some fun food and drinks like pizza, candy, popcorn or hot cocoa.
Use a Christmas scavenger hunt for even more fun. This gives your kids specific things to look for, such as Santa, blue lights or snowmen.
Deliver holiday treats
After making holiday treats, take the kids with you to deliver them. Call or text in advance so people know to expect you. Make it a special outing by visiting each house for a few minutes.
Indoor activities
Because the weather is usually colder, most fun Christmas activities for kids happen inside. Stay warm and cozy by choosing a few of these to do this holiday season.
Bake and decorate sugar cookies
Bake sugar cookies in Christmas shapes and let the kids help you decorate them. The cookies may not be as pretty as when you make them, but the children will probably have fun helping.
They may also like these cranberry white chocolate chip cookies. Have them choose a few to add to Christmas cookie trays to give away.
Decorate gingerbread houses
Buy premade gingerbread houses or construct your own to decorate. Decorate with small candies like M&Ms, gumdrops, and peppermints. Place the house on a cookie sheet or large piece of cardboard to create a whole scene.
Make ornaments
Make ornaments with odds and ends you have around the house or make a special trip to the craft store to gather supplies like fillable clear ornaments. The kids can add small decorations like sequins, pompoms or beads.
Try making DIY vintage-style ornaments with paint, baking soda, and old ball ornaments.
Hang the ornaments on your own tree or wrap them up and give them as a gift to grandparents or other family members.
“As a family, we like to make our own Christmas decorations. Our girls, now aged 5 and 7, look forward to this all year. We make Christmas tree decorations such as pine cones covered with glitter or painted salt dough ornaments. We use the Cricut machine to make window cling decals or custom Christmas mugs. And we even have a heat press machine for making family Christmas t-shirts! All these things help build up the hype for Christmas and it’s lots of fun unpacking it again the next year and remembering what we’ve done previously.”
— Naomi Morris, Our Kiwi Homeschool
Shop for ornaments
Take your kids shopping and let them choose an ornament. Make it more meaningful by having your children tell you why they chose their ornaments.
Write their initials and year on the bottom or the back, and they will have a whole collection of ornaments for their own trees when they move out someday.
Watch Christmas movies
Put on some cozy pajamas, snuggle up and watch Christmas movies like “Rudolph” or “Polar Express.” Pop some popcorn or enjoy some festive snack mix while watching. Make hot cocoa topped with marshmallows and a candy cane for a festive touch.
Read Christmas bedtime stories
Switch up the bedtime routine and read Christmas stories before bed. If you have none of your own, go to the library to check out some festive books. You can also look for books to listen to on YouTube.
Attend a performance of “The Nutcracker”
Have everyone dress in their nicest clothes and see “The Nutcracker” ballet. Make it a whole outing by going to dinner or dessert as well. Search online for performances in your area.
Advent calendar
Make or buy an advent calendar for your children to open each day before Christmas. Some come with candy or toys inside, while others are empty and ready for you to fill. Pick a time for your children to open them daily as they count the days until Christmas.
“Our family starts off the holiday season by making a simple paper advent chain to count down the days until Christmas. In each ring we put a family Christmas activity, like going ice skating, baking Christmas cookies or having a Christmas music dance party. We mix up the rings before creating the paper chain so that each day is a surprise! It’s such a simple activity, but it’s become one of our very favorite traditions.”
— Siobhán Alvarez-Borland, funfamilymeals.com
Decorate
Decorate for Christmas together. Have the children help decorate the tree, the living room, and any other areas of the house that you want to be festive.
Little ones can hang ornaments on the lower branches and put up unbreakable decorations, while older children can hang ornaments higher in the tree and help decorate the windows and doors.
“Elf on the Shelf”
Purchase an official “Elf on the Shelf” or buy another elf for the same purpose. “The Elf on the Shelf” can start visiting as early or late in the season as you like.
After the kids go to bed each night, move the elf to a new place in the house for the kids to find in the morning. Your elf can be mischievous or not; it’s up to you.
Final thoughts
As the holiday season approaches, it’s important to remember that what you do to celebrate isn’t as important as the fact that you spend time together and make memories. Grab a cup of hot cocoa, cozy up in a blanket and plan your Christmas fun as a family.
This article originally appeared on Food Drink Life.
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