50+ Christmas Activities To Make the Season Merry & Bright

The Christmas season is a special time for families to make memories together. We love filling December with simple activities that bring us closer and keep the holiday spirit alive all month.

From crafts to family outings, we have suggestions for every moment—including Christmas Eve family traditions to fun things to do on Christmas Day.

Join us and discover some of our favorite ways to celebrate the season with meaningful Christmas activities that kids and grown-ups can enjoy together.

Christmas Activities with Kids

Want to make this holiday season extra memorable? Here are some simple activities to enjoy with kids before Christmas Eve and Christmas Day arrive.

Christmas Decorating Ideas for Kids

Decorating is a fun way to kick off the holiday season and create a festive atmosphere. Involving kids gets them excited and helps them feel like part of the holiday preparations.

• Put up and decorate a Christmas tree together, letting the kids hang their favorite ornaments.
• Hang Christmas lights outside and decorate the front yard.
• Make the front door and porch festive with garlands or wreaths.
• Use sidewalk chalk to create colorful Christmas scenes on a driveway or patio.
• Help kids add wrapping paper, bows, or cut-out decorations to their bedroom door to make it special.
• Create a holiday card display or gallery to show off cards from friends and family.
• Add a little fun by letting kids decorate their own mini Christmas tree in their room or family space.
• Kids can decorate the windows with holiday clings that easily stick and can be rearranged as they like.
• Use pinecones, candles, or handmade decorations to create a centerpiece for the table.
• Let the kids help set up a nativity or winter village scene by arranging the pieces or making their own additions.

Decorating together is an easy way to spark creativity, make memories, and let kids add their personal touches to the holiday home.

Easy Christmas Craft Ideas

Crafts encourage spending quality time together while keeping little hands busy. Many of these holiday crafts can also double as decorations, gifts, or keepsakes to treasure for years to come.

• String cranberries or popcorn for a classic garland to hang on the tree.
• Cut out paper snowflakes or make craft stick snowflakes to decorate the windows.
• Assemble a colorful paper garland or Christmas countdown chain.
• Make holiday-scented playdough and create playdough ornaments.
• Try simple crafts like making a Santa, reindeer, marshmallow snowman, or Grinch.
• Let kids decorate plain ornaments with paint, glitter, or stickers to hang on the tree.
• Make homemade Christmas cards and send them to friends, family, or neighbors.
• Start a “holiday time capsule”—have kids add notes or drawings to open next year.
• Experiment with making homemade candles together.
• Build a “North Pole” out of cardboard boxes for some imaginative play.
• Create a family holiday calendar to count down the days until Christmas. Add fun little surprises for each day, like a family activity, treat, or kind act to complete together.
• Create reindeer, Santa, or Christmas trees using kids’ handprints or footprints as the base.
• Roll out salt dough and cut out holiday shapes to make ornaments. Bake, and let the kids paint them.
• String small bells onto pipe cleaners or ribbon for a jingle bell bracelet.
• Paint pinecones or add glitter to make ornaments or table decorations.
• Turn paper plates into Santa, reindeer, or snowman faces using markers and craft supplies.
• Build mini trees, stars, or reindeer out of popsicle sticks and decorate with paint or stickers.
• Use spare buttons to create holiday art shapes like Christmas trees or wreaths on cardstock.
• Let kids decorate plain gift tags with stickers, stamps, or drawings for a personal touch.
• Cut holiday shapes from felt and let kids glue or sew on details.
• Make tissue paper wreaths by gluing crumpled tissue paper onto a cardboard ring for a simple wreath.

These crafts are easy to set up and give kids a chance to express their creativity during the holiday season.

Enjoy Christmas Music Activities

Music brings us so much joy, especially during the holiday season. Whether you’re singing, listening, or performing, it’s all about enjoying the sounds of Christmas together.

• Create a Christmas playlist to enjoy throughout the season. Include a mix of classic carols, modern favorites, and songs from other cultures.
• Sing Christmas songs together as a family.
• Have a Christmas karaoke night at home.
• Go Christmas caroling around your neighborhood or at a local event.
• Host a holiday-themed talent show where kids can perform their favorite Christmas song, play an instrument, or even dance to music.
• Make musical instruments like jingle bell shakers or tambourines to play along with your favorite songs.
• Explore the stories behind popular Christmas songs to share with the kids.

These music activities are a simple way to bring joy into your home and create special moments with your family.

Christmas Food Activities? Yes, Please!

Cooking and baking during the holidays is a fun way to spend time together while teaching kids about food and traditions. It’s also the perfect opportunity to make treats for loved ones to enjoy.

• Bake bread together, and let the kids help make homemade butter to spread on it.
• Build and decorate a gingerbread house—let everyone add their own creative touch.
• Bake and decorate cookies for friends, family, and Santa, of course!
• Sip on homemade hot chocolate, and try a hot cocoa or marshmallow taste test.
• Have a fondue night—choose sweet or savory dippers with a holiday twist.
• Make pancakes in fun holiday shapes, such as Santa, trees, snowmen, and stars. Let the kids decorate with fruit, whipped cream, or sprinkles.
• Try making Christmas-themed popcorn, like peppermint or caramel, for a family movie night.
• Create your own snack mix with seasonal ingredients like pretzels, dried cranberries, and chocolate chips.
• Whip up festive fruit skewers using red and green fruits like strawberries, grapes, and kiwis.
• Bake mini pies or cupcakes and let kids decorate them with holiday-themed toppings.

These food activities are a delicious way to celebrate the season while spending quality time as a family.

Fun Christmas Activities

The holiday season is a great time to play, explore, and create memories together. These activities keep the whole family engaged and excited throughout December.

• Play Christmas-themed games like charades, bingo, or trivia.
• Set up a Christmas scavenger hunt with holiday-themed clues and surprises.
• Have a family Christmas games night in your PJs with snacks and warm drinks.
• Work on a Christmas puzzle together—it’s a relaxing way to enjoy time as a family.
• Host a “Holiday Book Swap” with friends or neighbors to share your favorite seasonal books.
• Learn about how other cultures celebrate the holidays and try a new tradition, craft, or recipe.
• Read Christmas books like Little Red Sleigh, A Christmas Carol, or The Polar Express together.
• Take the kids shopping at a Holiday Market or craft fair to find unique gifts.
• Add Christmas props to your block play area, such as jingle bells, unbreakable ornaments and mirrors, rope lights, or wooden snowmen and trees.
• Try simple Christmas-themed STEM activities, like making a gumdrop tower or experimenting with candy cane science.
• Visit Santa and snap a photo to remember the day.
• Enjoy a Christmas movie marathon with classics and new favorites. Download our list of 40 Christmas Movies for Kids.
• Organize a “Secret Santa Exchange” of handmade gifts with friends or family.
• Create and perform a holiday-themed play or skit for family or neighbors.
• Make and hang bird feeders to help wildlife during the cold winter months.
• Explore a nearby nature trail and look for signs of winter while enjoying some fresh air.
• Drive around town to admire holiday lights and decorations.
• Stroll through your neighborhood to see Christmas lights—bring hot cocoa for a special treat.
• Attend a local tree lighting ceremony to kick off the season.

These activities are a fun way to connect, enjoy quality time together, and make the most of the holiday season.

Engage in Christmas Writing Activities

Writing activities during the holidays are a wonderful way to inspire creativity, encourage literacy, and share heartfelt messages. 

Whether it’s a letter to Santa or a special note for family, these activities can make the season even more memorable.

We’ll start with the highlight of a child’s Christmas season! It is writing their letters to Santa. Be sure to include their wish list and a kind message.

• Even better is receiving response letters from Santa with their name on it. Add excitement by sending letters through programs that offer responses:
  • Live in the USA? Here are a few options for mailing letters to Santa and getting a reply:
    • Step-by-step instructions from the USPS website.
    • The USPS Operation Santa Program.
    • The Santa Claus Museum in Indiana.
  • In Canada, check out the Canada Post Program.
  • In the UK, use the Letters to Santa Royal Mail Program.
• Kids can write a cheerful poem for grandparents or other family members.
• Encourage kids to practice gratitude by writing notes for gifts or kindnesses they’ve received.

These writing activities give kids a chance to enjoy the holiday season, share their thoughts, and make others smile.

Tis the Season of Giving

The holidays provide an opportunity to teach kids about kindness and giving. Getting them involved helps them understand how small actions can make a big difference.

• Volunteer your time as a family to brighten someone’s holiday. Need help finding a place? Check out VolunteerMatch.
• Complete random acts of kindness, such as holding doors, leaving uplifting notes, or surprising a neighbor with baked goods.
• Donate toys, clothes, or gifts to a local drive and let kids pick out items to give.
• Visit a senior center with cookies, handmade cards, or small crafts. Kids could even sing carols to spread holiday cheer.

These activities offer simple ways for kids to spread kindness and give back to their community during the holidays

Snowy Day Fun (If You Have Snow)

Snowy days are perfect for outdoor play. Bundle up and enjoy some classic winter fun with your family.

• Have a snowball fight with friends or family.
• Build a snowman together and give it a fun personality.
• Make snow angels and decorate them with twigs or pinecones.
• Go sledding or tubing at a local hill.
• Try ice skating at an outdoor or indoor rink.
• Build a snow fort, obstacle course, or maze.
• Look for animal tracks in the snow.

Winter activities in the snow are a great way to stay active and enjoy quality time outdoors.

Christmas Eve Family Traditions

On Christmas Eve, we focus on traditional activities that bring our family together. We usually reserve the evening for a Christmas Eve service and a family dinner. Over the years, the service we attend has changed—from a family-friendly one with a live manger before dinner to a candle-lighting ceremony after dinner. What hasn’t changed is taking time to remember the “Reason for the Season.”

To keep the excitement manageable, our kids would open one gift on Christmas Eve. As they grew older, they caught on that it was always their Christmas pajamas, but that only made the tradition more fun. It’s brought us plenty of laughter and memories over the years.

Now, many families use Christmas Eve boxes, which can be more elaborate. These might include Christmas PJs, socks, a Santa hat, a holiday book to read, a craft or activity, and maybe even a small treat.

Here are some Christmas Eve activities we’ve enjoyed over the years and a few we’re excited to try in the future

Christmas Eve Activities

Whether it’s a long-standing tradition or something new, these activities help create memories you’ll treasure for years to come.

• Attend a Christmas Eve church service before or after dinner.
• Enjoy a delicious Christmas Eve dinner. We like to try various themes, from French to Italian to traditional. It is always such fun to experience the food of other cultures. 
• Watch Christmas movies, whether it’s a new favorite or a classic.
• Open one Christmas Eve gift—many families enjoy gifting pajamas or other small surprises.
• Host a Christmas dance party with glow sticks and your favorite holiday tunes.
• Take lots of family pictures. Try including some Christmas photo props or fun outfits for extra laughs.
• Try a Christmas Eve scavenger hunt, making it a playful way to enjoy the evening.
• Track Santa throughout the day to build excitement—and encourage bedtime when he’s close!
• Put out cookies and milk for Santa and carrots for the reindeer before the kids head to bed.
• Read Christmas stories like The Night Before Christmas or 5-Minute Christmas Stories to wind down before bed.

Christmas Eve traditions bring meaning to the season, helping families create lasting memories through simple, heartfelt moments.

Christmas Activities with Family

Christmas Day looks a little different for our family—it’s a day spent with just our immediate family. After the first couple of years of dragging the kids around to visit everyone, we decided to make a change. 

It might seem unusual since Christmas is often about gathering with loved ones, but we’ve found that focusing on our immediate family on Christmas Day and celebrating with extended family on Christmas Eve works best for us.

After the busy lead-up to Christmas, we prioritize relaxing and enjoying time together. We keep meals simple, with a big brunch in the morning and snacks and appetizers throughout the day. Everyone picks at least one favorite recipe to include, making the day feel personal and special.

Here’s a list of activities we’ve loved doing together over the years, plus a few ideas to try:

Christmas Day Activities

Christmas Day is the ideal time to slow down and enjoy the little moments with your family. Whether you’re continuing old traditions or trying something new, it’s all about creating a day filled with love, laughter, and togetherness.

• Light a fire and enjoy its warmth.
• Play Christmas music throughout the day.
• Continue taking lots of photos, then create a Christmas photo album or scrapbook.
• Open Christmas stockings—there’s always an orange in the toe.
• Start the day with homemade Sticky Pecan Buns before opening presents.
• Open presents together in our pajamas.
• Share a delicious brunch while reflecting on the holiday:
  • What are you grateful for?
  • What’s one thing you love about each family member?
  • What makes Christmas special to you?
• Assemble and play with new toys or games.
• Watch the Disney Christmas Day parade on TV.
• Call or Facetime family to wish them a Merry Christmas.
• Play fun Christmas games, watch movies, or work on a holiday puzzle.
• Relax together—no rushing, no plans, just enjoying the day.
• If there’s snow, head outside to play, build a snowman, or go sledding.
• Take a family walk to enjoy holiday decorations in the neighborhood.
• End the day with a festive dinner everyone helps prepare.
• Consider a family sleepover by the Christmas tree. Kids love the idea of sleeping under the twinkling lights!
• Wrap up the day with a cozy bedtime story.

Whether your family sticks to tradition or starts new ones, the memories you create will last a lifetime.

Christmas Day is a time to relax, connect, and soak in the magic of the season. Every family’s holiday looks a little different, and that’s what makes it special—so create your own unique memories and meaningful traditions

We would love to hear about your favorite family holiday traditions!

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