The Best Fun Christmas Activities for Families
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Years ago, when my babies were actual babies, I decided to create a special countdown to Christmas. I created a list of the best Christmas activities for families so that we would always have something fun to do during the holiday season while we waited for Christmas.
I sewed a huge fabric calendar with 25 pockets – one for each day of December through the 25th. Every pocket contains an index card with an advent activity. It isn’t fancy; in fact, it might be the tackiest thing I own, but it is special to our family.
Lots of memories have been made with this advent calendar. (Advent is the church season when we wait for Christmas, but you do not need to be religious to enjoy the season.) Young children need something concrete and visual to help them understand abstract concepts, like time.
A Christmas countdown calendar helps them see how much longer they need to wait until Christmas morning. Each day has a new activity to build excitement and pass the time.
These Christmas activities are fun for kids of a variety of ages. Over the years, my family has done them all, but you can pick and choose the ones your family members will enjoy the most.
The Best Fun Christmas Activities for Families
Christmas doughnut bar – Decorate doughnuts with icing and Christmas sprinkles. Older kids might enjoy baking the doughnuts themselves. My kids love having a doughnut bar breakfast, especially if we have extended family visiting. This could also be a fun breakfast or snack on Christmas Day.
- 4-Pack Christmas Sprinkles
- Decorate Christmas cookies and more
- Add festive red and green sprinkles to you holiday treats
Last update on 2026-09-20 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Make hot chocolate and drive around to look at Christmas lights – Make sure you give your kids cups with lids! This free printable Christmas light scavenger hunt can help keep kids focused.
Zoo lights – The name might be different, but many zoos feature different holiday light shows during December. This is a fun Christmas activity, especially if you live in an area with a mild winter.
Mail Christmas cards – Even toddlers can add stamps to addressed envelopes. Kids might enjoy decorating the back of the envelopes.
Make Christmas shirts – This was Hannah’s favorite Advent activity, so we made this an annual tradition when my kids were small.
Write a letter to Santa – This is an easy way to sneak in a lesson on formatting letters.
Watch a Christmas movie – Queue up your Netflix list and find all your holiday DVDs now. Now that my kids are both teenagers, we have a Christmas movie marathon every year on a Friday or Saturday in December. We stay up all night long watching our favorite Christmas movies. I think my whole family looks forward to it all year long!
Leave shoes out for St. Nick to fill with candy – This is a fun European holiday tradition. It makes a great start to lessons about Christmas around the world.
Read a book – Christmas chapter books are fun for the entire family. Up the fun by unwrapping a Christmas-themed picture book every day. These free printable tags are a cute way to decide which book to open and read.
Bake cookies – Baking Christmas cookies is a classic Christmas activity for families. There are options for just about every dietary preference and time constraint. The slice and bake cookies totally count!
Make Christmas custard from our family recipe (5 generations!) – This is one of my favorite holiday traditions. We know that this recipe belonged to my husband’s great-grandmother, but we think it might be even older! Do you have any family recipes? I included our special recipe at the bottom of this post.
Make a snowman – If you live in an area without snow in December, try building a snowman from marshmallow playdough. It is a fun way to build an edible snowman.
Try eggnog – This is an easy Christmas activity for busy days because you can just pick up eggnog at the grocery store.
See the Nutcracker ballet – Professional performances of the Nutcracker are amazing, but typically come with a hefty price tag. Many dance schools host smaller performances with their students that are more affordable for families. That makes it the perfect time to go to the ballet.
Check out a Christmas symphony or Christmas concert – When my kids were toddlers, we always saw a local high school band perform holiday classics. This is my favorite kind of fundraiser. Christmas music is a great way to get kids interested in a symphony.
Take cookies to your local homeless shelter – This can be accomplished by partnering with a church group or contacting the homeless shelter or soup kitchen directly. This is a great time to spread a little holiday cheer.
Make Christmas ornaments – I love seeing all of our past ornaments each year as we decorate the tree. Some years we go to a painting pottery studio to decorate ornaments, and other years we just buy kits on Amazon.
Gingerbread Day! – Gingerbread Day is so much fun! We decorate gingerbread houses, bake gingerbread cookies, and play with gingerbread play dough! I bought a few of these gingerbread cookie cutters when I was a classroom teacher, and we still use them every year.
- Stainless Steel material, Colourful grips and beautiful package, it’s the Christmas gift for Kids.
- The reinforced grip keeps the Gingerbread Cookie Cutters easy to use and prevents the cutting edges from flexing during use.
- The grips can be taken down and easy to clean the Gingerbread Man Cookie Cutter after using.
Last update on 2026-09-20 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
FYI – Costco usually has the best deal on gingerbread houses. Grab a gingerbread house kit as soon as you see it (ridiculously early!).
Make pomander balls – This is just a fancy name for cloves stuck in an orange. They smell absolutely divine and make beautiful natural Christmas decorations. This is a fun activity to do while holiday movies are playing.
Make reindeer food – Reindeer food (aka oatmeal and sprinkles) just might help attract the reindeer to your house on Christmas Eve. Just sprinkle it on your front lawn before bed on Christmas Eve.
Make a birthday cake – We have made a birthday cake for Jesus every Christmas Eve since Hannah was a baby. We always leave out a slice for Santa instead of cookies.
Shop for Toys for Tots – Shopping for other children helps my kids think about their own wants a little less. It is a great way to instill giving back while they are young.
Go caroling – Round up a few neighbors and go caroling! Choose your favorite Christmas carols and have fun.
Take food to the food pantry – I think it is important to foster a heart for the less fortunate, so we always take food to our local food pantry at Christmas time (and other times of the year).
Make wrapping paper – This is a really easy activity for little ones! All you need is a roll of craft paper, stamps (optional), and markers. It doesn’t need to be fancy. Kids can do simple designs like candy canes or whatever they like. Then use the paper to wrap gifts for grandparents.
Visit Santa – I only recommend this Christmas activity if your child is not afraid of Santa Claus. Christmas activities are supposed to be fun, not scary.
Visit a historic site – There is something special about the way historical sites are decorated for the holidays. It is a reminder of a simpler time. I recommend Mount Vernon or Williamsburg if you are in VA.
Track Santa – Every Christmas Eve we track Santa through NORAD’s Santa tracker. It is a fun lesson in geography.
Christmas Countdown Calendar Tips
- Plan it all out before December 1st. This lets you gather materials ahead of time so you don’t need to make any late-night trips to the store.
- Keep a written list with the dates and activities. Check it before you go to bed so you can switch cards if plans change or the weather won’t cooperate.
- Don’t throw away the cards after you complete the activity! Save them so you have a backup plan. For example, if you are supposed to go to Zoo Lights, but it is pouring down rain, put the movie card or cookies card in its place.
How to Manage a Christmas Activity Calendar While Traveling
Family Christmas activity calendars tend to be fairly large and difficult to pack. Thankfully, there is an easy and inexpensive solution to create a Christmas calendar that is easy to pack!
All you need is a file folder and pockets (one for each day of your trip). I had a few pockets left over from our sight word folder that were perfect for this project.
- Efficient Organization: Seamlessly manage classroom materials with non-adhesive library pockets, keeping spaces neat and items easily accessible…
- Vibrant Color Coordination: Engage students and enliven your classroom with colorful library pockets; organize library cards or classroom tasks creatively…
- Durable Construction with Colorful Appeal: Crafted from robust colored paper, these library card pockets withstand daily classroom use, ensuring longevity…
Last update on 2026-09-20 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Just stick the pockets in the folder and label them with the dates you are away from home. Then pop the corresponding cards into the daily pockets.
Make sure you plan activities that are easy while traveling. Ideas like baking slice-and-bake cookies, making hot cocoa, and trying eggnog are still festive but are easy to implement almost everywhere.
Knick Family Custard Recipe
This recipe has been in my husband’s family for at least 5 generations. Paul’s grandmother served it every year at her big Christmas Eve party. Now, we make it with our kids at least once every December. It is a simple recipe but tastes delicious.
4 egg yolks
2 cups milk
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 Tbs. cornstarch
- Beat egg yolks for 1 minute at No. 8 speed with an electric mixer.
- Add milk, sugar, vanilla, and cornstarch.
- Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, and be careful not to scorch. Some years we stir this with an electric mixer on low, and other years we just whisk it constantly.
- Cook until the custard covers a spoon.
- Cool and serve.
I hope these Christmas activities for families get everyone in the holiday spirit! Advent activities are a wonderful way to spend quality time together. Maybe you will even find some new Christmas traditions!
Keep reading . . .
- Awesome Christmas Homeschool Activities
- Homeschool Christmas Lesson Plans
- 12 Days of Sweet Christmas Books for Kids
- Unique Christmas Activities for Teens and Tweens
- Advent Calendar Options for Teens
- December Homeschool Activities
- Free Printable Homeschool Christmas Planner
- Christmas Boredom-Busting Basket
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