50 Family Activities for Christmas

Christmas is a wonderful time to cherish memory-making moments with your loved ones. Christmas activities for families make the season enjoyable and unforgettable. Somewhere in between all the frenzy of holiday shopping and all the holiday parties that you’re about to attend, be sure to schedule some family fun. Get into the holiday spirit and be inspired with this list of 50 family activities for Christmas.

Go to a Christmas parade. Check your town’s Chamber of Commerce calendar for a list of holiday events. Most towns will put on a Christmas parade to usher in the holiday season during the first week of December. It’s a great way to support your community and there is sure to be a Santa sighting.



Participate in a Christmas themed fun run. Combine your family’s love of Christmas and fitness with a fun run. Don your Santa hat, jingle bells, and your red Rudolph nose for an unforgettable run. If you want to organize your own run, check out Virtual Strides.



Visit a Christmas tree farm. Bring your entire family and make it an all-day adventure. Stroll the farm for the perfect tree while sipping on hot chocolate.



Watch a tree lighting ceremony Tree lighting ceremonies are the official start of the holiday season. City hall, outdoor shopping centers, malls, and churches are all places where you can watch a tree lighting ceremony. If there’s not one near you, tune into the Rockefeller Center Tree Lighting on television.



Organize a Christmas movie marathon. Have each family member suggest a favorite movie for everyone to watch during the marathon. Pop some popcorn and cozy up on the couch.



Write letters to Santa. Have the children in your family write a letter to Santa. USPS santa express will make sure it gets delivered.



Decorate a gingerbread house. Pick up a pre-assembled gingerbread house kit from your favorite bakery. Your entire family will have so much fun decorating and displaying it.



Host a Christmas crafting party. The holidays are a great time to make something special. Pick a holiday-themed craft for everyone to make. It will be a fun gathering and everyone will leave with something unique. Visit your local craft store and check out their selection of mini craft kits for Christmas.



Host a hot chocolate social. It’s hot chocolate season. Invite your friends and family over for a cup of hot chocolate. Set up a hot chocolate bar stocked with festive cups, whipped cream, marshmallows, sprinkles, crushed peppermint bark, cinnamon sticks, candy canes, toffee bits, scones, and homemade hot chocolate.



Bake and decorate Christmas cookies. Bake a batch of cookies for the entire family to decorate. Set out plenty of cookies, frosting, and sprinkles. Watch everyone get super creative with their cookie creations.



Host a Christmas cookie swap. Bake a batch of cookies to exchange with your neighbors. Everybody will end up with a variety of delicious treats.



Host an ugly Christmas sweater party. The only requirement for this party is that everyone show up in an ugly Christmas sweater. Serve refreshments, give out prizes, and take plenty of pictures to document this goofy gathering!



Set up a Christmas photo booth. Whether your holiday gathering is large or small, a photo booth is guaranteed to bring on the LOLs. Gather up some holiday decorations that you’re not using, set out some fun accessories, and designate a space where everyone can snap a memorable photo.



Snap a family photo for your Christmas card. Hire a professional to take a special photo that you can use as a Christmas card. You could also snap the photo yourself with your smartphone and a tripod.



Decorate the Christmas tree together. Gather the entire family for an evening of tree trimming. Get everyone in the mood by playing some holiday music. Since everyone will be involved, your Christmas tree is guaranteed to be up and decorated in record time.



Make a Christmas playlist. Everyone in the family can contribute to creating a holiday playlist by suggesting their favorite songs. This playlist is sure to be on repeat all season long. Check out your favorite music streaming service for inspiration.



Plan a Christmas game night. Bring out everyone’s favorite board games and play them by the Christmas tree one evening.



Build a DIY Christmas village. Decorate your village with buildings made from a variety of small boxes. Cover your boxes in paint or decorative paper. Cut out windows and doors. Add some mini lights. Give your village a name and display it in a special place for the holidays.



Read a classic Christmas story out loud. Everyone loves a good Christmas story. Suggest your favorite story to be read out loud. You could also read your favorite story to the children in your family.



Count down with an advent calendar. Everyone will love their daily treat as they count the days until Christmas. Advent calendars can be bought in a variety of different themes or you can try your hand at making one. Learn more about the history of advent calendars here.



Make your own wrapping paper. Give your gifts the personal touch with DIY wrapping paper. Grab some holiday themed stamps and stencils to make your own festive wrapping.



Host a Christmas Karaoke Party. Put on a memorable and festive celebration that nobody will forget. Sing your heart out to your favorite holiday tunes and maybe learn some new ones.



Make keepsake Christmas ornaments. Some of the best ornaments are homemade. Visit your local craft store for ornament blanks that your entire family can decorate.



Go to a Christmas market. Immerse yourself in a festive atmosphere and get your holiday shopping done. Stroll through a Christmas market and support local crafters and vendors.



Make a festive Christmas wreath for your front door. DIY with a wreath ring covered in ornaments or green textured foliage.



Craft snowflakes out of decorative paper. Bring a little bit of winter indoors. Grab some decorative paper to cut into paper snowflakes. Hang them in your windows.



Design your own Christmas cards. Get the entire family involved in making Christmas cards this year. You’ll need card stock, decorative paper, holiday stampers, paper punchers, ribbon, glitter, scissors, paint, and markers.



Start a Christmas collectible tradition. Whether you’re into nutcrackers or Christmas villages, consider starting a collection. Collect one new piece every year and display your curated collection for everyone to appreciate.



Hang outdoor Christmas lights. December 1st is National Christmas Lights Day. Celebrate by stringing some bright lights around bushes, trees, columns, or the edge of your roof. Learn more about the history of National Christmas Lights Day here.



Decorate every bedroom for Christmas. Spread holiday cheer everywhere by placing a decorated tree in each bedroom of your house.



Wear Christmas pajamas. Whether mismatched or completely coordinated, Christmas pajamas are festive, cozy, and fun to wear on Christmas Eve. When you wake up on Christmas morning, be sure to snap pictures of everyone opening their presents in their fancy Christmas pajamas.



Wear Christmas socks on Christmas Day. Find the funniest and most over-the-the-top pair of Christmas socks you can and wear them all day long.



Camp out by the Christmas tree. Grab your favorite blanket and some pillows. Meet up at the Christmas tree for a family sleepover.



Hang up mistletoe. Hang some mistletoe from a doorway or an arch and be prepared for a Christmas kiss.



Make a paper chain. Cut up strips of decorative holiday paper to make a paper chain. Use your chain to decorate a stairway, a doorway, or drape it around your tree.



Go ice skating. If you live near a skating rink, take the whole family out for a fun-filled day of ice skating.



Create a centerpiece for Christmas dinner. Serve Christmas dinner upon a beautifully decorated table with a memorable centerpiece.



Set out a Christmas morning charcuterie board. This is the perfect breakfast idea with a holiday twist. Offer fresh fruit, pastries, croissants, mini bagels, waffles, biscuits, quiche, yogurt, granola, and pancakes. It’s fun, simple, beautiful, and guaranteed to be a hit.



Wear a Santa hat everywhere you go. Whether you’re out running errands or lounging around the house, everyone will know that you’re ready for the holidays when you’re wearing a Santa hat.



Go sledding. If you’re lucky enough to see snow this winter, take the entire family out for a sledding adventure.



Stencil Christmas motifs on your windows. Use window paints or spray-on frost to give your windows the holiday treatment.



String your own holiday garland. Gather dried fruit, cranberries, popcorn, or beads to create your own unique garland.



Make your house smell like the holidays. Set the mood for the season with a holiday scented home fragrance. Scents like fresh pine, orange, cinnamon, clove, cardamom, ginger, honey, and peppermint will instantly put everyone into a holiday state-of-mind.



Play Christmas bingo. This is great fun for adults and children. Create your own bingo cards with holiday motifs or search online for a free printable. Give out prizes to the winners.



Dress up your pet. If your pet will allow it, why not dress up your four-legged friend for the holidays? “Santa Paws” will make a memorable photo.



Check out your local department store’s holiday window displays. Department stores spend months planning their elaborate store windows for the holidays. Check out your favorite retailer’s windows and prepare to be amazed.



Organize a Christmas scavenger hunt. When you’re done decorating for the holidays, give everyone a list of holiday items to find. Provide some clues. Give out prizes for completing the scavenger hunt.



Head to the library. Most public libraries host Christmas events such as holiday story and craft time for families. Check with your local library to see what they offer.



Decorate your own Christmas stocking. Head to your local craft store and pick out some Christmas stockings for your family to decorate. Decorate with puff paint, stick-on gems, pom-poms, embroidery, patches, or ribbon.



Open one gift on Christmas Eve. Make it a new family tradition to open one small gift on Christmas Eve.