15 Family Christmas Activities to Make the Season Meaningful

Explore our ideas that promote bonding, express your love and appreciation, and create memories while enjoying the holiday season to its fullest. 

Plan a family Christmas photo shoot 

Taking a family photo for a Christmas card is a tradition in many families – and for a reason. It’s a great way to capture the holiday mood, show off your festive outfits, and create memories that last. In many years from now, you’ll look at these photos, observing how the family has grown and changed over the years. 

Play Secret Santa 

Secret Santa is a beloved holiday activity in families, with friends, and at work. It prioritizes personalized, meaningful gifts that match the recipient’s interests and wishes, and also creates a mystery as nobody knows who gives a present to whom. 

To quickly set up the Secret Santa game for any gathering, use the MySanta app. Invite players, set gift budget, and draw names with a click. People can add wishlists to make choosing a gift easier for their Santa. 

Upgrading to the paid plan gives you some extra great features, such as unlimited players (best for workplace exchanges), setting exceptions, and re-drawing if someone opted out. 

Try our MySanta app

You can create wishlists, add exclusions, and communicate with your gifree secretly. Moreover, there is an option to track gifts and ensure that everyone buys a present on time.

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Visit a local Christmas tree farm 

Decorating a Christmas tree is a tradition in many families. Why not choose the tree together, too? Drive to the farm and pick the best tree for your home while supporting a local business. It takes longer than grabbing a tree by the nearest mall, but the whole experience will be memorable and magical for children. 

Also Read:

Real vs Fake Christmas Tree: Pros, Cons & How to Choose the Best One

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A Cook Together evening 

Engaging all family (including kids) in cooking has many benefits. Not only does doing something together brings your family closer, but also kids can learn some essential life skills. So, gather everyone in the kitchen to cook dinner together.

Assign tasks to kids depending on their age. Five-year-olds can roll cookie dough and slice soft foods with a plastic knife. Pre-teens can peel and chop vegetables and bake muffins or cookies under supervision. 

Host a craft party 

Let’s be honest – not everyone enjoys traditional Christmas crafts. Yet, you can make crafts fun by focusing on your kids’ interests.

If your youngest son loves models, suggest making ornaments or building a Christmas scene from LEGOs. Kids who are sports fans can create logos of their favorite teams in a string art technique. For girls, you can host a jewelry-making party – they can make bracelets, necklaces, or keychains for parents and friends. 

Sing carols to grandma and grandpa

If grandparents live far away, have a video call to stay in touch and share meaningful family traditions. Kids can sing carols to grandma and grandpa and show off their crafts.

Also, you can ask grandparents to share Christmas stories from their youth and show old photos – maybe they have some exciting traditions that you will want to continue with your kids. 

Turn your photos into Christmas ornaments 

In addition to traditional Christmas crafts and décor, you can enhance the space with ornaments unique to your family! Pick out the photos you love best, add some Christmas elements, and enjoy décor that preserves your special moments. 

To create such ornaments, you’ll need printed photos and plastic baubles or wooden discs. Cut each photo to match the ornament’s form and add some artificial snow, festive ribbons, or glitter. Use decoupage glue and, once dry, apply a top coat to protect the image. 

Also Read:

9 Ways to make Christmas magical for kids

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Host a movie marathon

For a lazy evening in, nothing beats a traditional Christmas movie marathon. Set up a viewing area by arranging comfortable seating with blankets and pillows. Prepare popcorn, candy, and hot cocoa, and set up a projector. You can choose a theme for the night, or pick your Christmas favorites. Invite friends or extended family over – the more the merrier! 

Have a family story night

Sharing family stories might not seem very entertaining at first, but this activity creates cherished memories and strengthens bonds. Gather in a living room by the tree and prepare a basket with story prompts. Have snacks and hot drinks ready to create a relaxed atmosphere. Here are some examples of prompts to use: 

1. What is your best memory of this year?
2. What is your favorite holiday tradition? 
3. Tell us about your funniest memory ever.
4. Share a story about an ancestor.
5. Share a story about a time you overcame a fear.
6. Tell us about a time you did something kind for someone.
7. If you could create a brand-new family holiday or tradition, what would it be?

Make a box with wishes

As an alternative to an Advent calendar, you can make a box and fill it with good wishes. Here’s how it works. Set up a box or a basket. Each day, all family members write a short note about what they are grateful for, what they appreciate about another family member, or describe a good thing they did this year.

On Christmas Eve, take them out and read aloud. Sharing appreciation and kind words teaches kids to be grateful and sets everyone in the Christmas mood. 

Prepare a No-Gift gift 

Prepare the “no-gift” coupons for friends as Christmas gifts. Instead of physical items, you give the gift of time or promise to do something helpful for your friend. 

You’ll need a small notebook or cardstock. Make handwritten coupons with fun drawings to add a personal touch. Here are the example coupons: 

1. Comfort Night coupon: I will bring your favorite comfort food and watch a movie with you when you have a bad day.
2. A long walk: We will go outside and walk in the park with no smartphones or distractions, having a meaningful conversation.
3. Personal assistant: I will work as your assistant for 2 hours, helping tackle your shopping, groceries, emails, and other errands. 
4. Kid duty: 3 hours of babysitting so you can take a bath, nap, or have some time for yourself. 

Volunteer 

The best way to make the holiday season meaningful is to give back to others. Plus, you can teach children empathy and gratitude. Choose the activity based on your values and interests, or simply head to the local charity – during the Christmas season, any help is always appreciated! Here are some ideas for Christmas volunteering with kids: 

1. Toy drive – encourage little ones to collect toys and books they no longer need. They can also assist with wrapping presents.
2. Card-making – kids can make handmade cards for people in hospitals or residents of shelters to share Christmas wishes. 
3. Help families in need – sponsor a local family in need by joining the “adopt-a-family” program.  

Host a Skills Swap night 

This activity works great for extended families and parties with friends. Ask each friend or family member to teach one simple skill to the group. It can be anything from knitting a scarf, doing a trendy makeup or dancing basic bachata to editing a photo on the phone, making a cocktail, or folding origami. 

Create an appreciation reel 

Another way to show appreciation to your loved ones is to create a short vertical video. Ask each friend or family member to send you 5-7 favorite photos or videos from the past year. These can be their individual photos and pictures of your group. Use a simple video editing app such as CapCut to create a video. 

You may add filters and favorite quotes of your friends or insert festive wishes as photos are displayed. Show the final result during the party to share the meaningful moments you had throughout the year. 

Attend a church service 

If your family is religious, do not miss the Christmas service. This is your opportunity to fully appreciate the meaning of Christmas, pray, and honor the birth of Jesus.

If you are not religious, attending the church is a great experience, too. It’s a great tradition that fosters a sense of belonging and humanity. Carols and festive décor create an uplifting environment that resonates with themes of hope and peace, which are universal for all of us. 

These simple activities promote strengthening bonds with your family and friends, sharing the joy of giving, and showing appreciation for all the good things you had in the past year. Try them this year to create new traditions and enhance your holiday experience, making Christmas more meaningful for your loved ones.

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