Easy Christmas Traditions With Kids
Who else LOVES Christmas traditions? I know that I do and I always want to fit them all in before the 25th rolls around. With each child I have learned that the key to having a successful holiday season with young kids is to keep the traditions simple and focus on quality time over quantity. Some years we don’t fit in all the things, but we do prioritize and make time for the Christmas traditions that matter most to our family. Today I will be sharing a very simple and straightforward list of some easy (and very special) Christmas tradition ideas to do with your kids this year.
family sweaters | Crew’s outfit | Crew’s boots | my boots | girls’ boots
Parent Date Night
Last week I shared that one of our very favorite traditions in our family is to have the kids draw names for who they buy a gift for each Christmas. Then Casey and I take each of them out on a special one on one date to pick out the gift for their sibling. The kids look forward to it every year and so do we! It’s such a great way to spend some quality one on one time with each child and they love getting to pick out a special gift for their sibling.
Candy Cane Hunt
Buy a pack of candy canes, have someone hide them, then everybody else in the family rushes to find them. Switch off who the hider is so that everybody gets a turn.
Visit a Local Light Show
There are so many amazing light displays these days that I am sure that your town (or one near you) has some kind of light show for you and your family to go watch! I love this idea because it really gets everybody in the Christmas spirit and requires little to no preparation on my part.
Make a Christmas playlist
If your kids love Christmas music as much as mine do then they will absolutely love this one! Give everybody a say in what songs go on the playlist. It’s the perfect buy-in for them to get excited about listening to all of their favorite tunes this Christmas season.
Ice Skating Christmas Tradition
There is just something about ice skating during the holidays that seems extra magical. Grab your skates and head to the rink for a guaranteed good time!
Gingerbread House Contest
We love decorating gingerbread houses and when you make it into a contest it takes the fun to a whole new level for some reason (maybe we are just competitive people?). Since my kids are all pretty young still it definitely makes the most sense to buy the pre-made kits. Our Costco had some a while back and I’m so glad that I grabbed them when I was there because I haven’t seen them for a while.
Christmas Movie Night
My kids LOVE family movie nights and they especially love family movie nights when Christmas Movies are involved. Pop some popcorn, heat up some hot cocoa and enjoy snuggling up by the Christmas lights together. Elf, The Santa Clause, The Polar Express, and The Grinch are all some of our favorite movies to choose from!
Act Out the Nativity Story
What little kid doesn’t love acting out the nativity story? This is a great way to remind our children of the real reason for the season. Get some fun props (these can be robes and cloth that you already have laying around the house) and let the kids experience the birth of Jesus Christ through their own eyes.
Service Project Christmas tradition
Every year we try to do at least one service project with our kids during the month of December. There are so many great service options available, I would just suggest one that fits your family dynamic and budget. Service can be as simple as making and delivering goodies to a neighbor, to buying gifts and food to families who are in need this year. Whatever you do will teach your children the value of service and help them to recognize how good we feel when we serve our fellow man.
Read Christmas Books in Mom and Dad’s Bed
Hands down one of the most fun and nostalgic traditions of all time. Read one or read 15, the choice is yours. Either way you are making memories with your little ones and giving them the gift of quality time with their parent/and or parents. Reading is a magical recipe for success and I’m never going to complain about an extra excuse to cuddle with my little people.
Why Christmas Traditions Matter
Taking the time to create special memories together through Christmas traditions is something that you will never regret. Hearing your kids, 20 years from now, talk about their favorite Christmas memories will be the reward for all of the time and effort that you put into making the holidays a special time for your family.
Do you want to see our Christmas Bucket List? Check out THIS post (and there may be a fun FREE printable included)!
