December is a time filled with excitement, warmth, and the joy of togetherness. It’s the perfect month to start family traditions that add magic to the holiday season and create memories to cherish year after year.
When I look back at my childhood and think of the holiday season, what I remember the most are our fun family Christmas traditions and the moments we spent together. That’s why, now that I’m a parent, I prioritize making these memories with my children and creating new family traditions they can cherish as adults.
You’ll find some inspiration here if you’re looking for new Christmas traditions to incorporate into your holiday season! These easy, meaningful holiday traditions are designed to help families connect, share joy, and savor the beauty of December without stress. Whether you’re looking for holiday activities for kids or new traditions to make your December feel special, these ideas will help you create a holiday season filled with love, laughter, and lasting memories.
25 Holiday Traditions Every Family Should Try for a Meaningful December
1. Baking Day 🍪
How it works: Dedicate a day to baking favorite holiday treats together as a family. Kids can help mix, pour, and decorate. Once the treats are baked, share them with neighbors, family, or friends as a holiday gift.
Why it’s special: Baking together offers hands-on family time – it was during our baking sessions, I shared most of my secrets with my mom! Plus, sharing the treats fosters a sense of generosity and kindness. Kids also get to feel proud of their creations!
Extra ideas: Start a family recipe book and add new holiday recipes each year. Let the kids help decorate the pages, and over time, this can become a treasured family keepsake.
2. Kindness Advent Calendar (free printable) 🎁
How it works: Replace the traditional Advent calendar with one focused on kindness. Each day in December, do a small act of kindness together, such as baking treats for neighbors, donating toys or clothes, writing thank-you notes, or leaving a kind message for someone.
Don’t want to make one? Download this kindness advent calendar for free here!
Why it’s special: This world needs more kindness, and this tradition teaches children the joy of giving and being kind. It’s also a simple way to spread positivity and happiness.
Extra ideas: If you’re crafty, create a DIY kindness Advent calendar with small envelopes or bags listing each day’s act of kindness. Or, make a “kindness jar” where family members pull out a random act of kindness to complete each day.
3. Memory Jar for the New Year ✨
How it works: Throughout December, jot down family highlights, funny moments, or special memories from the past year. Put each note in a jar, and on New Year’s Eve, gather around to read and reflect on these memories together.
Why it’s special: A memory jar is a special way to preserve meaningful moments and foster a sense of gratitude as the year comes to an end. It’s a beautiful way to reflect on the past year and celebrate personal and family growth.
Extra ideas: Let each family member decorate the jar and contribute their own notes. You could also make this a year-round tradition by adding notes throughout the year and reading them every December.
4. Family Pajama Party 🌟
How it works: Pick a night in December to have a family pajama party! Everyone wears their coziest pajamas, sips hot chocolate, and spends the evening playing games, telling stories, or simply enjoying each other’s company under the holiday lights.
You can find affordable and cute Holiday family pajamas on Amazon or Target – click the link to check out the pajamas.
Why it’s special: This tradition is all about creating a warm, fun environment where everyone can relax and enjoy quality time together during the busy holiday season.
Extra ideas: Turn the pajama party into a sleepover in the living room, complete with blankets, holiday lights, and cozy pillows. Plan a fun breakfast for the next morning to keep the magic going.
5. Holiday Movie Night 🎅🏼
How it works: Pick a favorite holiday movie (or two!) to watch each year, and make it an event. Set up a cozy movie night with warm blankets, homemade popcorn, and perhaps holiday pajamas for the whole family.
Why it’s special: Watching holiday classics together becomes a comforting ritual kids look forward to each year. It’s an easy way to relax and connect while celebrating the season.
Extra ideas: Create a “holiday movie calendar” for December with a list of movies your family wants to watch. Or, set up a “hot chocolate bar” with toppings like marshmallows, chocolate chips, and whipped cream for an extra treat.
6. Evening Gratitude Ritual 🙏🏻
How it works: Each night in December, take a few moments to share something you’re grateful for. This could be done around the dinner table or before bed while your family is together. This allows everyone the opportunity to reflect on what they appreciate each day.
Why it’s special: Taking time for gratitude is a great practice that instills a positive mindset. It’s a simple way to end each day with reflection, appreciation, and joy. Plus, gratefulness shapes your brain to see the best in every situation!
Extra ideas: Write each gratitude on a piece of paper and place it in a “gratitude jar.” At the end of the month, read all the things you were thankful for as a family.
7. Neighborhood Light Tour 🎄
How it works: Pick an evening to bundle up, grab some hot cocoa, and walk or drive through your neighborhood to enjoy the holiday lights and decorations. We love putting on Christmas carols and driving around enjoying all the beautiful Christmas lights with friends and family.
Why it’s special: This simple tradition gets everyone outside and lets you enjoy the festive spirit together, free from screens or distractions.
Extra ideas: Make it a scavenger hunt by creating a checklist of items to find, like a house with blue lights, a reindeer, or a snowman. You could even bring a hot chocolate thermos to enjoy along the way.
You can use Google Maps to create a light tour: Enter each address as a stop, organize your route by dragging and dropping the locations, save the tour and use it any time. You can even share it with friends!
8. Holiday Book Countdown 📕
How it works: Wrap up a collection of holiday or winter-themed books and open one each night to read together. It combines the excitement of unwrapping a gift with the comfort of cozy storytime.
Why it’s special: Kids look forward to the surprise of unwrapping a book each night, and it’s a lovely way to wind down together at the end of each day. Plus, it helps develop children’s reading skills.
Extra deas: If you don’t have 25 holiday books, borrow them from the library or swap books with friends. You could also rewrap a few favorites and read them more than once during the month.
9. Holiday Craft Day 🎨
How it works: Set aside a day to make holiday crafts together, like ornaments, homemade cards, or garlands. Kids can get creative, and you’ll have beautiful handmade items to decorate your home or give as gifts.
Here are some ideas for homemade Christmas gifts:
- 5 DIY Christmas Gifts You Can Make in Under 10 Minutes
- 12 Easy Homemade Gifts Everyone Will Love
- DIY Santa Poop Soap (melt and pour soap recipe)
Here are some ideas for holiday crafts:
- Homemade Christmas Play Dough scented with Essential Oils
- Christmas Tree Sensory Bag or I Spy Winter Wonderland Sensory Bag
- 20 Santa Crafts
Why it’s special: Crafting together allows kids to express their creativity, and handmade items add a personal touch to holiday decor. Plus, these crafts often become cherished keepsakes over time.
Extra Ideas: Create a “craft station” at home with supplies like paper, glue, glitter, and natural materials like pine cones. Try making holiday photo ornaments or simple wreaths with items you collect on a winter walk.
10. Winter Nature Walk ❄️
How it works: Bundle up and head out for a winter nature walk in a nearby park or forest. Collect interesting items like pine cones, acorns, or colorful leaves to use in crafts or simply to admire the beauty of nature.
Why it’s special: This tradition encourages kids to explore, observe, and appreciate the natural world during the quiet beauty of winter. It’s also a grounding and calming activity during a busy month.
Extra Ideas: Use all your collected items to make a holiday craft or an ornament!
Bring hot chocolate to enjoy along the way, or turn the walk into a photo adventure, allowing kids to capture pictures of the things that inspire them.
11. Ornament Making Day 🎄
How it works: Dedicate a day to creating homemade ornaments. Gather supplies like paint, clear ornaments, ribbons, felt, or natural materials like pine cones. Each family member can make their own ornaments to hang on the tree.
Here are some tutorials on how to make easy Christmas ornaments:
Why it’s special: Crafting ornaments together is a hands-on way to build memories, and each ornament holds sentimental value year after year. Kids will love seeing their creations on the tree! We started this tradition a few years ago, and it is one of the kids’ favorite Christmas activities!
Extra Ideas: Date each ornament to remember the year it was made, or add names and personal touches. For a nature-inspired twist, collect materials from a winter walk, like pine cones or acorns, to make rustic ornaments.
12. Holiday Card Making 📬
How it works: Spend an afternoon making holiday cards together. Use supplies like colored paper, stamps, stickers, and markers to create handmade cards for family, friends, or neighbors.
Why it’s special: Handwritten cards carry a personal touch and remind recipients they’re loved. Kids can also practice kindness by sending cards to people who might need extra holiday cheer.
Extra Ideas: Each card can include a family photo or a handwritten note sharing a favorite memory or well wishes. You can also make cards for local nursing homes or shelters, spreading holiday kindness to those in need.
13. Santa Letters and Wish Lists 🎅
How it works: Set aside a day to write letters to Santa or create holiday wish lists. This can be a chance for kids to write down their wishes and dreams and even thank Santa for the season’s magic.
Why it’s special: Writing to Santa is a timeless tradition and a great way to connect with your child and discover their wishes for this holiday season. It’s also an opportunity to encourage gratitude and thoughtfulness, teaching kids to appreciate the magic of giving.
Extra Ideas: Make it an event, such as making a special family meal or having Christmas snacks or hot cocoa while writing the letters. Have kids draw pictures of their holiday wishes and ask them to include one kind wish for someone else. For an extra touch, mail the letters or keep them as keepsakes to remember each year’s wishes.
If you’re in the US, you can mail Santa your letters to:
Santa
123 Elf Road
North Pole, 88888
14. Family Game Night Challenge 🎲
How it works: Dedicate one night a week to family games. Gather board games, card games, or even make up your own games. The goal is to laugh, play, and create happy memories together.
Why it’s special: A regular game night brings family members closer and encourages connection in a relaxed, screen-free setting. Plus, games provide a fun way for kids to practice patience, teamwork, and cooperation.
Extra Ideas: Switch up games each week and let each family member choose a game to play, or write down all the board games you have on a piece of paper, mix them up in a box, and randomly pick a new game to play each week.
15. Winter Picnic Indoors ❄️
How it works: Set up an indoor winter picnic when it’s too cold to be outside! Lay down a blanket, make sandwiches or simple snacks, and enjoy a cozy, picnic-style meal in the living room.
Why it’s special: An indoor picnic is a creative way to break the routine and adds a playful twist to family meals. It also brings the fun of summer picnics indoors for a unique winter experience.
Extra Ideas: Add a small campfire element by making s’mores in the oven or setting up a hot chocolate station. String fairy lights around the room to make it even more magical!
16. DIY Gingerbread House Decorating 🍬
How it works: Buy or bake gingerbread pieces and set up a decorating station with icing, candy, and sprinkles. Each family member can decorate their own house, or you can work together to make a holiday village.
Why it’s special: Decorating gingerbread houses is a festive, hands-on activity that lets everyone unleash their creativity. Kids especially enjoy designing their own “houses” with candy decorations!
Extra Ideas: Turn it into a friendly competition and see who can make the most creative house. For smaller, budget-friendly houses, you could use graham crackers and natural elements like coconut shavings for snow.
17. DIY Winter Wonderland Terrarium ❄️
How it works: Gather clear jars or containers, faux snow, small holiday figurines, pinecones, and twigs to create mini winter wonderland scenes. Each family member can design their own terrarium, adding their unique touches.
Why it’s special: Making winter terrariums encourages creativity and gives everyone a small, personalized decoration they can be proud of. These terrariums add a magical, wintry feel to your home and can be displayed throughout the season.
Extra Ideas: You can find unique jars to make these terrariums at Dollar Tree, Target, or Amazon. To give the terrariums a soft glow, use battery-operated tea lights inside the jars. You could also use natural elements from a winter nature walk to make the scenes feel even more special and meaningful.
18. Holiday Scavenger Hunt (free printable) 🔍
How it works: Create a holiday-themed scavenger hunt around your home or neighborhood. Make a list of items to find, such as a reindeer decoration, a snowflake, a red ornament, or a candy cane.
Don’t want to make one? Download this holiday scavenger hunt for free here!
Why it’s special: A holiday scavenger hunt combines the excitement of a treasure hunt with festive holiday decor. It encourages kids to explore and observe, making the holiday season even more magical.
Extra Ideas: Set up small treats or prizes at the end of the hunt. You can also make it a photo scavenger hunt, where everyone takes pictures of the items they find.
19. Countdown to Christmas Chain 🎁
How it works: Create a paper chain with one link for each day leading up to Christmas. Write a fun activity, quote, or reason for gratitude on each link, and remove one link each day in December.
Why it’s special: This countdown chain builds anticipation for Christmas while adding an interactive element. It’s also a simple yet meaningful way to count down the days together.
Extra Ideas: Color code the links for specific days, like red for “Kindness Day” or green for “Family Day.” You could even make multiple chains for different holiday countdowns, like one for New Year’s Eve.
20. Snow Day Bucket List (free printable) ☃️
How it works: Make a winter bucket list for snow days or weekends. Include ideas like building a snowman, making snow angels, sledding, having a snowball fight, or taking winter photos. Keep the list on the fridge or a chalkboard, and check off activities as you go.
Don’t want to make one? Download this snow day bucket list for free here!
Why it’s special: A snow day bucket list turns cold days into opportunities for adventure and fun. It gives kids something to look forward to and helps the family embrace winter’s unique magic.
Extra Ideas: Take pictures of each activity on your bucket list to create a photo album or scrapbook of winter memories. You could also make a smaller list of activities to do on snowy days indoors!
21. Christmas Eve Box 🎄
How it works: On Christmas Eve, give each family member a “Christmas Eve Box” filled with small treats like pajamas, a holiday book, hot chocolate, or a cozy blanket. Open the boxes together and enjoy a cozy evening.
Why it’s special: A Christmas Eve box creates excitement and lets everyone wind down for the big day. It’s also a lovely way to spend quality time together before Christmas morning.
Extra Ideas: Personalize the boxes with each person’s favorite treats and items or a handwritten holiday note.
22. Holiday Sing-Along 🎶
How it works: Pick a night to sing holiday songs together! Choose your family’s favorite carols or festive tunes and sing together. Bonus points if you have a karaoke machine or simple musical instruments.
Why it’s special: Singing together is joyful and can lift everyone’s spirits. Kids especially enjoy singing along to songs they know, and it’s a lovely way to bring the whole family together.
Extra Ideas: Make this a weekly tradition throughout December, or record a family holiday song to share with loved ones. You could even take your sing-along “caroling” to friends and neighbors! YouTube has lots of sing-a-long holiday songs.
23. Hot Chocolate Taste Test ☕
How it works: Create a mini hot chocolate “bar” with different flavors or toppings. Try different hot chocolate recipes like peppermint, white chocolate, or caramel. Set up toppings like whipped cream, marshmallows, crushed candy canes, or chocolate chips. Get creative with the flavors and toppings!
Why it’s special: This cozy activity is both tasty and fun! Kids can explore different flavors and learn about their own preferences. Plus, everyone gets a warm drink to enjoy together.
Extra Ideas: Add a holiday movie or music while you enjoy your creations. For a healthier twist, try homemade hot cocoa with honey.
24. Personalized Holiday Storybook 📖
How it works: Create a holiday storybook together featuring your family’s holiday adventures. Gather blank pages or a small notebook and let each family member contribute by writing or drawing a holiday memory, a funny moment, or even a “make-believe” holiday adventure starring your family.
Why it’s special: This unique family storybook captures memories, creativity, and imagination all in one place. It’s a keepsake you can add to each year, making it a cherished family tradition.
Extra Ideas: Add photos and holiday stickers, or decorate each page with festive colors. At the end of the season, read through the book together, and keep it with your holiday decorations so you can revisit it each December.
25. Year-End Family Slideshow 📸
How it works: Gather photos and videos from the past year and put together a family slideshow. Watch it together on New Year’s Eve to reminisce and celebrate the moments that made this year so special.
Why it’s special: A year-end slideshow lets you reflect on the memories you created as a family and appreciate the growth each member has experienced. It’s a touching way to end the year together!
Extra Ideas: Include funny stories, inside jokes, or memorable quotes from the year. You could also make this a New Year’s tradition and set goals or intentions as a family for the upcoming year.
Starting new family traditions in December can bring warmth, joy, and a sense of togetherness to your holiday season. From cozy movie nights and gratitude rituals to baking days and holiday light tours, each of these traditions offers an opportunity to connect with loved ones and create meaningful memories.
Take time to slow down this holiday season, embrace the little things, and make December extra special with these simple family traditions.
Which new tradition will you start this year? Let us know in the comments, and share your ideas for a meaningful holiday season!
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