101 Christmas Activities & Traditions



1. Put up Christmas lights on the house

2. go to the Santa Claus parade

3. go to the Festival of Trees

4. go to Christmas tree farm and pick a Christmas tree

5. decorating a Christmas tree

6. decorating the house

7. making a gingerbread house

8. make sugar cookies and decorate

9.  make favourite cookies

10. have a Cookie swap party

11. make a Christmas wreath - from old ornaments or tree trimmings. Check out the tutorial from Eddie Ross Crafts

 

12. get on the elf on the shelf trend

13. watch a Christmas movie my current favourites are Miracle on 34th Street (1994), Elf and Fred Claus

14. perform a random act of kindness

15. drive around and look at Christmas lights

16. make Christmas tree ornaments 

17. mail Christmas list (before December 17th) to Santa and he will write back - in Canada his addresse is:

Santa Claus

North Pole

H0H 0H0

Canada

18. take Christmas picture

19. make photo Christmas Card

20. string popcorn or cranberries

21. make paper snow flakes

22. visit Santa at the mall and get your picture taken

23. hot chocolate in front of the fire

24. chocolate fondue

25. make or buy an advent calendar - you can buy the traditional chocolate advent calenders (I always had one of these as a kid) or you can get something a little more elaborate like this one - source
 

26. read 'Twas the Night before Christmas

27. watch Charlie Brown Christmas special

28. have an ugly sweater party

29. make a snowman

30. breakfast with Santa - in our city they offer a Pancake Breakfast with Santa the weekend of the Santa Claus Parade - and children (and adults) can have all you can eat pancake breakfast with Santa and Mrs. Claus

31. movies with Santa - our city also has "movies with Santa" where you can go to a Christmas movie with Santa and Mrs. Claus at the local theatre.

32. put out milk and cookies for Santa (and don't forget the carrots for the reindeers)

33. make your own Christmas cards

34. make Christmas scrapbook

35. go tobogganing

36. have secret Santa game - everyones wraps one presents and brings it to the party. Then everyone picks a number. They person with number one gets to picks nay of the wrapped presents and open it. The person with number two gets to either pick number one's present or one of the wrapped presents and so forth so you can "steal" the present you want.

37. make homemade baileys - add gingerly to coffee Christmas morning

38. watch a Christmas pageant

39. make your own Christmas tags

40. and wrap presents

41. go on a sleigh ride

42. make a cd of favourite Christmas songs - put it on repeat

43. track Santa Claus Christmas Eve with NORAD here

44. drink egg nog

45. go to Christmas bazaars

46. have a Minute to Win It (Christmas Edition) games night - check out the rules and materials for a few of the games here

47. wrap 23 Christmas books (can wrap the ones you already have) put them under the tree and read a new one each nights

48. wrap up new Christmas pajamas and book to open on Christmas eve
 

49. have kids decorate large sheets of white or brown paper with stickers, glitter, markers whatever they desire (you can sometimes get them in large rolls) then wrap your presnets in the homemade wrapping paper.

50. go to the mall to check out Christmas trees, blow-ups and villages

51. set up your own Christmas village

52. write cards to troops over seas

53. hand make gifts for friends and neighbours

54. check out Christmas concerts/ symphonies

55. make Christmas crafts

56. watch ice skating show

57. watch charity hockey game

58. make or buy a felt Christmas tree (pictured above) or give your toddler a mini 2ft fake Christmas tree and plastic decorations so they can decorate their own tree (and hopefully leave the main one untouched)

Image Source

59. make Santa and snowman pancakes

60. take child to Christmas crafts

61. watch the classic Christmas Carol: Mickey's Christmas Carol, The Muppets Christmas Carol, Disney's Christmas Carol

62. celebrate Christmas past - look at photos of old Christmases

63. read Rudolph the red nose reinghdeer or frosty the snowman - or check out the classic claymation versions played every Christmas

64. study Christmas traditions from other countries

65. learn the history of Kris Kringle

66. hang mistletoe

67. make cinnamon bun cake for Christmas morning

68. Play Holiday Family Feud - you can print out the questions and answers here

69. make or buy popper/crackers they're not just for new years

70. make peppermint or gingerbread scented play dough

71. clean out your cupboard and bring all non perishables to the soup kitchen

72. clear out the clutter - have children donate toys to make room for new.

73. don't forget to bring last years coats to coats for kids

74. put up the nativity scene 

75. cookie or gingerbread house decorating party

76. watch the lighting of the tree downtown

77. go ice skating on an outdoor rink

78. have a potluck party

79. make Christmas center piece

80. there are so many cute kids crafts - you can check out these finger puppets  from Urban Comfort here 

81. adult crafts

 

82. gift photo books - make photo books online of your child's entire year of last Christmas, you can personalize them with little caption or stories and give them to gradparents for Christmas.

83. make your own snow globe

84. Check out 25 Days of Disney Crafts & Recipes here

 

85. make some popcorn for your movie - check out six recipes for popcorn here

86. make it a "White Christmas" regardless of your climate - spray snow onto window corners to make them look frosted, spray snow onto Christmas the tree, lay out snow in the middle of your table underneath the center piece.

87. get your face painted - a lot of Chritsmas activities such as the Festival of tree have volunteers who paint the children's face for free.

88. check out nativity scenes at local neighbourhood churches

89. make snowman or Christmas tree cupcakes - please let me know if you know the original source for the image

 

90. make your whole house smell like Christmas - light a Christmas scented yankee candle, or quarter two oranges and put in a slowcooker filled with water bring to a boil them leave on simmer and add 2 heaping tbsp of cloves and cinnamin or use one cinnamin stick 

91. Check out Rudolphs First Look and Find Book for toddlers together (found a couple different of these Christmas books at Winners) or the ISpy Christmas book for older children

92. have a family game night

93. make your own reindeer food

94. hang the stockings
 

95. Watch the How the Grinch Stole Christmas with 'Grinch Treats' - you can try adding a few drops of green food colouring to your sugar cookies

96. make Santa party mix

97. make Holiday veggie tree
 

98. make a snowman in a jar

99. Christmas shaped food: make snowman or gingerbread Sandwiches or Christmas tree shaped pizza

100. make cute packaging for cookies and treats

101. make Christmas Candy - Check out 38 recipes for Christmas candy from Better Homes here