5 Easy Holiday Traditions to Do with Kids

Looking for easy and fun holiday traditions to start with your kids this season? Look no further! I’ve compiled a list of five easy holiday traditions perfect for families with kids of all ages. These five ideas can become a staple for you and your littles year after year as you celebrate the holiday season. All you need are your kids, a few supplies when necessary, a little bit of creativity and you’re off to create memories for all!

I can still vividly remember some of the traditions we did as a family when I was a child. In fact, some of my best holiday memories revolve around them and we can still tell stories of funny instances involving them to this day! It’s not the “stuff” I got (although what kid doesn’t remember some of the favorite stuff received), but the connection and memories made from the experiences together. That is what I hope to provide my littles. Last year, they were mostly still babies so we didn’t do much in regards to traditions, but now that they are a little older, the magic of the season is starting to come alive and I’m excited to being implementing traditions with them.

So, let’s get started with our list shall we…

1. An Advent Calendar

An Advent Calendar is a great holiday tradition that lasts all season long. You can learn more about the history and meaning behind the Advent Calendar here, but it is a calendar used each day as you count down the days of Advent and prepare for Christmas. While the Advent period typically begins anywhere between November 27 – December 3rd, it is easier and more common for people to participate in their Advent Calendar December 1 – 24.

How do you use an Advent Calendar?

Determine what type of calendar you want to use: There are couple of styles that people use for advent calendars. One is more Christian based that involves a daily scripture or devotional, or you can use bible stories that tell the history of God’s people leading up to the story of Jesus’ birth on December 24th. The other type of calendar involves a daily treat or activity as you count down the days to Christmas. You can also do a mixture of both with each day including a treat or activity and a bible story or verse.

Set up your calendar: Fill each day of your calendar with a selected bible story, verse/devotional, or activity. Some people have special ornaments that revolve around that day’s theme they put in the calendar, or you can simply put a card containing the verse and/ or activity of the day. If you are doing treats, simply place the treat inside the space for that day. This does not have to be fancy or elaborate!

Participate in each day’s reading/activity: Starting with day 1, allow your child to pull the item from that day on the calendar. As a family, you will conduct the reading and/or activity associated with that day. Carry on with each day until you reach day 24 and complete the calendar.

I found cute wood ornaments on Etsy that revolve around different bible stories, particularly themed with The Jesus Story Book Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones. Each day, we cover the verse determined by the ornament and do an activity as a family.

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2. Put a tree in the kid’s room and let them decorate it

I loved having a tree in my room as a kid! Something about the Christmas lights glowing in my room was magical.

This is a great way to let your child have something that they are in charge of and make their own. Especially if you like for the main tree to stay as in-tact as possible from little hands. This may help deter them…somewhat. The number one rule though…let them have full creativity of their tree! You provide the decorating goods and let them use their creativity and imagination to decorate.

This doesn’t have to be a full sized tree, but a small 1 – 3 ft. tree is perfect. We put a small tree in our 2 year old’s room, and she thinks it is the coolest thing ever having a tree in her room! Thankfully, my mom kept the ornaments that I used on my tree as a child, so I plan to pass them down to our kids.

Ideas about decorations:

• Start with what you have: Maybe you had a tree as a child and still have some of the ornaments, use them! Are there ornaments from your main tree that your child is drawn to and loves? If you are okay with letting it go and is not too breakable for the tiny kids, feel free to pass those along to them and let them use it! It is special when they feel they have a little piece of you on their tree, too.
• For the bigger kids: You can start with what you have, but you can also take them to the store and let them pick out a few ornaments to add to their tree. Let them find the ones that speak to them as it will be another memory for them when they are adults and you pass the ornaments along to them.
• Let them pick a theme: If you want to go all out and let them pick a theme or certain colors for their tree, go for it!

Another tradition that goes with this is buying one ornament every year that encompasses something about your child from that year and start a box for them. Collect one ornament a year until they are 18 and you have a nice gift for them to start their first tree with as an adult. It also serves as a memory of all the things they loved growing up.

3. Family Baking Day

This is a holiday tradition that we started several years ago and is something that is looked forward to every year by our family. My mom and I gather with my aunts, cousins, and all our kiddos and spend the day together.

One Saturday in the December, we gather at my cousin’s house and bake goodies. Everyone (or each family) is in charge of determining what they will make and brings the items needed to make it. Usually everyone makes 2-3 treats, so we always end up with a variety of things ranging from cookies, candies, family recipes, chocolate covered stuff, and so much more! At the end of baking, we divide up all the treats into different plates and Christmas containers for everyone to take home.

This is a great tradition because all ages and skill sets can participate in it. Some family members may not really be bakers, that’s okay! We need good assistants, too. The kids will play while we prepare things and then spend time making and decorating treats. However the day plays out and whatever disasters may occur in the kitchen, it’s still fun being together and making memories.

If you do not live near family or don’t want to hang out with family in this way, gather with close friends and bake treats. Or do something small with just your kids. Either way, it will be fun.

Another thing we like to do is give some of the containers with goodies to a neighbor, friend, or someone needing a pick-me-up. This is a small gesture to spread joy to others during the holiday season.

4. Drive around looking at Christmas lights

Don’t you remember the magical feeling of seeing Christmas lights everywhere as a kid? I do! So, why not make it a holiday tradition to ride around and search for Christmas lights?

Dress the kids up in their Christmas pajamas, pack everyone in the car with hot chocolate and set out. Or put the kids to bed in their Christmas pajamas and shortly after putting them to bed (maybe just before they fall asleep), run back in their room and announce that you’re going on an adventure to see Christmas lights. That would be a fun surprise that they get to prolong bed time for a little while longer and get to do something fun. As you do it each year, you can mix up the day that you do it so that they don’t really know when it is coming and the element of surprise stays high.

I will say, I feel like there are not as many houses or neighborhoods that put up Christmas lights as there were when I was a kid, so if you feel like there is not many options for that around you, find some place local that has decorated with lights that you can visit. The zoo, local parks, shopping centers, historical places, among others can be good options, as well.

5. Christmas Morning Scavenger Hunt

Lastly, my absolute favorite holiday tradition as a kid…a Christmas morning scavenger hunt!

Take one gift for each child and hide it somewhere around the house. A little easier places for the smaller kids and a little harder ones for bigger kids. After all presents have been opened, each child gets to follow a set of 3-4 clues to find their last gift.

This one takes a little more thought to determine the hiding places of the gifts and clues, but the excitement created by figuring out what the clues mean and then hunting for the gift adds a different element to to the experience of opening gits on Christmas morning. Tip: keep the clues when done because you may be able to re-use some the next year for a different child. Saves you some time of recreating everything!

Well, there you have it, my list of easy holiday traditions that you can start this year. What were your favorite traditions as a kid? Share them in the comments below! I love hearing about what others do as it gives me some inspiration, too. Let me know if you try any of these, too!

XOXO,

Kelee