25 Fun Christmas Activities for Families + Free Printable

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Christmas is such a special time of year, but if we’re not careful, all the shopping, decorating, and holiday preparations can make the season feel a little overwhelming.

One thing I’ve learned over the years is that our kids don’t need an expensive activity every day to make wonderful Christmas memories. Sometimes it’s the simplest traditions they remember the most.

That’s why I love putting together a Christmas bucket list for our family! It’s filled with simple, fun, and meaningful Christmas activities for families to enjoy together throughout December.

I’ve included 25 ideas, one for each day leading up to Christmas, along with a free printable Christmas bucket list you can use with your own family.

And because I want to keep our focus on the real reason we celebrate Christmas, the printable also includes daily Scripture readings you can enjoy together during family devotion time.

You don’t have to do everything on this list or follow it in order. Pick the activities that work for your family and enjoy making memories together!

Free Printable Christmas Bucket List for Families

Before we get to the activities, grab your free Christmas bucket list printable!

It includes 25 fun Christmas activities for families, along with daily Bible readings to help keep Christ at the center of the season.

You can hang it on your refrigerator, keep it in your homeschool binder, or use it as a simple guide for family activities throughout December.

Just enter your email address in the form above, and I’ll send the printable straight to your inbox.

If you’ve never received an email from Keeper of Our Home before, be sure to check your spam or promotions folder.

And remember, this isn’t another to-do list you have to finish! Some days you might have time for a big family activity, and other days a Christmas movie or a simple Bible reading might be all you can manage. That’s perfectly okay!

25 Fun Christmas Activities for Families

Here are 25 of our favorite Christmas activities and traditions. Some are things we’ve done for years, while others are easy ideas you can try for the first time this Christmas.

1. Surprise the Kids With New Christmas Pajamas

This is one of our family traditions!

Christmas is usually the only time of year my kids get new pajamas. I like to wrap them up and let the boys open them either at the beginning of December or on Christmas Eve.

It’s such a simple thing, but it makes the season feel a little extra special.

And there’s nothing better than everyone being cozy in their new pajamas on Christmas morning!

2. Bake Christmas Cookies Together

Baking cookies is one of those classic Christmas activities that never gets old.

Let the kids help measure ingredients, mix the dough, or decorate the cookies. Yes, your kitchen might get a little messy, but that’s part of the fun!

We love making these einkorn chocolate chip cookies. They’re easy to make and soooo yummy!

If you have younger kids, try making reindeer-shaped cookies or decorating simple sugar cookies with Christmas sprinkles. You can even make a few extra to share with your neighbors.

3. Have a Family Christmas Movie Night

Make a giant bowl of popcorn, grab some cozy blankets, and spend the evening watching a Christmas movie together.

You can choose an old family favorite, watch a new Christmas movie, or find one of those cute Hallmark movies playing on TV.

We all get so busy this time of year, and sometimes just being home together is exactly what we need. If you need ideas, check out my list of Christmas movies for families.

4. Sing Christmas Hymns or Play Christmas Music

This is one of my personal favorite Christmas activities to do with my family. We each choose one or two of our favorite Christian Christmas hymns and sing them together.

If your family isn’t much into singing, that’s okay too! Put on some Christmas music while you’re cooking dinner, decorating the tree, or cleaning up the house.

Some of my favorite Christmas songs are the ones that remind us of Jesus’ birth and the reason we celebrate.

5. Set Up a Hot Cocoa Bar

Who doesn’t love a cup of hot cocoa on a cold December evening?

Set up a simple hot chocolate bar with mugs, marshmallows, whipped cream, crushed candy canes, and whatever other toppings your family enjoys.

You don’t need anything fancy. A pot of homemade hot cocoa and a few toppings are plenty. This would be a fun activity to pair with Christmas movie night or an evening of looking at Christmas lights.

6. Drive Around to See Christmas Lights

Bundle everyone up, turn on your favorite Christmas music, and take a drive around the neighborhood to look at Christmas lights. This is one of those simple activities the entire family usually enjoys. Even the teenagers! If you know, you know.

You can bring hot cocoa in travel mugs and let everyone vote for their favorite decorated house. It’s an inexpensive way to spend time together and enjoy the season.

7. Have a Family Christmas Game Night

Choose a favorite board game or try something Christmas-themed! We love games that get everyone laughing and spending time together.

Here are a few ideas:

• Play Christmas Nativity Bingo.
• Try a Christmas trivia game.
• Play Christmas-themed Minute to Win It games.
• Let each family member choose a favorite board game.

If you have younger children, you might also enjoy my free Christmas activity booklet. You don’t need to buy anything new. Just use what you already have and enjoy being together.

8. Make and Deliver Christmas Gifts to Neighbors

I love Christmas traditions that encourage our kids to think about other people.

Spend an afternoon baking cookies, making homemade treats, or putting together small gifts for your neighbors. Then let the kids help deliver them!

It doesn’t have to be expensive. A plate of homemade cookies with a handwritten Christmas card can mean so much. And it’s a wonderful opportunity to teach our children about kindness and generosity.

9. Give Through the Samaritan’s Purse Christmas Gift Catalog

If you’ve never looked through the Samaritan’s Purse Christmas Gift Catalog, I encourage you to check it out.

Samaritan’s Purse is a Christian organization that helps people facing poverty, disasters, and other difficult circumstances around the world.

Their Christmas catalog includes different ways families can give to help meet practical needs. One of my favorite things about doing this together is the conversations it opens up with our kids.

We can talk about how blessed we are, how other families may be facing difficult situations, and how God calls us to love and serve others.

Sit down together, look through the current catalog, and let everyone help decide how your family would like to give. You can choose an option that fits your budget. The important part is teaching our children to think beyond themselves.

10. Attend a Local Christmas Play, Concert, or Light Parade

Christmas is such a fun time to find activities happening in your community. Check your local high school, college, church, or community center for Christmas plays, concerts, and holiday performances. You can often find something that’s free or doesn’t cost very much.

Our little town has a light parade every year. We bundle up and head out to watch all the lighted floats that our friends and neighbors put together. It’s one of those small-town traditions that makes Christmas feel extra special.

11. Find a Christmas Service Project

This is another activity I really encourage families to include on their Christmas bucket list.

Look for a way your family can help someone in need this season. You might contact a local food pantry, church, or shelter to ask what they need.

You could also check with your neighborhood elementary school to see whether there are families who could use winter coats, boots, or other essentials.

Maybe your family can provide Christmas gifts for a child or help put together a meal for someone. Whatever you decide, get the whole family involved. Even young children can help shop for supplies, pack bags, or make encouraging cards.

12. Build Gingerbread Houses

Building gingerbread houses is fun for just about every age.

And don’t feel like you have to buy an expensive gingerbread house kit!

We’ve used graham crackers and homemade frosting before, and it worked just as well for a fraction of the price. Set out some candy, let everyone get creative, and don’t worry if the houses turn out a little crooked. That’s usually what makes them memorable!

13. Host a White Elephant Gift Exchange

A white elephant gift exchange is such a fun activity for families with older kids and teenagers. You can invite grandparents, cousins, or a few close friends to join in.

Set a small spending limit, maybe $5 or $10, so nobody feels pressured to spend a lot.

And if you want to make the gift exchange even more fun, try my Left Right Across Christmas Gift Exchange Game. I also have a list of white elephant gift ideas for teens if you need a little inspiration.

14. Have Breakfast for Dinner

Who doesn’t love pancakes for dinner? Make a big batch of pancakes or waffles, scramble some eggs, and let everyone enjoy breakfast for dinner.

You could even make it a Christmas pajama night and eat together in your cozy pajamas. It’s simple, inexpensive, and something the kids can help prepare.

15. Have a Random Acts of Kindness Day

Choose one day in December when everyone in the family looks for little ways to show kindness to others. You can make it a fun challenge by asking everyone to do a few acts of kindness without being asked.

Here are some ideas:

• Leave an encouraging note for someone.
• Help a sibling with a chore.
• Take a treat to a neighbor.
• Call a grandparent just to say hello.
• Do something thoughtful for someone in the family.

At the end of the day, talk about how it felt to bless someone else. It’s a sweet reminder that Christmas isn’t only about receiving gifts.

16. Let the Kids Cook Dinner

Give the kids a night to plan and prepare dinner for the family. Older kids can choose a recipe, make a shopping list, and do most of the cooking.

Younger children can help wash vegetables, stir ingredients, set the table, or assemble something simple. Of course, little ones will need help with the stove, oven, and sharp utensils.

The meal doesn’t have to be anything fancy. Tacos, homemade pizza, or grilled cheese sandwiches are perfectly fine! The fun is in letting the kids take charge for the evening.

17. Build a Snowman or Go Sledding

If you live somewhere that gets snow for Christmas, bundle up and head outside! Build a snowman, make snow angels, or take the kids sledding.

Living in Utah, we usually have plenty of opportunities for snowy activities during the winter. If you don’t have snow where you live, you could go for a winter nature walk, visit a playground, or plan another fun outdoor activity. The idea is simply to get outside and spend some time together.

18. Camp Out in the Living Room

Bring out the sleeping bags, blankets, and pillows and have a family campout right in your living room.

You can build a blanket fort, watch a Christmas movie, read a Christmas story, or tell funny family stories before bed.

Parents, you can decide whether you want to camp out with the kids or let them have all the fun! Either way, this is one of those activities that doesn’t cost a thing but can turn into a favorite Christmas memory.

19. Wrap Christmas Presents Together

Instead of trying to get all the wrapping done after everyone goes to bed, choose a few gifts that the kids can help wrap.

Put on Christmas music, get out the wrapping paper, and spend some time together.

Little kids can help with tape and gift tags, while older kids can wrap presents for grandparents, teachers, or friends.

You could even make simple homemade gift tags or reuse gift bags from previous years. Just make sure nobody is wrapping their own surprise!

20. Write Christmas Letters to Each Other

This is one of my favorite family Christmas traditions, and it’s something I hope we’ll continue for many years.

We started doing this several years ago. Every Christmas, we each write a letter to someone in our immediate family telling them what we love and appreciate about them. Then, at the end of Christmas Day, we read each other’s letters.

It’s something we all look forward to.

I love that it gives us a chance to slow down and tell the people closest to us how much they mean to us. And those letters become such special keepsakes over the years. If you’re looking for a meaningful new Christmas tradition, I really encourage you to try this one.

21. Make Homemade Christmas Candy

Spend an afternoon making a special Christmas treat together.

You could make homemade caramels, chocolate-covered pecans, peppermint bark, or another family favorite.

Let the kids help with age-appropriate steps, like arranging treats, adding toppings, or packaging the finished candy. Be sure an adult handles hot sugar mixtures since they can cause serious burns. You can enjoy the treats at home or package a few up to give as Christmas gifts.

22. Cut Out Paper Snowflakes

This is such an easy Christmas activity, especially when you need something simple to keep little hands busy. All you need is paper and scissors.

Fold the paper, cut out different shapes, and open it up to see the snowflake you’ve made. You can hang them in the windows, tape them to the walls, or string them together to make a garland.

Older kids can experiment with more detailed designs, while younger kids can help decorate the finished snowflakes.

3. Bake Birthday Cupcakes for Jesus

After all, Christmas is the biggest birthday celebration of the year, right?

When my older boys were little, we used to sing happy birthday to Jesus before opening our presents. It’s such a sweet memory.

You can bake a cake or cupcakes together and use the activity as an opportunity to talk about why we celebrate Christmas.

Read the Christmas story from Luke 2 and remind your children that Jesus is the greatest gift of all. You don’t need anything elaborate. Just a simple way to bring the focus back to Christ.

24. Attend a Christmas Eve Church Service

If your church has a Christmas Eve service, make plans to attend together as a family.

I love the opportunity to slow down, sing Christmas hymns, and reflect on the birth of Jesus before the excitement of Christmas morning.

If you aren’t able to attend a service, you can still spend some quiet time together at home reading the Christmas story and praying as a family. It’s a beautiful way to prepare our hearts for Christmas Day.

25. Celebrate Christmas Together!

You made it to Christmas Day!

Whether your morning is filled with excited little ones, teenagers sleeping in, or a house full of extended family, take time to enjoy the people God has placed in your life.

Open gifts, share a meal, laugh together, and don’t worry about everything being perfect. Some of our sweetest family memories come from the simplest moments.

And most importantly, remember why we celebrate: the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Merry Christmas!

How to Use Your Printable Christmas Bucket List

I know how busy December can get, especially when you’re juggling kids, holiday preparations, and everything else that comes with being a mom.

So please don’t look at this Christmas bucket list as 25 more things you have to squeeze into your schedule!

Here are a few ways to make it work for your family:

• Do one activity each day. If your schedule allows, follow the list from December 1 through Christmas Day.
• Pick your favorites. Circle the activities your family would enjoy most and skip the rest.
• Double up on easy activities. Have hot cocoa while watching a Christmas movie or listen to Christmas hymns while baking cookies.
• Keep the Scripture readings. Even on days when you’re too busy for an activity, you can still spend a few minutes reading the Bible together.

I especially love the idea of using the printable as a simple Advent family activity.

If you’d like a more focused Scripture reading plan for the season, I also have a family-friendly Advent Bible reading plan that you can use alongside your Christmas activities.

Frequently Asked Questions About Family Christmas Activities

What are some fun Christmas activities for families?

Some of our favorites include baking Christmas cookies, looking at Christmas lights, playing family games, making gingerbread houses, and watching Christmas movies together.

You don’t have to spend a lot of money to make Christmas special!

What are some free Christmas activities for families?

Driving around to see Christmas lights, cutting out paper snowflakes, singing Christmas hymns, having a living room campout, and writing Christmas letters are all inexpensive or free activities.

You can also look for free Christmas events in your community.

What are some meaningful Christian Christmas traditions for families?

Reading the Christmas story together, attending a Christmas Eve service, singing Christmas hymns, serving others, and celebrating Jesus’ birthday are all beautiful ways to keep Christ at the center of Christmas.

How do you make Christmas special without spending a lot of money?

Focus on spending time together instead of planning expensive outings or buying more things.

Some of our favorite traditions cost very little. A movie night, homemade cookies, or an evening looking at Christmas lights can become memories your kids carry with them for years.

How can I use a Christmas bucket list with toddlers and teenagers?

Choose activities that work for the ages of your kids and let everyone help decide what to do.

Toddlers might enjoy decorating cookies, making paper snowflakes, or looking at Christmas lights. Teenagers might prefer game nights, cooking dinner, service projects, or a white elephant gift exchange.

You can also pair younger and older siblings together for activities.

More Christmas Printables and Family Activities

If you’re looking for more simple ways to celebrate Christmas with your kids, here are a few other posts you might enjoy:

• Family-Friendly Advent Bible Reading Plan — A meaningful way to keep your focus on Jesus throughout December.
• Free Christmas Activity Booklet for Kids — Fun activities for younger children.
• Christmas Nativity Bingo — A family-friendly game you can print and play at home.
• Christmas Bible Trivia — A fun way to test everyone’s knowledge of the Christmas story.
• Left Right Across Christmas Gift Exchange Game — Perfect for family Christmas parties and gift exchanges.

Final Thoughts on Making Christmas Memories as a Family

I hope these 25 Christmas activities for families give you a little inspiration for making memories with your kids this holiday season.

After more than 20 years of motherhood, one thing I’ve learned is that the Christmas traditions our kids remember aren’t always the ones that take the most time or money.

Sometimes it’s baking cookies together, singing Christmas hymns, or reading a heartfelt letter from someone they love.

And as much as I enjoy all the fun things that come with Christmas, I never want us to forget the greatest gift we’ve been given: Jesus.

Don’t forget to grab your free printable Christmas bucket list above!

I’d love to hear from you, too. What’s one Christmas tradition your family looks forward to every year? Share it in the comments!

From my home to yours, wishing you a very Merry Christmas!

This Christmas bucket list printable was created by Keeper of Our Home for personal use only. You’re welcome to print a copy for your family. If you’d like to share it with friends, please send them the link to this post so they can download their own copy.