25 Simple Christmas Traditions to Start with Your Family

We all want to create meaningful memories during the holidays that don’t require a ton of stress or money. Well my friend, today I have just what you are looking for as Santa comes to town! Here are my favorite simple Christmas traditions to start with your family.

The Power of Traditions

Traditions are more than just fun activities; they provide a sense of continuity and belonging that strengthens family bonds. Children thrive on routine and predictability, and annual traditions offer them something to look forward to every holiday season. Plus, these simple acts of joy can become cherished memories that your kids will carry into adulthood.

Create Christmas Magic with These Easy Holiday Activities

1) Put up Your Christmas Decorations

Play some holiday jams and let the entire family get in on the fun as you all be-bop around the house setting out the holiday decor. Pump up the fun with some holiday snacks and beverages to keep everyone energized and hydrated.

2) Bake Cookies

I like to choose just one special recipe that we only make at Christmastime. This keeps things simple – yet also creates a special memory (the stuff that Christmas traditions are made of)

3) Select a new ornament for the tree

We have a fancy home decor store in our small town that is absolutely stunning during the holidays. Every year we go to that same store and allow the kids to choose one “special” ornament. When we get home, I write their name and the year on the bottom. When they move out (cue sobbing), these will be theirs to take with them.

4) Dollar Store Stocking Stuffer Shopping Spree 

Head to the dollar store as a family and give everyone a $10 budget to purchase stocking stuffers for everyone else. It’s a fun lesson in budgeting and also makes for some surprisingly entertaining gifts.

Related Christmas Post:
Clutter-Free Stocking Stuffers your Kids will Actually Want

5) Cruise the Holiday Lights in your Christmas Pajamas

Everyone loves to look at Christmas lights. For a child, it is magical to see your ho-hum neighborhood transformed into a glowing, blinking wonderland.

In order to turn your average evening of driving around looking at Christmas lights into a magical family tradition, you just need to include a few simple additions; matching Christmas Pajamas, hot cocoa and popcorn to enjoy, and holiday music playing on the radio.

6) Christmas Tree Campout 

The first night that the tree is up is the perfect night for a family slumber party. The lights will provide the perfect glow to stay up and read Christmas stories until the children fall asleep. Not only a fun tradition but also the perfect excuse to wear those matching Christmas PJs again!

7) Socks for Seniors

This year we will be collecting “Socks for Seniors” to warm the toes AND hearts of the elderly in our community.

Christmas is the perfect time of year for this because super cozy and colorful holiday socks are available in abundance. We plan to spread the word to friends and family. Any socks that are donated are then delivered to an assisted living facility. It puts a smile on my face just thinking about all the seniors pulling on their fuzzy socks on Christmas Eve 😉

8) Jingle Bell Rock…Out!

Pick your favorite Christmas Carol and record a video of everyone singing it on your phone.

Send it out to friends and family via text, social media or email. BAM – you just zapped some holiday cheer straight to your loved one’s hearts! 

Remember those matching Christmas PJs you bought? This is another great way to get your money’s worth from your purchase. They can become your wardrobe for your Christmas Carol music video.

9) Record Your Christmas Traditions

This keepsake family journal allows you to document your holiday traditions and memories, so you can enjoy them and reminisce for years to come.

DIY Christmas Traditions

10) Easy DIY Advent Calendars

Kick off the holidays by getting crafty and making one of these easy DIY Advent Calendars that the kids will love!

11) DIY Christmas Movie Schedule

Simply print out a calendar page, or you can even just use a regular calendar. Sit down as a family and look over the Holiday Movie Schedule together.

Use this time to decide which movies you don’t want to miss. Plug in the name and time into the calendar and you just made your own DIY Holiday Movie Schedule.

In order to create our DIY Christmas Movie Schedule, we do a quick search to see what is available through our Amazon Prime and Netflix subscriptions. Then we create our schedule from there.

12) Make Your Own Custom Christmas Ornaments

This fun and easy tradition is a great way to spend time together as a family. In our house, we try to do this the first week of Christmas to kick off the holiday fun. You can use the ornaments that your family makes to decorate your own tree or give as gifts.

13) Gingerbread House Building Competition

This idea was stolen straight from my child’s kindergarten classroom. It was so easy and so much fun that after she moved on to a new classroom, we continued the tradition at home.

All you need to do is gather up your gingerbread house construction supplies; frosting, sprinkles, candy, graham crackers and small milk cartons (to be used as frames for your gingerbread house construction). 

The best part is getting to take it apart and eat it for dessert on Christmas Eve!

14) Handmade Christmas Cards

Create handmade Christmas cards as a family to send to loved ones. Gather some craft supplies, such as colored paper, markers, stickers, and glitter, and spend an afternoon at the kitchen table crafting personalized cards. This tradition not only allows for creativity but also teaches children the importance of thinking about others.

15) Spread Holiday Cheer

Instill the spirit of giving by rounding up the family and participating in charitable activities.

Spend a day volunteering at a local shelter, organizing a toy drive, or donating food to a food bank. Teaching your kids to think about others during the holiday season fosters empathy and gratitude, making Christmas even more special.

16) Ornament Exchange

Start an annual ornament exchange, where each family member selects or makes an ornament that represents them or a shared experience from the past year. This adds a personal touch to your holiday decorations and allows everyone to reflect on their memories when decorating the tree.

17) Outdoor Winter Fun

Whether it’s an ice-skating rink, ski park, or a festival of lights, these festive settings add a sense of wonder and excitement into the holiday season. Encourage everyone to bundle up, grab some hot cocoa, and take lots of photos.

18) Holiday Scavenger Hunt

Make a list of holiday-themed items or clues to find around your home or in your yard, such as ornaments, candy canes, or even specific decorations. Divide into teams or work individually to see who can find the most items in a set amount of time.

19) Christmas Karaoke

Bring the everyone together for a fun night of singing, laughter and fun. Create a playlist of beloved holiday songs, ranging from classics like “Jingle Bells” to contemporary hits like “All I Want for Christmas Is You.”

20) Decorate Stockings

Head to your local craft store (Michael’s, Hobby Lobby, Joanne’s) and grab a bunch of burlap or plain fleece stockings. Set up station filled with materials such as fabric markers, glitter, ribbons, and various embellishments. Encourage everyone to express their creativity by designing their stockings with unique patterns, names, and festive images.

21) Share Your Favorite Christmas Memory

Invite each participant to take a turn sharing their story or memory from a past holiday. Consider compiling all the stories into a decorative booklet that can be shared with everyone as a keepsake, ensuring the memories are preserved for years to come.

Christmas Morning Traditions

22) Crepe Paper the Bedroom Doors 

Buy yourself a few extra minutes in the morning and surprise the kids by wrapping their doorway with red and green crepe paper.

23) Christmas Morning Breakfast 

My kiddos actually requested this tradition after we skipped our “traditional” Christmas morning breakfast last year. This let me know that breakfast was something that they remembered and was meaningful to them.

I hadn’t thought they would even notice – that is the magic of traditions!

Our Christmas morning breakfasts include an overnight slow cooker breakfast casserole and some fun Christmas-themed pancakes for the kids!

24) Gift and Go Seek

We have yet to try this, but I have heard from lots of other families that they hide one gift that the recipient is left to hunt for on Christmas morning.

25) Christmas Morning Family Video Chat

So many of us have loved ones who aren’t able to be with us on Christmas morning. Take some time to set up a video chat session to make it feel like you are all together, even when it’s impossible. Let the kids show off their new toys and catch up on all the holiday fun.

26) Make Some Wrapping Paper Crafts

Before you toss all that wrapping paper into the garbage, gather it up and let kids use it to create some crafts. They could make paper airplanes or even use it to create paper snowflakes, It’s a fun way to spend a few hours while everyone recovers from the excitement of Christmas morning.

So there you have it mama! Tons of fun family Christmas traditions that you can start with your family this year. Choose one or maybe even a few. Just make sure you keep it simple and fun!

The Best Christmas Traditions to Start with Your Family