I’ve made this list of Christmas and winter activities to be done both outside and inside the home. Christmas is a season of joy but can easily become overwhelming and chaotic. Take a few items off this list to use as an excuse to slow down and spend extra special time with your family or friends. Maybe even start a new tradition with one of the below ideas.
1. Start your Advent Calendar.
2. Buy family matching Christmas pajamas
and wear them often throughout the month.
3. Decorate a gingerbread house or village.
4. Write letters to Santa while sipping on Rudolph Shakes.
Make extra thick chocolate milkshakes and top with chocolate covered pretzels for antlers, a maraschino cherry for his red nose, and chocolate chips for the eyes.
5. Bake Christmas Cookies.
Gift to neighbors and teachers for a sweet treat! My favorite Christmas cookies are Classic Sugar and Peanut Butter Blossoms.
6. RAOK! (Random Act of Kindness!)
Pay for someone’s lunch, donate supplies to a shelter, and give someone a loving compliment!
7. Drive to See Christmas Lights.
Roll down the windows and enjoy one of the simplest pleasures of the season.
8. Collect a Unique Ornament for the Year.
We collect ornaments everywhere we travel plus buy a new ornament for each child every year.
9. Visit Santa and Take a Picture With Him.
He’s everywhere this month so don’t think you need to visit him at the crowded mall!
10. Visit the Beach and Make Sand Angels.
The beach on a cool winter evening is my personal favorite.
11. Make a ‘Countdown to Christmas’ Chain
out of construction paper.
12. Have a Holiday Movie Marathon!
Choose a mix between old and new movies
to enjoy. Serve popcorn with Christmas colored candy.
13. Christmas Self Care Day!
Book a facial or massage.
14. Find a Christmas theme Pop Up Bar
for a festive date night.
15. Go Ice Skating at an Outdoor Rink.
16. Host a Christmas Party.
This could be a small intimate pancake brunch or an all- is-welcome evening event for friends and family.
17. Try a New Holiday Themed Drink
like this White Christmas Sangria
18. Make a Christmas simmer pot to make your house smell amazing.
Fill a medium pot up with water and add 1 sliced orange, 1 cup cranberries, 2 tsp nutmeg, 2 springs rosemary, 1 tbsp cloves, and 5 cinnamon sticks. Bring to a boil, then turn down heat, and let simmer for as long as you’d like.
19. Cook a Grinch themed breakfast
with green pancakes, green smoothies, and Grinch Kabobs using green grapes, banana slices, and strawberries.
20. Set out snacks and a thank you letter
to your UPS, FedEx, Amazon, and mailmen!
21. See the Nutcracker ballet at your local theatre.
to your UPS, FedEx, Amazon, and mailmen!
22. Celebrate Winter Solstice on December 21st.
This is when the earth’s poles are tilted farthest away from the sun, giving us the day with the least amount of sunlight. I’m not sure if this is one I’d like to celebrate or not, but it makes the perfect day to enjoy Christmas lights!
23. Visit a decked-out Christmas town near you!
24. Make mulled wine.
I’ve never had mulled wine, but we can pretend we’re strolling the German Christmas markets in Europe with some warm spiced wine.
25. Set aside a few hours to focus on wrapping presents.
Choosing my wrapping theme each year is so fun, especially when stores like Target have aisles and aisles of cute wrapping supplies. Choose a signature color scheme and topper to make your presents stand out.
26. Decorate pinecones with glue and glitter.
This one takes me back to the ‘good ol’days’. We used to always do these in school and I’m sure my mom still has a few in her stored Christmas boxes.
27. Have the whole family write a gratitude list.
What are you thankful for this season?
28. Leave cookies out for Santa and carrots out for the reindeer.
29. Read ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas.
30. Eat 12 grapes on NYE for good luck in the new year!
This is a long standing tradition my family has.Each grape represents each of the twelve upcoming months.
