The Christmas season is the perfect time of year to enjoy quality time with your kids. There are tons of fun Christmas activities for families to do in 2023. With new family traditions to start and old traditions, everyone can look forward to.
Each holiday activity you try will get your entire family into the Christmas spirit this year!
This inspirational Christmas list has tons of fun ways to celebrate the holidays from visiting Christmas tree farms to ice skating, Christmas crafts, holiday scavenger hunts, Santa Letters, Christmas games, great places to visit, and more.
I’ll even show you easy activities to celebrate on Zoom with your family that lives far away so everyone can enjoy fun holiday activities together.
It really is the most wonderful time of the year so let’s make it one your kids will remember!
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Fun Christmas Activities for Kids & Families in 2023
Follow along and find the best Christmas activities for families and make it a season of unforgettable family memories with your kids.
These fun Christmas ideas can become your new holiday traditions to try every year. Let’s get started and help you kick off this festive season.
If you have teens or tweens in the house too read 40 Fun Christmas Activities for Teens They’ll Actually Enjoy. Festive ways to incorporate your teens into the holidays and get them off their phones.
I know this can be a stressful time of year with so many things going on at once. But you can minimize that stress by keeping organized using a printable Christmas Planner this season. Track all the new family traditions you want to try, things to do, your holiday budget, gift ideas, meal planning, gifts bought, and more.
Check it out and see if the Ultimate Christmas Planner will help get you organized this Holiday Season!
1. Decorate Your House
Get into the Holiday spirit by decorating the inside and outside of your house. It’s the ultimate Christmas activity for families. Not only will it bring joy to your family it will help lift the spirits of your neighbors too.
Save some money on your Christmas Decorations with Dollar Tree Items. You’ll be amazed at what beautiful holiday decorations you can make with Dollar Tree items. I make tons of DIY decorations for our house and only spend a few dollars.
Another frugal way to decorate is to display your Christmas Cards as decorations. You receive so many holiday cards with pictures of people you love why not hang them up for the holiday season?
Use the decorations as the background for any family Zoom calls you have over the holidays too!
2. Write Letters to Santa
A traditional Christmas activity for families is writing letters to Santa.
Your kids will love sending letters to Santa to let him know what they want this year for Christmas. You can even have your kids mail the letter to an address in the North Pole.
First, download one of our 21 free printable letters to Santa templates to make creating your letter easy.
Next, grab our free printable Letters From Santa so Santa can write your kids back.
Lastly, send your letters to Santa to the North Pole. It’s a free service from Package from Santa with the address in North Pole and Santa Letters.
Want to personalize your Letter from Santa? Easily add your child’s name to the letter from Santa Claus with our Editable Santa Letters. Your child will love seeing Santa knows their name!
3. Holiday Family Game Night
Family Game Nights are great Christmas activities for families over winter break or at family Christmas parties.
Play rounds of Charades, Pictionary, scavenger hunts or board games. Families can also do a gift wrap race with dollar store wrapping paper and extra boxes you have at home.
If you don’t have time to plan a family game night print out our Family Game Night Planner with 12 months of pre-planned games your family will love. Just print it out and you’re ready to play!
Related Article – Hottest Girl Gift Ideas for 2023
Here are some fun Holiday Game Night Ideas
4. Christmas Minute to Win It Game Night
Families will love these Minute to Win It Games for Christmas with quick 1 minute challenges. Use items you already have at home to create these hilarious holiday-themed games.
Try party games like Junk in the Trunk, Snowball Drop, Holiday wrapping challenge, Trim the Tree, and more. These Christmas games are sure to be a hit with your kids!
Get even more game ideas in our 20 Easy Minute to Win it Games for Kids.
5. Christmas Scavenger Hunts
An easy and fun activity to try is a Christmas Scavenger Hunt. The whole family will have fun searching for holiday-themed items using our Christmas Scavenger Hunt ideas.
You’ll find three free printable scavenger hunts to try – one to find Holiday Lights in your community, one for your home, and lastly a virtual scavenger hunt to do on a Zoom Holiday Party.
The home Christmas scavenger hunt is great for Christmas parties or on Christmas Eve when you need to get your kid’s excited energy out.
The Christmas lights scavenger hunt is perfect for exploring those cool neighborhoods with all the colorful lights or local light shows.
Keep the fun going over winter break with our other Zoom Scavenger Hunt list of items you would like the kids to find around your house. Great way to connect over the holidays with friends and family that live far away.
You don’t have to be on zoom to play. This scavenger hunt list is great to use over winter break or all year long.
6. Laugh at Would You Rather Christmas Questions
An easy Christmas activity for families is playing the hilarious game Would You Rather Christmas Questions. Just read off our FREE printable questions and listen to your kid’s funny answers.
It’s a great way to bring some laughs and conversations to your holiday party or family dinner too.
Tip: Play it on Christmas Eve with your kids around the tree drinking hot chocolate & eating Christmas cookies.
7. Play Free Printable Christmas Games
Enjoy playing free printable Christmas games for families at home, at parties, or over Zoom virtually with family and friends who live far away. Quick and easy Christmas games families can play together.
If you play with your family on Zoom just email them the lists below to print out. That way everyone has the game to play. It’s a great way to celebrate Christmas with family who live far away.
Spend an evening playing Christmas Bingo Games for Kids.
Team up with family members and see which team can answer the most questions on this Family Christmas Quiz Questions.
Play a hilarious game of Christmas Charades with these Free Printable Christmas Charade ideas & word lists for families.
Enjoy a fun game of Christmas Pictionary with your family using a free printable holiday-themed word list. Use the whiteboard on Zoom to draw if you play virtually with family and friends.
Play an exciting Christmas party game with this free printable Christmas Family Feud Questions & Answers game. A great game both adults and kids and team up to play together at your next family holiday party.
Get all 10 Free Printable Christmas Activities for Families.
8. Christmas Coloring
Entertain the kids all holiday season with Christmas Coloring Pages. These are easy Christmas activites for familes at those long holiday dinners or at Christmas parties to keep your kids busy.
Kids will love these 76 Free Printable Christmas Coloring Pages.
9. Play Christmas Board Game
There are tons of fun Christmas board games for families. We’ve created a list of 21 of our favorites to play with kids from age 3 years old to adults.
These are great games as Christmas gifts or to start a new tradition of playing a Christmas board game with your kids every year.
Here are a few examples but you can look at the whole Christmas board game list here.
For younger kids try the Santa Claus Game or Rudolph the Red Nose Raindeer game.
Older kids who love the movie Elf will enjoy Elf Monopoly. There is also a great Christmas Themed Monopoly game.
10. Experience Christmas Escape Room Games
Challenge your family to break out of an Escape room this Christmas. We love how easy the winter-themed printable Escape room games are for family game nights or parties over winter break.
Here are two winter favorites to try:
Professor Swen’s Lab by Escape Room Geeks An Evil scientist who hates winter & snow and has invented a device to destroy all the snow in South Lake Tahoe.
Magical Frost Box by Lock Paper Scissors Kids will head on an enchanted escape room journey in the Magical Frost Box where they’ll discover magical quizzes to help the forest wisp make it to the winter faire.
11. Do DIY Christmas Craft -Ice Ornaments
Decorate your trees this winter with DIY Ice Ornaments. Get the kids outdoors collecting items they find in nature like leaves, berries, or small pine cones.
Add all your nature finds to a pie tin and freeze it in water overnight. The next day you’ll have a really cool frozen suncatcher to hang in your tree, on your kid’s snow fort, or on their snowman.
Find directions on How to Make a DIY Ice Ornament.
12. Plan an Ugly Sweater Party
Who doesn’t love a great Ugly Sweater party? It’s easy all you need to do is ask your guest to all wear a festive ugly sweater to the party. You’ll be amazed how much everyone enjoys seeing what each guest chooses to wear.
The sweater can be homemade with ribbons, bows, and ornaments. Or you can pretty much find an ugly sweater to buy anywhere nowadays.
13. Host a White Elephant Party
Another really fun game to play at your Christmas party is the White Elephant game. Have everyone coming to the party bring a small gift. You can set a price of $10-$20. The fun is not getting an expensive gift it’s seeing the silly gifts people can find in that price range.
Everyone wraps their gifts and leaves them in a pile. The guests go one by one picking out a gift and getting surprised by what they get. You can even steal the gift from the person before you rather than pick an unwrapped gift.
Find out how to play and get some gift ideas in our Funny White Elephant Gifts Ideas Under $20. There are gift ideas for both kids and adults. So you can do this at family parties too!
14. Plan Some Family Bonding Time
Use the holiday time to reconnect as a family. Enjoy fun family bonding activities at home to bring you closer. Quick things your family can do together to create a strong family bond and learn more about each other.
15. Give Back to the Community by Volunteering Together
Volunteering is a perfect Christmas activity for families to celebrate the spirit of Christmas. An easy thing to do at home is to write thank-you letters to troops and first responders.
Another idea is to help your local food pantry or soup kitchen to pack up food items to donate or head to your local park and pick up trash. Check out your local community and see what else people need help with.
16. Thank People In Your Community
Teachers have been working hard this year to remotely teach and adjust to social distancing in classes. Have the kids make a gift to say thank you to their teachers.
Use our free printable Thank you Letter to add a personal touch and send a small gift.
Find gift ideas on our list of What Teachers Really Want this Year.
Thank all the delivery people for dropping off your packages by putting out a basket by your door filled with water, candy, and individually packed snacks.
Use our Free Printable Thank You note to attach to your basket.
These are great ways to brighten someone’s day and help the kids remember the true meaning of Christmas.
Related Article – Hottest Gift Ideas for Boys in 2023
17. Go See Christmas Lights
Drive around and look at Christmas lights in your neighborhood. Or google the best light displays in your area and take a family drive to see them. Pack some hot cocoa and cookies and make a night of it for the kids.
Keep the kids engaged on your drive with our free printable Christmas Lights Scavenger Hunt.
Many areas offer holiday events with paid drive-thru light displays too. If you’re in the Chicagoland area check out our favorite Chicago Light Displays.
We also love to watch as a family The Great Christmas Light Fight on ABC with families competing to have the best holiday light decorations.
18. Attend a Holiday Event
Find a local Winter or Christmas festival in your area. There are usually tons of Christmas activities for familes included and it’s a fun afternoon out with the kids.
We love to go to Holiday events at The Chicago Museum of Science & Industry, the Chicago Lincoln Park Zoo or Brookfield Zoo.
19. Watch A Christmas Parade
Bundle up and go see a Christmas Parade together. Most have an exciting arrival of Santa Claus too!
20. Visit Santa Claus
Head to your local mall or department store to see Santa Claus. Let the kids tell him what they hope to get this year under the Christmas tree.
21. Sing Christmas Carols
Get your family members or friends together that love Christmas music and go Christmas caroling. It’s an old tradition that is a wonderful way to bring the holiday spirit to your community.
Plus who doesn’t love to sing Holiday songs? Even if you don’t go out into your neighborhood singing have a fun sing-along at home on Christmas day with your family.
22. Go Ice Skating
What’s a better winter activity than ice skating? Find a local indoor ice rink or an outdoor ice rink and have a blast skating around together.
23. Do Elf on a Shelf
A holiday tradition for many families is an Elf on the Shelf.
This elf gets hidden in a different place every night for the kids to find the next morning. It watches over the kids to let Santa know if they’re being naughty or nice.
24. Go on a Candy Cane Hunt
Have a candy cane hunt around your house. Hide candy canes or any small holiday item you find around the house and send your kids on a hunt.
If you’re stuck inside this winter they could do this over and over again for some great at-home entertainment.
Related Article – Self Care Gift Ideas for the Mom in Your Life
25. Hide a Christmas Pickle
An old German tradition is to hide a pickle ornament in a Christmas tree. Then on Christmas morning the first person to find the pickle gets to open the first present. My kids love to hide it all Christmas season long for their siblings to find.
26. Open Advent Calendars Each Day
Help the kids count down to Christmas with an Advent Calendar. Each day the kids open a square on the calendar to mark one day closer to Christmas.
You’ll find tons of different Advent Calendars from ones filled with chocolate to Legos, Disney Jr., Slime, and pretty much any character your kids are into this year.
Bonus when your kids keep asking how long till Christmas you can just point at the Calendar.
27. Make a Gingerbread House
Decorating Gingerbread houses are always a fun family tradition. Pick up a Gingerbread House Kit and spend some time creating a holiday house together.
28. Bake Holiday Cookies Together
One of the best Christmas activities for families is baking cookies together. So head to the kitchen and bake some delicious cookies. When you’re done baking decorate the cookies with frosting and sprinkles. Then enjoy eating your yummy cookies.
To make holiday shapes out of your cookies try some fun holiday cookie cutters. It will feel more festive than a round cookie.
Tip: If you’re not a baker buy some premade sugar cookie dough at the store to bake then just enjoy decorating the cookies. Or try these amazing No Bake Oreo Balls.
39. Make Cookies for Santa
When your baking all your cookies ask your kids what cookies they want to leave for Santa. Your kids will love thinking about what cookies Santa would like best and what to leave for the Reindeeer this year.
We like to use a cute Santa Cookie plate every year. The kids love getting it out and filling it with Christmas Cookies. It just adds a special touch to the tradition.
30. Do a Cookie Exchange with Friends
A Cookie exchange is a Christmas tradition and a fun way to get together with friends and family. Each family brings a different batch of cookies and then you exchange cookies.
It’s a easy way to get all the cookies you need to put out for dessert over the holiday season. Don’t forget to save a few for Santa!
31. Visit a Christmas Tree Farm
Visit a Christmas Tree Farm and find the perfect Christmas tree for your house. Your kids will love looking through all the trees and finding the one they hope will have presents under the tree on Christmas morning.
32. Make Christmas Cards
A fun traditional Christmas activity for families is making holiday cards. Have your kids create unique Christmas cards for your family and friends. If they enjoy crafts this is a great way to spend an afternoon.
Get out construction paper, markers, crayons, and any craft items you have at home, and let them use their imagination.
33. Take Funny Holiday Pictures
Give your friends and family a laugh by sharing funny holiday pictures. Make it a family activity to come up with silly poses and backgrounds for your pictures.
Then share them on social media, in a text, email, or create Christmas cards.
34. Pick Out Silly Gifts for Family or Friends
The Christmas season is not all about exchanging expensive gifts. Small funny gifts to show you care is a perfect way to exchange gifts with family and friends.
You can leave it at their door with a note letting or bring it to a Christmas Party. Maybe add one of the kid’s homemade Christmas cards.
If you need a few ideas, check out our funny White Elephant Gifts.
Tip: Looking to save money on gifts? Head to the Dollar Store & create these thoughtful Gift Baskets Ideas. You’ll be amazed at all the unique basket you can create with Dollar store Items.
35. Watch Christmas Movies
A great way to spend an evening leading up to Christmas is a Christmas movie marathon.
Enjoy fun Christmas-themed movies like:
Elf
A Christmas Story
Polar Express
Miracle on 34th Street
Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer
Santa Claus
How the Grinch Stole Christmas
A Christmas Carole
Frosty The Snowman
Home Alone
36. Read Christmas Stories Together
Gather around the Christmas tree and read some Christmas stories out loud to your kids. Reading holiday books is an easy Christmas activity for families.
They’ll love hearing the stories and the twinkling lights on the tree will add to the holiday feeling.
Read the classics The Night Before Christmas, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, or read a more religious story in The Night Before Jesus with a rhythmic reading like the Night Before Christmas.
37. Make a Hot Chocolate Bar
Set up a fun Hot Chocolate Bar for the family. Put out marshmallows, candy canes, different flavor chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, or Carmel bites.
Let the kids try different flavors and drink hot cocoa while you watch a movie or read a book.
38. Make Christmas Crafts – Ornaments
Fun Christmas Activities for families are decorating a new Christmas ornament each year to hang on the tree. It’s a fun family tradition to start and enjoy looking at the old ones every year when you pull out your Christmas ornaments.
You can find ornament kits at Dollar Tree or Amazon or check out tons of DIY ideas on Pinterest.
39. Attend a Christmas Service
Take all your family members to attend a Christmas service together.
40. Donate to a Toy Drive
Have your kids help you pick out toys to donate and then drop them off together at the donation box or non profit.
41. Make a Festive Wreath
Visit the Dollar Tree or local craft store to buy items to make your own Christmas wreath to hang in your house.
Learn how to make a Christmas wreath in our DIY Christmas Dollar Tree Decorations
42. Go to A Christmas Concert
Find a local theatre or show that is hosting a Christmas Concert to watch with the kids.
43. Make Paper Snowflakes
The kids will have a blast cutting out paper snowflakes to hang around your house as holiday decorations.
44. Holiday Dance Party
Crank up the Christmas music and have a holiday dance party around the Christmas Tree.
45. Have a Secret Santa Party
Plan a fun secret santa party with friends or family. Give each person coming a name of a person to pick a small gift for and set a limit on spending. Who you give the gift to will be a surprise.
On the day of the Christmas party guests will all bring a wrapped gift with the name of the person it is for and leave it on a table. When each guests picks up the gift with their name on it they need to guess who bought if for them.
46. Get Matching Christmas PJs
Buy matching Christmas pajamas for the whole family to wear on Christmas Day.
47. Build a Cozy Indoor Fire
Use your fireplace to build a cozy fire. The family can roast marshmallows and read some great Christmas books while enjoying the fire.
48. Camp Out Around the Tree
Grab your sleeping bag and have a family camp out around the twinkling lights of your Christmas Tree. Children of all ages will think this is exciting.
49. Track Santa’s Arrival
Your little kids will love the Christmas Tradition of Tracking Santa Claus on his way from the North Pole on Christmas Eve. It’s also a great way to get excited kids to go to bed (:
Use the official Santa Tracker NORAD to find Santa this year.
50. Look Back at Old Christmas Photos
It’s so much fun to look back at old pictures and see how much your kids have grown over the years. This is a great time of year to actually do it!
51. Create a Christmas Play List
Make a great Christmas play list with all your favorite Christmas songs that your family can listen to all season long.
52. Play in the Snow & Go Sledding
If it’s a wintery Christmas bundle up and head outside to play in the snow. Build a snowman, have a snowball fight, make snow angels, or go sledding. This is a great way to burn some energy and enjoy the winter months.
You can make snow art too with DIY Snow Painting. It’s super cool and all you need is a spray bottle, water, and food dye. This will keep your kids busy outside for hours.
53. Snowy Bonfire
Bundle up and make a big bonfire outside to roast marshamallows and gather around with neighbors.
54. Do an Eggnog Tasting
Get a few different brands of Eggnog and do a taste testing with the Christmas cookies you made earlier.
55. Make Christmas Wrapping Paper
Get large sheets of paper and let your kids color them for Christmas. Then use that paper to wrap grandparents gifts.
56. Write a Letter to a Solider
Write a Christmas letter to a solider tell them thank you for their service. You can do this through the Red Cross Holidays for Heros.
57. Make Christmas Treats for Neighbors
Have the kids help you make little Christmas goody bags filled with Christmas cookies, candy, small christmas ornaments and a handmade card from your kids wishing them a Merry Christmas.
58. Zoom Christmas Party
Catch up with family and friends who live far away with Zoom Christmas party.
59. Make Popcorn Garland
Make DIY garland by stringing popcorn and cranberries on to string. Make it easier by using a needle on the end of the string to push through the popcorn and cranberries.
60. Cook A Christmas Meal from A Different Country
Try making a new dinner that’s a Christmas tradition in another country.
61. Participate in A Christmas Themed Race
If your family likes to run or walk find a Christmas themed race to do together.
62. Create a Minature Christmas Village
On a table at home create a mini christmas village with small holiday buildings, Christmas trees and people.
63. Decorate Your Front Yard for Christmas
Turn your house into a winter wonderland with fun holiday inflatables and hang Christmas ornaments on your trees.
64. Make Scrape Book For the Past Year
Get all those pictures off your phone from the past year and make a memory book or scrap book.
65. Plan a Family New Year’s Eve Party
Don’t forget to plan a fun New Year’s Eve with your kids too. Learn how to make DIY New Year’s Eve poppers, balloon countdowns, countdown bags, photo booths, fun desserts, and more.
Plan a party for just your family or close friends and make it a festive night for your whole family.
Find tons of fun & unique ideas in New Year’s Eve with Kids at Home.
I hope all these Christmas Activities for Families will have you excited to celebrate this year at home. Whether you use these to create a socially distanced Christmas in 2023 or just enjoy these fun activities together your kids are sure to have fun.
Make Planning the Christmas Holidays & Parties Easier with the Ultimate Christmas Planner. Filled with 62 pages of Christmas checklists, meal planner, party planner, holiday budget, gift lists, printable family games, monthly, weekly & daily calendars & more.
It’s the Ultimate Parenting hack for the Holidays!
Need More Holiday Ideas?
Check out more Christmas activities for families from Happy Mom Hacks or visit our holiday page. Find frugal ways to decorate and the top gifts for 2023.
DIY Christmas Decorations & Hostess Gifts at Dollar Tree – No one will know you only spent $1
How to Display all Your Christmas Cards – Turn Your Holiday Cards into Christmas Decorations
40 Christmas Activities for Teens They’ll Actually Enjoy – Festive things to do with older kids.
Hottest Gifts for Tween Girls in 2023 – The Gifts Tween & Teen Girls are hoping for this year
What Boys Really Want in 2023 – Coolest Gift Ideas for Boys this year
Teen Boys Stocking Stuffers They’ll Be Thrilled to Get – small gifts perfect for Christmas stockings
Hilarious White Elephant Gift Ideas – The Perfect White Elephant Gift Idea under $20 for Kids & Adults
The Gifts Teachers Really Want this Year – Fun Gifts Teachers Love
Ultimate Gift List for Fortnite Players – Cool Gifts for Fortnite-Obsessed Kids
Unique Subscription Box Gift Ideas for Kids – Monthly Gifts with toys, STEM activites, sports, books & more
Free Printable Christmas Party Games for Families – 7 Free printable games for kids and adults.
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Walker
Thursday 25th of February 2021
informative aticle thank you for sharing.
christmas-activities-for-families
happymomhacks
Thursday 25th of February 2021
Hope it helps you plan a great Christmas!