Christmas Traditions To Start This Year

I have already started thinking about Christmas traditions to start this year, because this Christmas is going to be that much more special and exciting, as I became a new mom in July! I can't wait to start some of these this year, and next year as she grows a little older, well and all the years to come!

I have been thinking about what new traditions to start and what traditions I can keep carrying on from when I was a child. I absolutely love Christmas, as this is a time of giving and family coming together to celebrate! I am the youngest out of six kids, so I always enjoy seeing all of my family over the holidays! I want my children to love Christmas just as much as I do and hopefully they will take some of these traditions they learn when they are kids and teach them to their children and so on. As Christmas traditions are one of the things kids will remember for years and years and those special memories will bring your family closer together

If you are wanting to start some great Christmas traditions and need some ideas to help you get started, here’s a list of 25+ Christmas traditions to start this year.

Pinterest graphic with text for 25+ Christmas Traditions and collage of Christmas traditions ideas.

Looking For Gift Ideas? You can find a gift guide for infants/toddlers here. For kids approx. ages 5-13 here. For teenage girls here. For teenage boys here. For her here and for him here.

1. Christmas Advent Calendar

Countdown to Christmas chocolate set. — Begin the countdown to Christmas with chocolate!

Felt Christmas advent calendar. — Or instead of a chocolate advent calendar, do a note advent calendar. Write notes each day about what you love about each child!

2. Gingerbread Houses

Gingerbread Cottage Kit Christmas activity idea. — Set aside a family night to put together gingerbread houses!

3. Family Game Night

The Santa Clause Game Christmas idea. — The holiday game that teaches kids its fun to give!

Pin the nose on the snowman holiday activity idea. — Pin the nose on the snowman.

Rudolph\'s Christmas Journey board game. — Rudolph's Christmas Journey. Fun for all ages.

Christmas Charades Game. Hours of holiday fun.

Christmas themed Spot it! game. — Spot It Holiday. Award-winning game of visual perception for the whole family, with all new holiday-themed symbols. Five challenging ways to play for hours of frenzied fun Develops focus, visual perception, language and fine motor skills

Bean Boozled family game. — Bean Boozled. Naughty or nice edition.

All of these games are also great to play with the whole family on Christmas day.

4. Christmas Movie Night

How the Grinch Stole Christmas, holiday traditions movie. — You can never go wrong with The Grinch!

Elf, Christmas traditions movie. — One of my favorite Christmas movies, Elf!

The Original Christmas Classics Anniversary Collections Edition. — Christmas Classics. Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer, Santa Claus Is Coming To Town, Frosty The Snowman, Frosty Returns, Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol, The Little Drummer Boy, Cricket On The Hearth

5. Christmas Eve Gift Box

Christmas Eve Christmas box family tradition. — When I was younger we were always able to pick out one Christmas present to open after church on Christmas Eve, and all of us kids looked forward to this so much! This tradition is a little bit different, although it does include opening one present on Christmas Eve. Put together a gift box that can include a Christmas movie, matching family pajamas, hot chocolate, marshmallows, popcorn, a Christmas book, fuzzy Christmas socks, stuffed animal, cookies, and whatever you choose to add to the gift box. Let them open this on Christmas Eve and then spend the night watching the movie, snacking, and then finishing it off reading a book.

6. Tree Ornament

Personalized Christmas ornaments with family pictures. — Personalized Christmas ornaments. Use family photos or photos of your littles to create these picture ornaments. Do this every year and your tree will be covered with memorable ornaments/pictures of your family. This is a must on my Christmas tradition starting this year!

Clear Christmas ornament with black and white picture of little girl. — This is another great ornament option. Place pictures inside clear ornaments! You can find clear fillable ornaments here.

7. Wrap 25 Books

25 books wrapped for Christmas in basket. — Wrap 24 books. Let the kids open one each night leading up to Christmas. As books can be somewhat expensive, they don't have to be new!

8. Scavenger Hunt

Family Christmas traditions scavenger hunt. — On Christmas morning, hide the biggest Christmas present and make clues as to where they can find their present.

9. Christmas Lights Drive

Christmas lights scavenger hunt printable. — Set aside a night to make hot chocolate and drive around looking at Christmas lights with the whole family. Print out this scavenger hunt and make this tradition even more fun! This was always something my mom and I did together, and I will cherish this for the rest of my life.

10. Make Magic Reindeer Food

Bag of \"homemade\" magic reindeer food for family Christmas activity. — Make reindeer food and have the kids sprinkle it on the yard on Christmas Eve night. You can find the recipe here. You can find the edible glitter here, if making it. Or you can buy a bag of reindeer food here. It is cheaper, but it surely won't be as fun as making it!

11. Photocopy Letters To Santa

Mailbox for letters to Santa. — Photocopy your children’s letters to Santa each year and create a book in order to give to your kids when they get older.

12. Kindness Elves

Kindness elves in glass cup. — Saw this and love this idea. Instead of focusing on elf on the shelve, focus on these kindness elves.

13. Santa Footprints

\"Santa footprints\" made with flour on hardwood floor. — Create Santa footprints using flour.

14. Donate A Toy

Child picks toys to donate for Christmas. — Take your kids shopping and let them pick out a toy to donate to the less fortunate.

15. Wrapping Paper

Wrapped Christmas presents under tree. — Each kid gets their own wrapping paper. None of the gifts are marked with their name. In order to know which gifts are theirs they have to find a little piece of their wrapping paper in the bottom of their stocking. It creates some excitement as they see the gifts, but they don't know which ones are theirs.

16. Numbered Presents

Cartoon of numbered Christmas presents. — I was the youngest out of six kids and so instead of my mom writing our names on the Christmas presents she would number them 1-6, with each of us kids getting our own number. This created some excitement as none of us knew which presents were ours and lessened the amount of snooping through the presents as well.

17. Family Christmas Tree Trip

Snowy Christmas tree lot. — If you are someone who prefers to use a fake tree, you can skip right on past this one. Although, if you prefer a real tree, set aside a day to go pick out your perfect Christmas tree as a family.

18. Christmas Morning Breakfast

Food for Christmas morning breakfast. — Create a special Christmas breakfast. This doesn't mean you have to make anything fancy, even just store bought cinnamon rolls and hot chocolate, or green and red pancakes will do. As long as it is special, to Christmas, the kids will love it!

19. Give Each Child An Ornament Each Year

Personalized ornament for baby\'s first Christmas. — Give each child a personalized Christmas ornament each year, putting their name and date on it. One day they will have their own tree to decorate and they will enjoy using memorable ornaments from their childhood!

20. Christmas Tree Trunk Ornament

Rustic miniature stump, personalized Christmas ornament. — If you use real Christmas trees, cut off a chunk of the trunk and create ornaments each year.

21. Bake and Decorate Cookies

Christmas themed bake and decorate cookies. — Bake and decorate Christmas cookies with your littlles. I can tell you this is something that they will look forward to doing every single year! You can find these Christmas stencils here, in order to make things a little easier.

22. Attend Local Christmas Parades

Christmas parade float with Santa Claus. — I always enjoy these. My home town does a Parade of Lights, where locals decorate floats and has a nighttime parade. Seeing the look of joy in the kids eyes as they watch vehicles/floats decked out in Christmas lights is priceless!

23. Attend A Christmas Concert

Musicians in Santa outfits for Christmas concert. — Attend a Christmas program/concert, even if it is the local High School Christmas concert.

24. Have A Snowball Fight, Build a Snowman, Go Ice Skating, and Sledding

Snowman with scarf next to miniature fur tree. — Any of these are great activities to do in December and will create memories that your kids will remember forever!

25. Kids Felt Christmas Tree

26. Service Scavenger Hunt

Salvation army donation pot for Christmas service scavenger hunt. — I love love love this idea! On Christmas Eve go around town and see how much service you can do. This could include taping quarters to a vending machine, paying for the order behind you in the drive thru, taking treats to the nurses at the hospital or the officers at the police station, going and visiting with individuals at the nursing home, taking needed items to the homeless shelter, shoveling sidewalks, ringing the bell for The Salvation Army, etc.

There you have it! I would love to hear any Christmas traditions, in the comments, that you do in your family that are not on the list! Thank you for stopping by and I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas!

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