From our archives:
Just before Thanksgiving each year, our family prints out the following list and posts it on our bulletin board. On it are all the different activities and events we’ve enjoyed during Christmases past. The children helped me generate the original list years ago, and we continue to add to it as we discover new traditions we want to make a part of our family’s holiday celebrations. The list reminds us to enjoy small, simple pleasures, as these are the things that make this time of year so memorable for our little ones. We don’t try to do everything on the list — that’s not the point — we just pick and choose those activities that appeal to us or fit our schedules this year. Try doing this with your own family… you can use our list or compile one of your own!
Simple Ways to Celebrate the Season
- take family photo for Christmas cards
- hang house lights
- put Christmas music in speaker system/ cars
- wrap/unwrap/read 25 books before Christmas
- Christmas card assembly line: work together
- make Candy Kiss Christmas Chains
- decorate Christmas tree(s)
- host shoebox stuffing party for “Operation Christmas Child”
- re-read old Christmas letters aloud
- read Family Devotions for Advent Season
- review Luke 2 and quote from memory
- watch It’s a Wonderful Life
- ring bell for Salvation Army
- read Dicken’s Christmas Stories
- make hot cocoa
- visit Christmas tree farm/ buy clippings
- have birthday party for Jesus
- read/ watch The Gift of the Magi
- make thank-you gifts for pastors/teachers
- watch Little Drummer Boy
- play Christmas Charades
- read/watch A Christmas Carol
- read/watch How the Grinch Stole Christmas
- sing carols around the fire
- read The First Night
- have family Christmas piano recital
- make fantasy fudge
- watch Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer
- take pumpkin bread to neighbors
- read Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree
- make Christmas ornaments/crafts
- give baking to mail-carrier/garbage men
- drive around to look at lights
- string popcorn/cranberries for outside tree
- make gingerbread house
- take coffee/donations to bell ringers
- watch/read Little House Christmas
- visit a drive-through or walk-through Nativity at a local church
- make cathedral window cookies
- take cookies to girls in Dad’s office
- sing/ play instruments for church program
- watch Frosty the Snowman
- listen to/ sing along with Handel’s Messiah
- attend home school Christmas party
- watch Elf
- make sausage balls
- work Twleve Days of Christmas jigsaw puzzle
- bake Christmas cookies
- make s’mores in drive-way; invite neighbors?
- watch White Christmas
- shop at a local church or school holiday craft fair
- see The Nutcracker ballet at community college
- watch Miracle on 34th Street (old version)
- jog in Rudolph Family Fun Run
- go ice-skating
- go Christmas caroling
- play Christmas party games as family
- act out Christmas story with little ones
- attend Emerald Ball with teens
- tell Christmas story with advent gift boxes
- watch Star of Bethlehem
- drink hot apple cider
- make/buy sibling stocking stuffers
- take kids Christmas shopping (for others)
- visit Six Flags Holiday in the Park
- eat traditional Christmas breakfast
- think/pray about/ make New Year’s resolutions
If you would like to view a printable version of this “Countdown to Christmas,” please click —> here.
