This post contains affiliate links. That means that if you click through and make purchases through those links, I can earn a commission. For more information, feel free to see our full disclosure.
Last year, I created our first official Family Christmas Bucket List. And I’ve since become a huge fan of thinking ahead of each season – be it actual season or holiday season – and creating a seasonal bucket list for our family. It’s a great way to be intentional and make the most of each season.
And frankly, the Christmas season always goes by WAY too quickly in my mind. And so spending a little time to make a Christmas bucket list is a great way to think about the memories and traditions that you want to create for your family this Christmas. Because it really is the most wonderful time of the year.
Am I right? Right.
Our Christmas Bucket List: 15 Fun Family Christmas Traditions
This post contains affiliate links. That means that I will earn a commission if you choose to click through and purchase from those links. For more information, you may see disclosure.
RELATED: Make it Merry: 6 Tips to Prepare for the Holidays with Kids
If you are thinking about starting some new traditions with your family this Christmas, I hope this list will give you some ideas. We try to keep it simple around here, but we still want to be intentional to soak up all the season has to offer in ways that are fun and memorable.
We want to create memories and traditions that we’ll all enjoy looking back on long after the season passes.
I know this list will change each year as the kids get older. Somethings stay on the list each year, but I try to keep it to things that are age appropriate for all our kids and that we can realistically get to with our schedules.
Here is what’s on our family’s Christmas Bucket List this year:
Celebrate the official start of our Christmas season as a family
This is something that we haven’t done before, but something that I’m excited for this year. Our oldest has been SO excited for Christmas this year and it makes me even more excited to decorate and do all the Christmas things. Since December 1 falls on the weekend after Thanksgiving this year, we’ve decided to have an official Christmas kick-off with the boys.
We’ll have cinnamon rolls (or something similar) for breakfast, bake cookies (I hope), watch a Christmas movie, and let the boys unwrap their Christmas pajamas. My hope is a fun family day to get us all in the Christmas spirit!
Decorate our tree
Something that will always be on our list. I’ve been itching to get our tree up for a while, but with painting the house, it will definitely be waiting until after Thanksgiving. My plan is to decorate our tree with Hubs Saturday night after Thanksgiving while the boys are sleeping so they can wake up to it for our family Christmas kick-off.
They each have smaller trees that we will help them decorate together.
Celebrate Advent as a family
Advent – the leading up to Christmas. The waiting and preparing for Christmas. It’s something that I did not really think about very much before having kids and thinking of how we wanted to celebrate with them. But as busy as the holidays get, I want to be intentional about slowing down and remembering the real reason we’re celebrating in the first place.
We usually read from The Shepherd on the Search as a family each night with the kids during this season to help us keep Christ at the center of our celebration and we read the Christmas story from the Bible regularly before meals or during reading times.
Listen to Christmas music
To be fair, we started this on the first really cold day we had here in North Carolina. We haven’t gone full swing just yet, but I know it’s coming. Christmas music all season long.
Bake Christmas cookies (to eat and share)
We LOVE treats around here and you can bet we will be baking lots of Christmas cookies (mostly these easy roll-out cookies in Christmas shapes) to decorate together and with friends.
Make gingerbread houses
I REALLY hope we get to this one. Hubs just asked me last week if we were going to get this on the calendar. For the last several years, we’ve hosted an annual gingerbread house party and it’s one of my favorites of the whole year.
But, looking ahead, we have so many home projects and other holiday happenings, I haven’t added it to our calendar yet. Regardless, we’ll hopefully be able to make gingerbread houses as a family.
RELATED: OUR 2018 GINGERBREAD HOUSE PARTY
Read Christmas Books
I’ve already started stalking the shelves at our local library for Christmas books. I’d love to know your favorites this time of year, too!
Do something kind for our neighbors
Whether it’s making a card, pulling the garbage bins in from the street, baking something sweet, or whatever it is, we’ll have the kids help do something kind for our neighbors. Serving others is a really great way to practice gratitude and focus more on giving in the holiday season rather than all the receiving.
Make a homemade garland – either with dried fruit or popcorn
Okay, truth be told, Hubs looked at me like I had three heads when I suggested making a dried orange garland. And who knows, the boys might be a little young for it. But, I think we could commit to popcorn. Right?
This might be extra this year, but I think it could be really fun. Has anyone done this with little ones before?
Mail Christmas cards to friends and family
One of my favorite Christmas traditions is sending and receiving Christmas cards. Of course, I have the HARDEST time getting rid of those beautiful photo cards from friends (aka I still have them all…), but it is the happiest mail to me this time of year. Hoping to not be so last minute this year with ours – if we can only get a good family photo to use, we’ll be all set.
RELATED: HOMEMADE FOOTPRINT CHRISTMAS CARDS YOUR KIDS CAN MAKE
Drink homemade hot cocoa
Drink hot cocoa because YUM. The boys and I have already had our first cup of hot cocoa (again, the first day it was really cold here, it took everything in me not to turn this place into a Christmas wonderland).
Hoping to make some yummy hot cocoa to enjoy as a family again.
Visit a local Christmas lights show
There are a few houses in some nearby neighborhoods that always have HUGE light shows in their yards – synced to music and everything. It’s always a fun adventure to bundle up and go see the lights!
Visit a live Nativity
We didn’t make it to one last year, but we’ve done this before with just our oldest and it was a fun way to see animals and talk about the birth of Jesus.
Watch a Christmas movie (with Hubs & as a family)
I think I’m the only one in our family who really loves the idea of family movie night, if I’m being honest. Our oldest could watch his favorite shows all day long if he were allowed to, but has not really gotten into watching a movie and Hubs would way rather play games together (I get it), but frankly, I love the idea of a Christmas themed family movie night.
And also a movie night with just Hubs because Christmas themed date night at home sounds like a really great way to de-stress and relax during a busy week.
Take a photo with Santa
We don’t even really “do Santa” around here. Meaning, we don’t give the kids special gifts from Santa. The boys know he is pretend. But even so, it’s fun to go get photos with Santa each year (and my parents REALLY appreciate getting an annual Santa photo). Our local Bass Pro Shop always has the BEST set-up for Santa photos with lots of crafts and activities to do besides only the photo. And they give you a free 4×6 photo, so you cannot beat it.
Not to mention, I can take the boys to see the fish in the back of the store, too. So, it’s basically like a bonus trip to the aquarium. We make a whole morning activity of it and it’s always lots of fun.
Other Fun Ideas for Your Christmas Bucket List
There are so many other things you might want to include on your list. Like I said, I hope that you’ll use our list as a good starting point, or to get some ideas. Here are some other fun ideas for your Christmas bucket list.
They’re ones I hope to add to our own Christmas bucket list in future years.
- Choose a new special Christmas ornament for your tree
- Cut out paper snowflakes
- Go caroling around your neighborhood or in an assisted living home
- Make cards for a children’s hospital
- Volunteer as a family
What’s on Your Christmas Bucket List This Year?
