Top Christmas Activities for Kids That Create Unforgettable Family Memories
Your kids won’t remember every single present they unwrapped. But they’ll definitely remember building that wonky gingerbread house with Dad. Or the year everyone wore matching pajamas for the tree decorating.
That’s what Christmas activities for kids are really about – creating those sticky memories that last. At Christmas at the Tree Farm, we watch families come back year after year.
Same traditions. Same excited kids, just a little taller. That’s when you know you’ve found something that works.
Why Activities Beat More Toys
Kids already have too much stuff. Their rooms overflow with toys they played with twice. But experiences? Those build up in their hearts instead of cluttering your house.
The best Christmas activities for kids don’t require fancy equipment or perfect Pinterest execution. They just need you to show up and be present. That’s the secret ingredient nobody talks about.
Decorating the Tree Together
This one’s a classic for good reason. Turn on some Christmas music. Make hot chocolate with way too many marshmallows. Let the kids hang ornaments wherever they want, even if your inner perfectionist screams.
Give each kid their own small tree for their bedroom. They can decorate it however they want without you fixing it. The pride on their face when they finish? Worth the slightly crooked ornaments.
The Ornament Story Tradition
Pull out old ornaments and tell the stories behind them. The one Grandma gave you. The handprint from when they were two. Christmas activities for kids—they love hearing about when they were little.
Start adding one new ornament each year that represents something special from that year. Eventually, they’ll have a whole collection for their own homes someday.
Baking Christmas Cookies
Yeah, your kitchen will look like a flour bomb went off. Yes, the kids will eat more dough than they actually bake. That’s part of the fun.
Let them pick out cookie cutters. Let them go wild with the decorating. Don’t stress about making them look Instagram-worthy. The ugly cookies taste just as good.
Cookie Decorating Tips That Actually Work
Pre-make the dough and chill it overnight. Set up stations with different colored frosting and sprinkles. Give each kid their own workspace so they’re not fighting over the red sprinkles.
Take photos of their creations before the cookies mysteriously disappear. Kids love seeing their masterpieces documented. Even the ones that look vaguely terrifying.
Driving Around Looking at Lights
Load everyone in the car wearing pajamas. Bring thermoses of hot chocolate. Drive slowly through neighborhoods, checking out the decorations.
Make it a game – spot the inflatable Santa, count reindeer, find the house with the most lights. Little kids especially love this because they can participate easily.
Making It More Special
Create a scoring system for houses. Bring clipboards so kids can rate the displays. Give out silly awards like “Most Likely to Cause a Power Outage” or “Best Use of Inflatables.”
Some neighborhoods go absolutely nuts with their displays. Do a quick Google search to find the best ones near you. Worth the drive for the reactions.
Building Gingerbread Houses
Buy the kits. Trust me on this. Trying to make gingerbread from scratch with kids usually ends in tears. The kits come with everything pre-cut and ready.
Pre-assemble the house structure yourself a few hours before. Let the icing set up so the walls don’t collapse when kids start decorating. Nothing kills the Christmas spirit faster than a gingerbread house falling apart.
The Decoration Strategy
Set out bowls of different candies and let kids go wild. No rules. No, “that’s too much candy.” Let them create their vision, even if it looks like a sugar explosion.
Take before and after photos. The houses usually look pretty rough by the time kids finish. But they’re so proud of them. Display them prominently, even if they’re architectural disasters.
Making Ornaments
Handmade ornaments become family treasures. Even the wonky ones your kid made in kindergarten. Especially those ones, actually.
Christmas activities for kids can include making salt dough ornaments, painted pinecones, photo ornaments, or popsicle stick creations. The options are endless, and kids love getting hands-on.
Creating Keepsakes That Last
Use permanent materials that won’t fall apart. Add the year somewhere on each ornament. Kids love looking back at ornaments they made years ago.
Have kids make extras to give as gifts to grandparents. Homemade ornaments mean more than store-bought ones. Grandparents will cherish them forever.
Christmas Movie Marathons
Pick one night for a full-on movie marathon. Make it special with blankets, pillows, and a floor picnic. Let kids stay up later than usual.
Christmas activities for kids can include mixing classics with new releases like “Home Alone,” “Elf,” or “The Polar Express.” Let everyone pick one — even if you’ve seen them a hundred times, kids never get tired of favorites.
Making Movie Night Extra
Make themed snacks. Popcorn with festive sprinkles. Christmas cookies. Candy canes. Set up a hot chocolate bar with different toppings.
Turn off all the lights except the Christmas tree. The glow makes everything feel more magical. Christmas activities for kids like these make the holiday season cozy and unforgettable.
Visiting Santa
Find a good Santa experience, not just the mall one. Some places offer special visits with real beards and authentic setups. Worth seeking out.
Christmas at the Tree Farm creates that authentic experience families remember. Our setting feels real, not rushed. Kids get actual time with Santa, not just a quick photo.
Preparing for the Visit
Practice what they want to say beforehand with shy kids. Don’t force kids who are scared. Some years they’re ready, some years they’re not. That’s okay.
Arrive early or book a time slot to avoid meltdowns from long waits. Bring their wish list written down in case they forget everything when they meet him.
Crafting Christmas Cards
Making homemade Christmas cards turns into a production line. Set up stations with different supplies. Let kids create their own designs instead of following templates.
Older kids can write personal messages inside. Little ones can draw pictures or do handprints. Everyone contributes something to the final product.
Card-Making Assembly
Get photo cards printed, but let kids decorate the envelopes. Or skip the photo cards entirely and go full handmade. Relatives treasure these more than perfectly printed ones.
Have kids help address and stamp envelopes. Turn it into an assembly line game. Makes a boring task actually fun when everyone’s involved.
Making Paper Snowflakes
This old-school craft still works. All you need is paper and scissors. Kids can make dozens of them in one sitting.
Tape them to windows to create your own winter wonderland. Use different colored paper. Make giant ones and tiny ones. No two are alike, just like real snowflakes.
Snowflake Decorating Ideas
String them together as a garland. Hang them from the ceiling at different heights. Create a blizzard effect in one room.
Have a snowflake-making contest. Categories like biggest, smallest, and most intricate. Everyone wins something silly.
Christmas Scavenger Hunts
Hide small gifts or candy around the house with clues leading to each one. Kids of all ages love hunts. Makes gift-giving more interactive and fun.
Theme the hunt around Christmas stories or movies. Each clue relates to something from the story. The hunt becomes part of the entertainment, not just a means to an end.
Hunt Ideas That Work
Start easy for little kids with picture clues. Make it harder for older kids with riddles. Let siblings work together instead of competing.
The final prize can be something simple, like hot chocolate and cookies together. The hunt itself is the real gift, not necessarily what they find.
Why These Memories Stick
The best Christmas activities for kids happen when parents put down their phones and participate fully. Kids don’t care if things are perfect.
They care that you’re there. Years later, your grown kids will recreate these same Christmas activities for kids with their own families. That’s how traditions get passed down.
Through repetition and presence. Christmas at the Tree Farm adds something special to your tradition collection. We create experiences families remember, not just transactions. That’s what the holidays should feel like.
Conclusion
Christmas activities for kids don’t need to be complicated or expensive. They just need to be consistent and genuine. Show up. Participate. Let go of perfection.
The lopsided ornaments, the crooked cookies, and the gingerbread buildings that look like they survived an earthquake are what create the best stories. That’s what your kids will remember.
Christmas at the Tree Farm this season. We’ll help you make some of those memories that stick. The real, messy, beautiful kind.
Some hotels run shuttles to Christmas events. Downtown stuff is close enough to walk between locations. You’ll see all the decorations that way, too.
FAQ,s
What are the best Christmas activities for kids of different ages?
Little ones love decorating cookies and simple crafts. Elementary kids enjoy gingerbread houses and scavenger hunts. Teenagers surprisingly still love Christmas movie nights and helping with younger siblings’ Christmas activities for kids.
How do I make Christmas activities for kids special without spending a lot?
Use materials you already have at home. Paper snowflakes, homemade ornaments, and cookie baking cost almost nothing. The time together matters more than fancy supplies or expensive kits.
What Christmas activities for kids work when you’re short on time?
Driving to look at lights takes just an hour. Quick cookie decorating with store-bought cookies works. Reading one Christmas story at bedtime adds magic without requiring much time commitment.
How do I start new Christmas activities for kids as family traditions?
Pick 2-3 activities you genuinely enjoy and do them consistently every year. Don’t try to do everything. Kids remember the ones you repeat annually with enthusiasm and presence.
What Christmas activities for kids can we do at Christmas tree farms?
Pick out a real tree together, take family photos in natural settings, enjoy hot chocolate by outdoor fires, and often meet Santa in authentic environments. Many farms add special holiday activities beyond just tree selection.