Here is a great list of ideas to make Christmas memories with your kids in an hour {or less} a day. These ideas are to help you all enjoy the season, remember what it is all about, teach them to be grateful for what they already have and teach them how to be thoughtful in their own gift giving.
- Go see Christmas lights- make hot chocolate and put it in hot cups with lids and head out to a neighborhood known for doing Christmas lights well. Play Christmas music, enjoy your hot chocolate and ooh and aah over the lights together.
- Act out the Christmas story- use sheets to dress up as Mary, Joseph, shepherds, wise men, sheep, etc.. (or have the kids play multiple rolls). Read the Christmas story in the Bible and have the kids act it out.
- Do a live nativity scene with the kids in your neighborhood.
- Make Christmas cookies together with your kids {here’s an easy recipe to get you started}
- Take cookies to those who serve you in your neighborhood {firemen, policemen, etc…}
- Random Acts of Kindness to strangers- Pay for the people behind you in a drive through. Hand out gift cards for $5 to Starbucks. Feed meters with change downtown. Go to the library and pay off over due fines. Reach out to a single mom and offer to help her out with babysitting, extra groceries, or even gift money. Include your kids and have fun spending time together blessing others.
- Make old fashioned decorations for the Christmas tree- string popcorn for the tree or a garland using a needle and thread, make cinnamon spice ornaments {they smell amazing}, or let the kids paint new ornaments.
- Spend time talking about ways to give to others- Get your kids thinking about ways they can serve others this Christmas. Have them decide what they can give to those who don’t have as much as they do.
- Have your kids make a gift list- This is not a list of what they want but rather what they already have that are gifts in their lives. Teach them to be grateful for what they have.
- Help them think of creative ways to give thoughtful gifts to the ones they need gifts for- Don’t’ simply buy gifts for your kids to give but spend time with them teaching them to be thoughtful about what they give to others such as teachers, friends, cousins, daddy, etc… Give your kids opportunities to earn the money {by doing chores} to buy gifts for others.
About Kristin
i love your ideas for writing down gifts kids already have and giving them the opportunity to thoughtfully consider others and earn money for gifts.
Thank Rebekah! I’m trying to be really intentional about this. My kids (and myself) can forget so easily to be thankful for what we already have.
I absolutely LOVE this list! My son just turned one, so we are starting new traditions/memories as a family and this helps so much!
Arena @ The Nerd’s Wife recently posted..Family New Year’s Eve Extravaganza at the Medieval Times Dallas Castle
Glad it is helpful! I needed to write down the list for myself to help me remember the ones that have been fun for our family. It’s great that you are starting so early making fun family memories with your son!