Fun Family Activities for the Christmas Season
The Christmas Season is about love, giving, peace, spreading cheer, and celebrating the birth of God’s greatest gift: His Son. It is through Christ that we are able to live in light and return to Our Father in Heaven.
As the stresses of life turn over to Christmas Joy, the harmony and hospitality that come from God are magnified. We need to nourish these feelings of goodwill and benevolence.
Below are activities the entire family can enjoy that will help capture the true meaning of the Season.
The Activities
Learn More About Christ with a Characteristics of Christ Christmas Countdown Jar- Grab a jar and print out the characteristics of Jesus printables below. Fold and place each characteristic of Jesus into the jar. Beginning December first, pull out one of the attributes and read one (or more) of the scriptures relating to the trait. Do this every day leading up to Christmas. (There will be leftover papers, but that just adds to the surprise of the next Christmas). This activity allows you and your family to get to know Jesus a little better as well as deepen your sacred relationship with Him.
Donate Food to the Local Food Bank- The Christmas Season is full of the spirit of giving. Collecting and donating non-perishable food items is a great way to harbor the giving bug. Bonus- it is a fantastic teaching moment for children.
Go Caroling- Brush up those singing voices and spread merriment by caroling throughout your neighborhood.
***BONUS*** You can gather a group (maybe another family or friends) and sing carols at a local retirement home.
Find an Angel Tree and Go Shopping for a Present as a Family- Give a gift to a child in your community! As a group, choose a child to gift. Altogether, shop for and wrap the present. Make it an experience the whole family can enjoy.
Arrange a Service Manger- On the first of December, set aside a space in your home and find a manger. Leave a small stack of straw nearby. Every time someone in the household does something kind for another person, they get to place a piece of straw into the manger. The objective is to have the manger filled with straw by Christmas Day so that Baby Jesus would have a warm, and cozy bed.
Bake and Decorate Holiday-Themed Cookies for Your Neighbors- Some of the best memories are made in the kitchen.
Every Day in the Month of December, Have a Family Devotional Focused on the Birth of the Savior- The Birth of Christ should be the center of Christmastime. A great way to make sure you don’t lose sight of the true meaning of Christmas is to dedicate a time to gather as a family and hold a devotional about His birth.
Decorate the Christmas Tree as a Family- This one may seem obvious, but it is a fun and festive way to connect with your family.
As a Family, Create Your Own Christmas Cards and Send Them- Release your creative side and design homemade Christmas cards to send to your loved ones. Christmas cards are an excellent way to spread some Christmas cheer. If you want to include a message from the Bible, click here for inspiration.
Donate Gently Used Books to a Women's Shelter- Clean out your bookshelves and donate your gently used books to women's shelters. Women's shelters are often looking for all sorts of books, ranging from children’s books to adult novels.
Watch a Christmas Movie- Throw the popcorn in the microwave, snuggle up on the couch wearing your favorite PJs, nestle into your warmest blanket, and watch one of your treasured Christmas movies together.
Setup a Nativity Together- Enjoy putting together a nativity scene as a family. As you’re doing so, be mindful of Christ and reflect on all that He has given us.
Make a Night of Driving Around and Looking at Christmas Lights- Get out of the house and admire all of the festive lights and decorations around your community.
Make Little Goodie Bags for Kids in the Local Children’s Hospital- Light up a child’s life by donating goodie bags to children who are unable to spend the Christmas Season at home. You can assemble these bags with simple things such as: coloring books and coloring supplies (crayons, markers, colored pencils), stickers, legos, or anything else you can think of.
Organize a Christmas Music Dance Party- It doesn’t have to be anything fancy. All you need is you, your family, and some Christmas tunes. Pump up the volume and let loose!
Read the Story of Christmas- Pull out your Bible and flip it open to The Book of Matthew and The Book of Luke. Both Matthew chapters 1 & 2 and Luke chapters 1 & 2 contain the story of the Savior's birth.
Make Peppermint Bark and Gingerbread Men and Pass Them Out to Your Local Police and Fire Departments- Pass along the holiday joy by showing your appreciation to the first responders who work hard and diligently to protect your community.
Donate Clothing to a Homeless Shelter- Some useful and needed items you can donate are pants, jackets, and gloves to help keep some of our unhoused brothers and sisters warmer.
Make Ornaments Together- Not only will these ornaments be unique and personal, but they’ll also serve as a great reminder every Christmas about the time you spent as a family.
Download and Print Christmas Coloring Pages and Color Them Together- Locate your inner child and take satisfaction in coloring bright and cheery Christmas coloring pages with your kids. It is a remarkable way to get in some quality time together.
Assemble a Christmas Present for Any Teachers in Your Life- Go shopping with your kid(s) and let them choose a Christmas present for their teacher(s). The present doesn’t have to be anything extravagant, just a little something to remind the teacher that they are cherished.
Donate to a Charity- Mutually agree on a charity and send a Christmas donation.
Decorate Gingerbread Houses- Building and decorating gingerbread houses is a classic holiday tradition that is fun for the whole family!
Put Together a “Gifts for Jesus” Box- Find a box that will serve as your “Gifts for Jesus” box. As a family, decorate the box. Everyone then fills out a note, explaining what gift they are giving to Jesus that year. Some examples of gifts are: being kinder to siblings, letting go of grudges, helping others, or anything else that exemplifies Christlike behavior. Place the notes in the box and keep it under the tree until Christmas is over. Set the box aside until the following Christmas. Devote yourself to keeping your gift to Jesus. The next Christmas, pull out the box and assess how well each of you committed to your gift.
Read Christmas Stories- Classic and modern Christmas stories are a fun and fantastic way to delight in the joy the Season brings.
Create a Christmas Dinner Menu- Let everyone have input on what they would like to eat for Christmas dinner.
***BONUS*** Put together a box of your Christmas dinner menu items and donate it to a family in need.
Leave a Basket of Treats on Your Porch for Your Delivery Persons- Christmastime is one of the busiest times for delivery persons. Show them your appreciation for the work that they do by leaving out a basket of treats they can pick from. Attach a note of gratitude to each of the snacks.
Spend Quality Time Together with a Puzzle- Working together to assemble a puzzle is a positive way to reinforce patience, teamwork, harmony, and unity.
Have a Game Night- The games don’t need to be Christmas-themed. Game nights are a great way to enjoy and connect with each other.
Make White Chocolate Peppermint Hot Cocoa- Warm up with a yummy hot treat the whole family will enjoy!
Remember
Christmastime is a wonderful time that we can not only grow closer to our earthly family, but we can use this time to honor and celebrate Christ by becoming more Christlike. We can serve others, spread goodwill and love, and follow the path of righteousness.
- Torrance Church of Christ