December has easily become our family’s favorite month of the year. Yes, it’s hectic at times for our family, but the traditions that we started several years ago have really overshadowed the frazzled feeling and left us feeling festive even for a busy household.
One of my favorite traditions that we implemented a few years ago is our family Christmas activity countdown. Years ago, I stumbled across a 25-day stocking decoration that hangs in our kitchen. There is a little woven stocking numbered for each day of the month, and each stocking holds a slip of paper with an activity that we’ve chosen to do for our family. Activities can vary from things that are simple and done in the home, to activities that are larger and done somewhere else. Every morning, my kids run downstairs to pull the activity of the day out. They are aware that some activities are very small and some are larger. Some are gifts and some are more oriented towards time together as a family.
Below are some of the activities and ideas that we’ve done over the years:
- December 1st we always wrap an advent calendar for the kids to open and enjoy all month long. There are lots of really expensive advent calendars, but my kids prefer the cheap ones with the small piece of chocolate in it each morning.
- Christmas crafts are always fun. I usually do 2-3 crafts this month on different days, and I have one of the crafts always be made for them to give to a friend. Target has great crafts for reasonable prices (the Mondo Llama brands are my personal favorite) for the holiday season. We also include a night to make gingerbread houses.
- Simple in-home ideas are watching a Christmas movie with popcorn, building a fire inside, and having hot chocolate (I buy the hot chocolate bombs), making a Christmas card out of construction paper and stickers to mail, having a Christmas music dance party in the kitchen, delivering a homemade gift to our neighbors while singing Jingle Bells, walking in our own neighborhood to look at Christmas lights, making Christmas cookies, making cupcakes for Jesus, and an all family “slumber party,” where we all sleep in the same room together.
- Larger out of the home ideas are Elf Hunting downtown, ice skating as a family, driving in our pajamas to look at Christmas lights, kids picking a restaurant for dinner, and individual Christmas shopping with each child for their siblings.
December can be unorganized and in years past, I have felt like the month is over before I really got to enjoy it with my family. Being organized ahead of time and planning out the month is extremely helpful and really the only way we can ensure that time doesn’t pass too quickly without pausing to celebrate the season. All in all, I want my kids to remember this month and the traditions that we’ve set in hopes that they set them for their families one day in the future.
