20+ Fun Ideas to Enjoy This Holiday Season
Whether we like it or not this year is going to be much different than years in the past. We are going to be home a lot more and looking for ways to create new memories when our normal ways of enjoying this holiday season are canceled or moved to virtual events due to the pandemic.
Instead of being sad that so much is happening out of my control, I’m deciding to embrace this year and use it as an opportunity to get creative and start new traditions. I thought I’d share some of the newer events on our holiday bucket list as well as our full list of tried and true fun traditions to help inspire you to create something similar. You can also make it super easy on yourself by downloading this FREE holiday bucket list template.
Things to Keep In Mind
It’s important to keep in mind that everything on your bucket list should be heavily focused on what your family LOVES. If you aren’t excited about the activity or even the thought stresses you out, it’s probably best to skip that one. You want this list to spark joy for every member of the family.
Let everyone participate in making this list. By encouraging every member of your family to participate in adding activities to the list you are creating a feeling of inclusion and love. If you bring the list to your family already completed it’s probably going to feel more like a chore list that may get forgotten.
You don’t have to break the budget to create lifelong memories as a family. There are so many ways to create memories with what you already have or would only cost a few dollars. It could also be a lot of fun to have a zero spend bucket list where your entire list is filled with free activities. Make it your own.
New Bucket List Ideas
Go wild with outdoor Christmas Lights - every year we do a little decorating but this year I plan on going a little extra on our decorations. We need it. Christmas decorations are good for the soul.
Drop off Holiday goody bags to our neighbors and friends - We normally enjoy this holiday season with our friends and family so instead of getting together we will drop off little surprises periodically to spread the holiday cheer.
Make Reindeer Food - while this is something that so many people do every single year, it’s nothing we’ve ever done before so I think it will be the perfect year to start this new fun tradition
Play Secret Santa for a special friend - One of the best parts of the holiday season is showing love to your friends and family. We plan on being a secret Santa to a very special family that we love so much. It will be so much fun and I cannot wait!
Write letters and special gifts to family members we won’t be able to see over the holidays. We will miss our family so much this winter (hopefully we can safely see as many as possible) so we will break out the pen and paper to write old school letters and make a few special gifts to mail to grandparents, aunts, and uncles, and cousins to let them know we love them.
25 days of Christmas books - Another tradition I’ve heard about before but we’ve never taken part in is the 25 days of Christmas books. I will find 25 amazing books, wrap them up, and then every night we will unwrap one to read. I think it will be a great way to keep the holiday cheer going all month long.
Try new Christmas crafts. Let’s be honest we have a lot of extra time at home (even when it doesn’t feel like it) so I’m stocking up on arts and crafts now so we can try a few new things. I’ll be sure to share on Instagram stories what we get ourselves into.
Old Favorites
Matching Pajamas for Christmas Morning
Grinch themed movie night complete with cookie baking
Decorate our Christmas Tree and home the day after Thanksgiving
Make Grandma’s Homemade noodles
Write a letter to Santa
Candy Cane Hide and Seek
Decorate a gingerbread house
Make Cider/Hot Chocolate
Bake all day long!
Make homemade Christmas ornaments
Watch our favorite Christmas Movies
Sing our hearts out to Christmas Carols (maybe even learn a few of these on the piano)
Drive around looking at Christmas Lights
