10 Christmas Traditions to Start with your Kids this Year
Christmas is by far my favorite time of the year and I’m so excited to start our own family traditions with the kids. This will be Weston’s third Christmas, but he was so young the past two years, he clearly didn’t have any idea what was going on. He probably still won’t have a clue this year, but I’m excited to start introducing him to our favorite Christmas traditions. He’ll probably cry on Santa’s lap, rip ornaments off the tree, and sneeze into the cookie dough, but I still can’t wait for the holidays this year.
10 Christmas Traditions to Start with your Kids
Decorating the Christmas Tree
Of course decorating the Christmas tree is number one on my list of Christmas traditions. My husband talked me into getting a real tree as soon as we got married and outside of sweeping up endless pine needles, there’s nothing better. He’s been trying to talk me into cutting it down ourselves, but my response has always been, “when Weston is older and can enjoy it.” Well, this year, we’re starting the tradition of cutting down our own tree. We’ll see how it goes.
I’ve also been exploring some ideas for how to keep toddlers away from the Christmas tree. I don’t want to spend every Christmas with a tree that only has ornaments on the top half. My favorite idea has been to set up a small, table top Christmas tree, just for the kids to decorate and redecorate whenever they want to. I’m hoping this will keep him occupied and away from the real thing.
Elf on the Shelf
Most parents are familiar with Elf on the Shelf. It’s a family Christmas tradition that seems to have really exploded over the last decade. If you haven’t jumped on the bandwagon yet, it really is a cute idea. All you need to do is purchase the Elf on the Shelf, A Christmas Tradition and decide when you want to start. Some popular times to start are the weekend after Thanksgiving, the night you put up the Christmas tree, or December 1. Read the book to your kids, and after they’re asleep each night, set up the elf around your home in precarious situations. The rules are in the book, but your children are not allowed to touch the elf. He’s simply there to watch over them and report back to Santa.
If you’re already familiar with everyone’s favorite Elf, but you’re in dire need of new Elf on the Shelf ideas, you have to check out this amazing post from my friend, Brenda, at Paper Heart Family! The post includes everything you need to rock Elf season this Christmas. You can find name ideas, last minute Elf on the Shelf ideas, funny Elf on the Shelf ideas, ideas toddlers will love, excuses for the elf that didn’t move, a goodbye letter, and more! She even has a 2018 Elf on the Shelf Calendar and Planner that is an organized mom’s dream.
Cookie Day
Cookie day is a Christmas tradition that my family has been doing for as long as I can remember. We pick a Saturday in December and bake cookies for the entire day. At the end of the day, we box them up for friends and family. We always seem to make way too many, so last year, we decided that we’d all pick our favorite recipe. We make a batch (or two) of each recipe, plus a few batches of the must-haves like chocolate chip and sugar cookies. My favorite Christmas cookie recipe is a ginger spice cookie that I actually discovered when I was trying to induce labor. I follow this recipe, but leave out the cayenne pepper.
Christmas Lights
I remember driving around to different neighborhoods when I was a kid so that we could see Christmas lights. We would sit in the back seat of our conversion van and say “oohhhh”, “ahhhh”, or “scrooge!” Now that we’re older, my sisters and I have started the tradition of taking the kids to the zoo to see the Christmas lights. Our zoo does an amazing display each year and we all enjoy going. Each town and city has different traditions, but there is usually at least one place you can go to check out some great Christmas lights!
Christmas Countdown
I love the idea of having a Christmas countdown or advent calendar of some kind. I remember making a paper chain in elementary school and I loved waking up each morning to pull another link off the chain. Here are some of my favorite Christmas countdown ideas!
Christmas Countdown Surprise Box
Countdown to Christmas Free Printable
Donate Old Toys
A great way to get your kids into the spirit of giving is to do a toy donation. It’s a also a great way to make room for all the gifts they’ll likely be receiving. Spend a morning going through old toys and encourage your kids to give. You can donate the toys to a shelter, church, or local nonprofit organization.
Movie Night
Plan a movie night for the whole family to enjoy. You can go all out by making Christmas popcorn, sipping hot cocoa, and wearing Christmas pjs.
DIY Christmas Ornaments
I love the idea of making DIY Christmas ornaments with the kids each year. They’re a wonderful keepsake and a fun craft during the holiday season. Here are some of my favorite ideas I found on Pinterest!
Popsicle Stick Reindeer Ornament
Christmas Eve Gift
I’ve had so many moms tell me that they wrap up Christmas pajamas and a new Christmas book for the kids to open on Christmas Eve. Some throw in some hot chocolate and a bag of popcorn and make an evening of it. I think this is such a cute idea and great way to get the kids even more excited for Christmas day. Plus they’ll look extra cute in their nice new jammies in all your Christmas morning photos.
Santa Tracker App
Did you know there’s an app that will track Santa? It shows you a little radar and a map of where Santa is at that exact moment on Christmas Eve. We downloaded the app a few years ago when my nephew was just starting to understand the idea of Santa Claus. He gets so excited when he sees Santa’s location and it’s a great way to encourage him to go to bed. We tell him that it looks like he’s heading straight to his house and he’d better get in bed if he wants Santa to stop by. (We can’t be the only ones who make up white lies to get the kids in bed, right?)
I hope this list gave you some great ideas for Christmas traditions to start with your kids. I’m overly excited for the holidays as Weston gets older and I can’t wait to see how he reacts to the festivities this year. Also, please share your favorite Christmas traditions in the comments below! I love to see what other families do and I’m always looking for new ways to celebrate the most wonderful time of the year!
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