Article: Family Holiday Traditions

Christmas is such an exciting time for our kids. We have started several Christmas traditions that our children love. Before we started these traditions it felt like Christmas day came and went before we could blink an eye. Now we have found several things to do to stretch out the Holiday all month long. Feel free to share your holiday traditions with me as well! 

1. Trim the Tree: The First thing we do on December 1st is put up our Christmas tree and decorate it. We play holiday music and the whole family participates. 

2. Christmas Ornament: Every year we pick a different type of ornament for the kids to make and they sign and date it. Sometime we even include their photo depending on which type we pick.

3. Christmas lights on the Circle: We usually do this early in December each year. We go out to dinner and then downtown to look at the lights, snap some photos and watch the puppet show.

4. Donate a gift: We take one afternoon where each child gets to pick out a toy to donate. This is a great way for us to involve our kids in the spirit of giving and not just receiving. 

5. Mini camp out under the Tree: This is more of a nightly occurrence. We don't actually sleep out by the tree (although I have heard some families do an over night campout one night, which I'm sure would be fun as well). We just sit by the tree and admire the lights while spending a little relaxing time together before bed.

6. Cookie Making / Decorating Party: Once again Holiday Music and all the kids helping make and decorate Christmas cookies. This is always a big hit. Once the cookies are all done we eat them while watching a Christmas movie. 

7.  Movie Night: On Christmas Eve, we watch our families favorite Christmas movie - same one every year - While drinking hot chocolate.

8. Hot Chocolate Bar: We do this usually once a week leading up to Christmas. We make hot chocolate and let the kids choose from marshmallows, whipped cream, red and green sprinkles, and candy canes to decorate their cups. 

9. Christmas Eve Book: We read The Night Before Christmas every Christmas Eve before we go to sleep. 

I know there are lots of other family traditions, so please post them! You can never have enough fun family activities at the holidays!