Christmas is supposed to be a time for family, but between the hustle and bustle of the season, it sometimes feels like intimate family time gets lost. If you’re looking for a way to spend time together as a family, I have a few ideas for you. I’ve included some ideas that don’t cost anything and will hopefully make great memories for you and your family to speak about for years to come. It’s time to have some fun and experience Christmas together!
Write a Silly Christmas Story
Do you remember MadLibs? Are they still a popular thing or am I showing my age? Why not do something similar as a family?
We make time to have movie marathons, especially this time of year with all the Christmas movies. However, watching a movie takes out a lot of the interaction that should come with a fun family night. Writing a Silly Christmas Story is not only an interactive family activity, it’s a lot of fun.
What kind of wacky Christmas Story can you and your family come up with?
Build a Gingerbread House
We did this for the first time last year and it was so much fun! I also discovered I like gingerbread cookies.
The good thing is that you and your family can build Gingerbread Houses no matter your cooking ability! You can start from scratch and make the gingerbread parts together before building the house. Or you can buy a Gingerbread Kit that has all of the parts and pieces you’ll need.
You can find a Gingerbread Kit in just about any store. The only problem with a pre-made kit is the pieces can become broken. If that happens you’ll have to either get creative…or just eat them! Either way, it’s a fun way to spend a night together as a family.
This year, we bought two different kits to put together!
Pick Out Toys for Someone Else
A great way to spread goodwill to all is to actually bring goodwill to others.
Picking out toys for others is not only a great activity to do as a family, it helps to bring the focus away from self and the all about me mentality that seems to become more of a problem every year.
During the Holiday season, many people opt to help out in shelters or soup kitchens as their act of goodwill. However, this is the time of year when they have enough help. What gets mostly ignored are things like the Christmas Angel Trees. Why? Perhaps it’s because it’s the monetary issue. Maybe it’s because there isn’t any known gratification for the present-buyer. We don’t see whomever we buy the present for open it and beam at us. That shouldn’t deter any of us, though.
Go as a family, pick out one or a few names from the tree, and then buy the presents together. I promise, you’ll make someone’s Christmas and there’s something about doing such a selfless thing that fills us with joy.
Go to a Zoo or Park
Looking at Christmas Lights brings out the kid in all of us.
One of my favorite memories is walking through the Festival of Lights in the town I grew up in. Our church even had a display there the last few years we were there. It was a popular attraction even when we weren’t caroling in it. I still love visiting that park in my hometown and walking down the lighted bridge.
Going to a Zoo or local Park to look at Christmas lights is a fun thing to do as a family. Depending on how big the park is, you can find side attractions like carriage rides. I know the easiest thing to do is to simply drive through the parks, but I encourage you to get out of the car and actually walk around the park if it’s an option. Trust me, it’s a different experience.
Most local parks, or at least the ones I’ve been to, ask for donations but don’t require an entrance fee. The extras may require payment, but that should be something you can find out before going. Other parks, like the Zoo or Aquarium, will still require a ticket purchase. If you’re going the Zoo route, be sure to purchase tickets before going so that you’re sure to gain entrance.
Christmas Treasure Hunt
If you plan on having a family night or if you have a Christmas Eve box, why not have some extra fun and turn them into a treasure hunt?
Instead of having all the stuff you’ll need already gathered together, spread them throughout the house and write out Christmasy clues. I guarantee you the kids will love the anticipation of the hunt, especially if they don’t know what all they’re looking for!
Christmas Treasure Hunts are a way for the whole family to get involved. You can split up the hiding by drawing names and writing out clues for the person whose name you drew. Or you can have Person A hide the majority of treasures for others while Person B hides person A’s treasures. Another option, if you have enough people, is to team up. Have a parent and a child team up against the other parent and sibling to hide each others treasures.
Honestly there’s so many ways you can pull this off together. The important thing is having fun as a family and spending time together.
A few things you can hide in a Christmas Treasure Hunt are:
~ Ingredients for Christmas Baking
~ Family Movie Night (popcorn, blankets, hot cocoa mixes, etc.)
~ Christmas Eve Boxes
~ Christmas Tree Decorations (just be careful not to break any!)
~ Christmas Presents
How do You Spend Time Together as a Family?
Is there anything special you do during this time of the year to come closer together? Let me know in the comments!
Above My Waves 
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