Are you looking for fun Christmas day family activities to make this Christmas day even more memorable and fun for your kids? Try one of these 11 activities to make Christmas day as fun as the weeks leading up to Christmas!
Christmas is an exciting and memorable time of year. It’s filled with fun activities and family visits.
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There are holiday parties and dinner, advent activities, and tons of fun family traditions.
But when it comes to Christmas Day, the day can sometimes seem to creep along after a month of constant celebrations and activities. The kids wake up early and you feel like you’ve been up forever when it’s only 9 in the morning!
Christmas Day is the perfect time for families to spend together and a great way to start new family traditions.
Here are 11 Christmas Day family activities that will make the day even more special and fun.
11 Fun Christmas Day Family Activities to Try This Year
Watch a Movie
In our house we have a Christmas Day morning movie tradition. Every year the kids wake up early (obviously!) and usually wake each other up. Then they all pile on the couch in the Christmas pajamas with the blankets and turn on Ernest Saves Christmas.
Now, my kids are a bit older now, and this particular tradition of watching a movie first thing in the morning was to 1. let my oldest teenagers sleep a little later (meaning they aren’t as grumpy). And 2. So my husband and I don’t have to get up a the crack of dawn!
But now they don’t even want us to get up early with them because it means they don’t get to have this special movie time together.
Once everyone is awake, we pause the movie, open gifts and eat, then they turn the movie back on.
You can choose which ever Christmas Movie works for your family’s tastes:
- Ernest Saves Christmas
- Elf
- The Santa Clause
- Frosty the Snowman
- How the Grinch Stole Christmas
- Rudolph
Choose one that everyone likes! And make it a special Christmas Movie night (or morning!)
Make a Special Breakfast
Christmas time is all about the food, right? We have Christmas cookies, Christmas dinner, Christmas candy….but that doesn’t mean you can’t have a good Christmas breakfast too!
Since most families do gifts first thing in the morning, think of something that’s quick and easy, or something that can easily be made ahead of time.
Here are some ideas for an easy Christmas breakfast:
- Overnight Cinnamon Rolls
- Chocolate Chip Pancakes
- Baked French Toast
- Yogurt and Fruit Parfaits
- Dutch Babies
- Sausage Breakfast Casserole
Or choose one of your family’s favorite breakfasts to make on Christmas Day.
Call or FaceTime the Family
If you don’t visit family on Christmas Day, take time to call, FaceTime, or Skype your relatives to wish them a merry Christmas.
In our house, I make it a point that Christmas Day is just us. We are always at home and we are always just us (at least until afternoon). I am very protective of this time for just our family.
But the kids love to FaceTime their grandparents to show off their new Christmas gifts!
Get Outside
Christmas Day can be a lazy day and you can start to feel bogged down by too much food and too much sugar.
A great Christmas Day family activity is to get outside together.
Depending on the weather this could be a trip to the park, an ice skating rink, the disc golf course, or just to play outside or take a walk around the neighborhood.
Even if it’s cold, take some time to bundle up and get some fresh air and exercise together!
Play a Game
Another tradition in our home is to give board game as a family gift each year. I try to choose a game that everyone can take part in- young or old, so that we can all play together.
It’s the perfect Christmas Day family activity- no matter what ages of kids you have!
Here are some of the board games we love and have gotten for Christmas over the years:
- Settlers of Catan
- Artsy Fartsy
- Ticket to Ride
- Uno Flip
- RummyKub
- Sorry!
You can also check out this article: 11 Best Family Board Games for the Whole Family
Have a Candy Cane Hunt
You’ve heard of Easter Egg hunts right? How about a Candy Cane Hunt!
All you need is a different type of candy cane for each family member. Take all the candy canes and hide them around your house or your yard.
Then everyone searches for their own type/color of candy canes!
It’s a fun Christmas twist on a common Easter tradition.
Have a No-Rules Day
Christmas in our house is a Yes Day. It makes things run smoothly, prevents boredom, and gives everyone another reason to celebrate.
On Christmas Day, all the normal rules are thrown out:
- They can watch as many movies as they want
- They can play as much video games as they want
- They can eat as much Christmas candy as they want
Christmas Day is supposed to be stress free for parents as well- so don’t worry about screen time and too much sugar- and just enjoy your family for the day!
Volunteer Together
Another great Christmas Day family activity is to volunteer together.
There are plenty of ways to help out others in need, especially around the holidays.
This could be volunteering at a local soup kitchen or helping a family in need with a meal or gifts.
It’s a great way to teach your kids about giving back and the joy of helping others.
Make a Family Meal
It may be tempting to forgo a large, sit down Christmas dinner if it’s just you and your family at home, but you can still make a special meal together!
In our home everyone chooses a dish to contribute- sort of like a small family potluck!
Younger kids will chop fruit for a fruit salad or put potatoes in the instant pot for mashed potatoes.
The older ones will make stuffing or rolls.
And my husband and I will make the main dish of turkey or ham.
It’s a fun way to make a low-stress meal, and teach kids about contributing to the holiday dinner!
Create a New Tradition
Christmas is all about family traditions, but many of them take place in the days and weeks leading up to Christmas Day. Why not start some new Christmas Day family traditions?
I’ve mentioned a few of my family’s traditions already- from Ernest Saves Christmas to the ability to eat as much candy as they want all day long.
Another Christmas Day tradition in our home- one that my kids decided all on their own- is that they will not, for any reason, change out of their Christmas pajamas!
Take some time to come up with a new family tradition that will make Christmas Day even more special at your house.
Just Enjoy Each Other
Christmas doesn’t have to a busy and on the go. That’s the best part about Christmas Day- everything is closed, most activities are on break, and it’s a time of rest.
It’s easy to want to think of a million Christmas Day family activities to keep everyone busy and entertained, but resist that urge as much as possible.
Just enjoy each other on this day. Play with each other, read together, watch movies together, eat together.
It doesn’t have to be a big production- but it will give your kids fond memories– and that’s what Christmas is all about anyway!
READ NEXT: 39 Christmas Countdown Activities for Kids and Families
