Enjoy these things to do on Christmas day with your family!
Yes, I know, Christmas Day is already memorable.
It’s an exciting time of year for the whole family that involves being together and, of course, presents!
But it’s important to make Christmas more than just about the gifts.
This is why I love coming up with things to do on Christmas Day that are fun and unique.
We have our time-honored traditions, such as leaving out new pajamas for the twins and saying they’re from Mrs. Clause.
But every year I like to find something different to do to see if we can add more traditions to our list.
In this list that I’ve come up with, maybe you’ll find a new tradition or have fun trying some different every year!
Either way, there’s definitely some new Christmas things you can try out to make the holiday even more memorable.
Here are some ideas for Christmas activities for 2024 – or beyond!
1. Go Look At Christmas Lights
After an exciting morning of opening gifts, take a relaxing drive around your neighborhood to look at the beautiful Christmas lights!
Pack some Christmas cookies and bring along some hot chocolate. Have your family decide which Christmas light display was the best.
2. Watch a Christmas Movie
Yes, you’re probably looking for relaxing Christmas activities for 2024, and watching a Christmas movie is a great way to chill with your family.
No matter your kiddos’ ages, there’s a Christmas movie for everyone! Check out these top picks:
- How the Grinch Stole Christmas
- A Christmas Story
- National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation
- Elf
- The Christmas Chronicles (Netflix)
- A Boy Called Christmas (Netflix)
3. Donate Old Toys
When you have younger kids, you can expect to find a pile of toys under the tree on Christmas morning. Take this day to go through old toys and donate them to make room for new ones!
You can donate them to local shelters or thrift stores like the Salvation Army.
4. Cook a Christmas Day Feast
If you have your family home for Christmas Day, now is the perfect time to cook up a delicious feast! If you have family visiting, get everyone to contribute a dish while you serve up the turkey.
Or, you can steer away from tradition and try out some dishes from other countries. For instance, in France, Coquilles Saint-Jacques is a traditional Christmas dish made of scallops, herbs, and cheese.
And Finnish folk make a delicious-looking carrot casserole called Porkkanalaatiko. Yum!
5. Go For a Walk in the Snow
While there’s no guarantee that you will have snow on Christmas Day, there’s something quite relaxing about taking a walk on Christmas Day.
It’s a great Christmas activity for families to get some fresh air, have a chat, and relax from the morning’s excitement.
6. Make Thank You Cards
Teaching your kids gratitude is super important. Don’t put off writing thank you cards for those who gave your families gifts – start on Christmas Day!
Have your children make some cards to pass on to family and loved ones. They don’t have to be fancy. It’s the sentiment that counts.
7. Go Skating
If you live in a colder climate, Christmas Day is the perfect day to go skating! Lace up your skates and take the family out for a day of fun.
For little ones, you can get a skating support to help them keep their balance on the ice.
8. Do a Christmas Morning Scavenger Hunt
Instead of setting your kiddos loose on the pile of presents under the tree, you can make a fun scavenger hunt (especially if you need some time to wake up and drink your coffee!).
Print out some clues and hide the gifts around your home on Christmas Eve. Then watch as your little ones run around looking for their presents.
9. Wear Your Ugly Christmas Sweaters
If you’re looking for memorable things to do on Christmas Day, start the tradition of wearing your ugly Christmas sweaters all day.
You can buy them online or check out your local thrift shops for some ugly gems. Or, on Christmas Eve, you can have your kids decorate their own sweaters.
The uglier the better!
10. Write Down Some Memories
While New Year’s Day is a time of looking forward, why not use Christmas Day as a time to look back?
Have your family write down their favorite memories from the year. You can organize these into a scrapbook or put them in a jar.
11. Have a Christmas Dance Party
Get your kids to burn off some extra energy by having a Christmas dance party! This is one of my favorite Christmas things to do with my twins – we have such as blast!
Bring up a Christmas dance playlist of songs on YouTube. You can have an all-out dance party or play fun things like Freeze Dance or have a dance-off.
12. Make Some Eggnog
Instead of buying cartons of eggnog for Christmas Day, have fun with your family creating your own recipe.
You can even make eggnog with ice cream!
13. Do a Random Act of Kindness
The true spirit of Christmas is all about giving and in order to instill this sentiment in your family, go out and do some random acts of kindness!
Here are some ideas to get you started:
- Donate to your local food bank
- Visit an elderly neighbor
- Take supplies to an animal shelter
- Give blankets and socks to the homeless
- Invite someone who lives alone to your Christmas dinner
14. Go Sledding
If you’re frantically searching Google for “things to do for Christmas near me,” you can always grab some toboggans and crazy carpets and go sledding!
Local golf courses are a good bet for some fun hills but also check out local parks for some fun sledding.
15. Build a Snowman
Give your kiddos a brand new snowman kit and build a snowman on Christmas Day.
Build one in your own yard or visit a loved one and surprise them with a snowman for some Christmas cheer!
16. Have a Neighborhood Cookie Swap
Invite some neighbors over on Christmas Day for a cookie swap.
And don’t worry about baking all day! You can whip up some of these make-ahead Christmas cookies for the big day.
17. Try a New Dessert
While you may be tempted to stick to the old Christmas classics when it comes to sweets, one of your new Christmas activities for 2024 should be to try a new dessert!
I’m tempted to try out this Christmas lasagna! Yum!
18. Play Christmas Tree I Spy
Christmas tree I Spy is a great way to relax as a family and enjoy your Christmas decorations.
Have your kiddos “spy” something by color on the tree and take turns guessing what it is!
19. Roast Marshmallows and Make S’Mores
If you have an indoor fireplace, grab some sticks and marshmallows and make some s’mores! Or you can use an outdoor firepit and bundle up nice and warm.
To make easy s’mores, look for cookies that are already covered in chocolate (like Celebration Cookies). This way you don’t have to juggle graham crackers, chocolate, and marshmallows.
20. Deliver Some Homemade Treats to a Loved One
I know you don’t want to fill your Christmas Day with trips all over the place, but you should make room in your schedule to visit a loved one and deliver some homemade treats.
If someone is alone at home on Christmas Day, this is such a wonderful and thoughtful activity!
21. Sing Christmas Carols for Your Neighbors
Instead of delivering homemade treats, you can always sing some Christmas carols for your neighbors.
Print off some Christmas songs and venture around the neighborhood. I’m sure this will brighten your neighbor’s day.
And you never know, they must just join in!
22. Watch Old Home Videos
Christmas activities for families should be all about, well, family! Why not take this day to watch some old home videos while snuggled up on the couch?
Or, you can grab the family photo albums and take a walk down memory lane.
23. See a Holiday Movie in Theatres
When it comes to what’s open for Christmas, check your local movie theatre. Most are open on Christmas day and you and your family can catch a holiday flick on the big screen.
Just don’t forget the popcorn!
24. Stay in Your Pajamas All Day
Of course, if you are looking for things to do on Christmas Day that are special and don’t take a lot of effort, you can always spend the day in your jammies.
One of our family traditions at Christmas is to have Mrs. Clause leave our twin’s pajamas on Christmas Eve. Why not get new pajamas for the whole family and lounge around all day?
25. Take a Hot Bath
Christmas Day can be busy and exciting, but also stressful. Treat yourself to a nice hot bath at the end of all to celebrate your accomplishments.
I would love to soak in these peppermint bath salts – and they are super easy to make!
Christmas Activities for Families to Enjoy!
Christmas is really what you make it.
As a family, I hope you take the time to enjoy each other’s company and celebrate the love that surrounds this holiday.
But I also hope you found some ideas on this list that get you excited for Christmas Day!
What about you?
Do you have any fun activities or traditions to add to this list? Make sure to check out my list of Christmas Eve things to do too!
Let me know in the comments!
Leave a Reply