Simple Family Christmas Traditions You Can Start Any Year

Inside: A list of 26 simple family Christmas traditions that are easy and fun for all ages.

Christmas traditions are a hallmark of our childhoods. We all remember the activities we did year-after-year to celebrate the holidays.

Establishing or carrying on family Christmas traditions is fun but the last thing you want to do is overtire, overspend or overthink how to do it! And since life these days is pretty busy it’s nice to simplify the holidays when possible, but keep the joy and true intention.

If elaborate activities and planning aren’t your thing but you want some tradition inspiration for your family, check out the simple family Christmas tradition ideas below. These are doable for just about any age. Have fun and happy holidays!

26 Ideas for Simple Family Christmas Traditions

Family Christmas movie night

There’s nothing better than snuggling up on the sofa with your family. Movie night provides a way to be together (maybe in some silence 🙂 and delight in the Christmas spirit. There are so many options. Talk to your kids about what their favorite holiday movies are and pick a few to watch.

holiday movie ideas

• Elf
• The Christmas Chronicles (1 and 2)
• Home Alone (1 and 2)
• It’s a Wonderful Life
• The Polar Express
• Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch (2018)
• Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmas (for younger kiddos but still so cute)
• Mickey’s Twice Upon a Christmas

Solve a Christmas puzzle

Group puzzles are an awesome activity for working together. Everyone can contribute and revel in the final result. If you have table space where a puzzle can sit for a few days, consider a 500-1000 piece for several family members to work on. As people walk by they won’t be able to resist finding pieces that fit. Bonus, it’s a great brain activity for all ages (especially kids and grandparents).

Visit Santa

A common tradition for families with kids little (and big) is to visit Santa. We love the Santa at our local garden nursery for low-key visits where they even let you take your own photo. Finding a Santa in your town shouldn’t be too hard, the local mall is usually the easiest place to start. Crying kids in Santa’s lap are a rite of passage!

Make a Christmas music playlist

Music is synonymous with the holiday season. No matter if you like jazz, folk, country or classical, you can find crowd-pleasing music to enjoy during Christmas. Curate your family’s favorite Christmas songs into a customized playlist (Amazon Music or Spotify are easy places to do this) and listen all season long.

Attend a church service or living nativity

Observe or learn more about the reason for the season, Christ’s birth, during a morning or Christmas Eve church service. Many churches offer Christmas events for free to the public that showcase a nativity scene and the original Christmas story. If you are unsure of where to go, ask around to your neighbors and friends.

Decorate with family ornaments

A few years ago I started a tradition of purchasing a photo ornament using a family picture taken that year. The kids love looking at these on the tree. My mother began gifting musical Hallmark ornaments to my children each year that they play over and over again. These traditions make the tree extra special.

Family ornaments don’t have to be expensive, they could even be homemade, but if you stick with a consistent style or type they will beautifully become a simple family Christmas tradition.

Advent calendar

Advent literally means “coming or arrival.” You can recognize the Advent season by honoring the coming of Christ or, in general, the coming of Christmas with an Advent calendar.

These days there are many Advent calendars to choose from…socks, chocolates, beauty products, Legos, crafts…something for every day of the season. We use one my mother cross-stitched when I was a child that holds candy canes. I also give my children a Trader Joe’s chocolate calendar each.

Advent calendars can be ornate and beautiful or silly and fun…an easy simple family Christmas tradition for everyone to enjoy.

Matching Christmas pajamas

Christmas pjs are super popular and every major retailer carries them. To avoid overspending, I don’t buy new sets every year but do enjoy this simple Christmas tradition with repeat styles or something new. Get additional use out of your pajamas by purchasing ones that are red, green or plaid or have a “winter” theme, not just holiday prints.

Christmas blankets for everyone’s bed

Spread Christmas cheer and warmth with soft, holiday-themed blankets for everyone’s bed. Use these for cozy sleeping and family movie nights.

Use flannel holiday-themed sheets

Ever year make up the family beds with cute holiday sheets. My kids love sleeping in their snug Christmas bedding. You can find super-affordable sets at Target or Costco.

Special holiday meals

The holidays are largely about eating, that’s for sure. Hone in on one or two special meals to make during the week of Christmas that are the same year after year. We always have the same menu for Christmas breakfast which combines traditions from both my and my husbands’ family (mine always had sausage and egg casserole and ambrosia; his enjoyed lox and bagels, so we do both!).

Meal plan with a Christmas Planner that includes printable pages for meal planning, grocery lists, and more. You can get one here!

Decorate the tree together

I gave up a couple years ago trying to have a perfectly decorated tree. My kids love putting on the ornaments so I help a bit, but the point is we do it together. Put aside perfection and let everyone get in on the tree decorating action while listening to your family curated music list (see tradition idea above).

Tour neighborhood lights together

Enjoy an evening walk to take in your neighborhood Christmas lights or seek out other communities in your city that really get into it. Pair up with another family for more holiday fun.

Mail holiday cards (and display the ones you receive)

Yes, creating and mailing holiday cards can be a bit of a chore but you’ll be so happy you did. Who doesn’t love receiving mail? People of all ages love receiving a dose of Christmas cheer in the mailbox. Often when you put in the effort to say Happy Holidays to family and friends, you’ll receive the same in return. While that’s not the purpose of sending cards, it’s nice to be on other people’s lists!

Display cards you receive on a tray or taped to a door or wall in your home (use holiday-theme washi tape for a more festive look).

Assemble a gingerbread house

There is no lack of gingerbread house kits in stores. Grab one early in the season and pull out anytime during the holidays for the kids to spend a morning putting together. Forgive the mess and lopsided houses! LOL. I know I’ve had to.

Give a silly or joke gift on Christmas morning

One of my funniest Christmas morning memories is my oldest son giving his little brother a wrapped Christmas present that he opened with excitement to discover…an avocado. The look on my younger son’s face was priceless. Then he erupted into laughter. We all did!

Get everyone laughing with this simple family Christmas tradition of a lighthearted gag gift to at least one family member (Dad or Grandpa are usually a pretty good sports about things like this).

Write letters to Santa

Put out paper, pencils and coloring supplies to write letters to Santa together. Decorate letters and envelopes and take to your local post office or sometimes toy stores offer “mailboxes for Santa.” The USPS has a program where you can post a letter to Santa and once received, they will return a card with a North Pole postmark (read more about where and how to do this here).

Attend a tree lighting

Kick off your holiday season with a community tree lighting event. These often take place in shopping centers, town squares, or private communities. Ask around or check local event listings for one near you. Our local shopping center does one every year with snow machines (I live in San Diego…we don’t get the real deal unfortunately) and a Santa appearance.

Attend a Christmas concert or show

Sometime during the month of December schedule a traditional show or concert for the family to attend together. How the Grinch Stole Christmas or A Christmas Carol are popular plays for local theater this time of year.

For free events check local listings for community parades, choir performances, etc. Any sort of holiday show gets everyone into the spirit and is a special activity for all ages.

Do a holiday art lesson

The internet provides tons of free art lessons or craft ideas. This is not a craft blog but I can recommend our family’s preference for online art lessons. Art Hub for Kids and Deep Space Sparkle are both amazing art resources with free drawing and painting lessons. Grab some coloring supplies and paper for adorable holiday art to do together and display at home.

Read Christmas stories together

One of the simplest family Christmas traditions of all is reading a Christmas story together. In your home this may be the birth of Jesus or it may be a secular story about the magic of the holidays.

popular Christmas stories for read alouds

• “Jesus Calling: The Story of Christmas” by Sarah Young
• “Twas the Night Before Christmas” by Clement C. Moore
• “The Polar Express” by Chris Van Allsburg
• “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” by Dr. Seuss
• “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens
• “Gingerbread Friends” by Jan Brett
• “The Nutcracker” by Susan Jeffers
• “The Christmas Wish” by Lori Evert

Bake and decorate cookies

Make this old-as-time tradition easy by using a box kit if you don’t have all the ingredients. No shame in making it simple! Pick up some supplies to have on hand (after you’ve decluttered the pantry 🙂 for last minute baking afternoons.

Participate in a charity drive

Involve the kids in a local food or toy drive every year by gathering or buying needed items for a local charity and donating together. Volunteer together at a shelter or community service event or ship a box of small toys and items via Operation Christmas Child. Make and send holiday cards to military members (go here to see a few organizations that provide this).

Do a toy declutter together

Okay, I had to throw in a decluttering tradition! Before bringing in all the new items gifted or bought during the holidays; give away toys, clothes, and books you no longer need. Donate gently used items to a local resource center or Goodwill. Talk with your kids about why this is important.

Do holiday yoga together

Stave off holiday stress and move your body to a holiday-inspired exercise class or yoga. CosmicKids Yoga on YouTube has super fun, family-friendly yoga videos for any age with adorable holiday themes.

Participate in a holiday run

Many towns and communities host 5Ks or marathons this time of year (full disclosure I never have nor ever will run a marathon but can handle a 5K…props to you out there running over 26 miles at once!).

Although you can’t do a marathon with child, a 5K for walking or pushing a stroller is doable. Or enlist your teen or adult family members to do a 5K run! This is a simple family Christmas tradition with an exercise bonus and is not just about eating, LOL.

You want to have simple family Christmas traditions for your kid’s memory bank, but don’t always have the energy or time to go big. Hopefully the ideas listed above are easy, no-stress, and most importantly, fun.

Remember, your family and especially young children just want to be together; fancy and over-the-top is not required for happy moments. Merry Christmas!