How to Have Fun at Home This Christmas
This year, the Holidays are going to look different. Smaller gatherings, less travel, and less shopping. Most of us won’t be going to our usual Christmas plays, work parties, and town parades.
Here are some ideas on how you can still make the Holidays fun for you and your family at home! Ideas for all ages for Christmas crafts, fun Holiday games, and some ideas on how to connect with those you can’t be with this Christmas.
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1. Dress up as favorite Christmas movie characters
My family LOVES National Lampoons Christmas Vacation. Last Christmas, I gathered clothes from our closets without anyone knowing. I only had to purchase a few things, such as the silver sauna suits. On Christmas eve, I placed an outfit on each persons bed and then told them I had a surprise waiting for them in their rooms. Oh boy, was it funny! We laughed, took photos, and of course, quoted each line as we watched the movie in the background.
2. Gingerbread house competition
Make your own cookie dough and create 3D gingerbread houses! Have everyone make their own and have a competition on who can decorate the best house. More affordable than buying the pre-made house kits. You can make ginger cookie dough or sugar cookie dough and build your own!
3. Make Christmas garlands
I loved making tied fabric Christmas garlands as a kid, and still do as an adult! Pick what Holiday color scheme you want. Cut your fabric into strips, measure out your string to the length that you want, and simply tie the fabric in one knot around the string! Other beautiful Christmas garland options are Holiday pom poms or wood beads!
4. Write a letter to yourself to open next Christmas
This year has been a doozy! We have all learned a lot about ourselves, been through some major ups and downs, and are uncertain of what the future has in store. Write a letter to yourself to open next year. A year from now you can look back at how far you have come and it will bring comfort and perspective.
5. Christmas scavenger hunt
Different scavenger hunt game options: Hide candy around the house to find. Write clues to place around the house leading up to a new board game, movie, or pajamas. Make a checklist of Holiday items to find around the house, compete to see who can find them all first!
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6. Make snow candles
One of my favorite childhood winter memories is making snow candles! Melt down wax that you can purchase new or from old melted down candles. You can add some crayons for color! Head outside and create an impression in the snow with a mason jar or make a slight deep impression hole with a butter knife for an organic shape. Pour your hot wax into the snow hole and place your wick into the the hot wax. Wrap the leftover wax around a stick to hold the wick in place while the wax hardens. Reality Daydream has some great tips and instructions!
7. Elf drinking game with a hot chocolate bar
Create a hot chocolate bar with different hot chocolate flavors like peppermint or hazelnut. Add marshmallows, whipped cream, chocolate mint candy, toffee candy, or candy cane spoons. Adults can add in peppermint liqueur or RumChata. Put on the classic Christmas movie “Elf” and the drinking game begins! A fun, new way to enjoy an old favorite.
8. Matching Pj’s for your family, near and far
A lot of us won’t be able to see our siblings and immediate family this year for Christmas. A way to feel connected on Christmas morning is to all wear matching Holiday pj’s and have a family video chat!
9. Christmas puzzle
Puzzles are a great family activity that can be done in one night or spaced out over the Holiday week! Put on your favorite Holiday movie or Christmas music and do a Christmas puzzle together.
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10. Saran Wrap Ball Christmas game
We have done this the past few years and have always had a ball (*Ba Dum Tss*)! You take different sized pieces of plastic wrap and wrap them around and around into a ball, and as you wrap you add little trinkets, candies, and prizes! We like to put a “grand prize” gift card as the very last thing to fall out. (So make sure that it is the FIRST thing you put in your saran wrap ball).
How you play: first player starts unrolling, getting to keep whatever prizes fall out. Meanwhile, the player to the right is rolling two dice to get doubles. Once doubles are rolled, the ball is passed to the next player and the sequence begins again. The person with the ball does not stop unwrapping, unwrapping as fast as they can, until the person to their right rolls doubles. You want to roll the dice over and over again as quickly as you can so you get the ball! Ideas for prizes: tic tacs, candy, can coolers, gift cards, Christmas socks, cash, lottery tickets
11. Hallmark Christmas Movie Bingo
Feel good movies that are on nearly all day long during the Holiday season! These Hallmark and Lifetime Christmas movies usually follow the same predictable formula. A city woman travels to a snowy town, falls in love with a local, and the two have some conquest to save a town business or mend some broken relationship. Add some fun to your movie watching with Bingo!
12. Christmas Scattergories Game
All things Christmas with this twist on a classic game. An easy game to play on zoom. Video chat with friends and family that you can’t be with! Each family prints out their own game, together you pick your letter, and set a timer for 3 minutes. Everyone starts on list 1 and writes down answers that begin with the same letter. When the timer stops, all players must immediately stop writing. You score points if no other player matches your answers. The player with the most points wins!
13. Watercolor paint together
A fun activity to do together this Christmas! Set up a watercolor station at the kitchen table. Find a Christmas photo that you all enjoy and everyone paints it on their own paper. This summer, my whole family painted one of my dad’s photos from Italy. It was fun seeing our different techniques and renditions of the same photo!
Another idea is to all paint Christmas cards to mail to loved ones!
14. Get dressed up and have a holiday cocktail hour
We won’t be having holiday parties this year and won’t have many reasons to get dolled up, so create a holiday cocktail hour! Put on your fancy holiday attire and make a Christmas cocktail, such as a Christmas sangria or a peppermint martini.
Video chat with friends or family and have them do the same! You can even create a theme, like Christmas Plaid or Winter Wonderland.
