6 Holiday Family Traditions for Families with Young Children

Holiday Family Traditions - Dear Santa Letter Milk & Cookies

Holiday Family Traditions: How to Enjoy the Holidays with Your Kids

The holidays come with ample helpings of both fun and stress. Sometimes it’s easy to get lost in buying gifts, planning meals, organizing events and visiting relatives. But ultimately kids will remember the family traditions that brought everyone closer together as a family, not what they received for Christmas that year. With that in mind, here are some ideas for traditions that will stay with your kids for years to come.

Take an Evening Walk to Look at Christmas Lights

Go just after the sun sets, before it gets chilly and before your kids get too sleepy. Walk around the neighborhood and look at all the different lights your neighbors have used to decorate their houses. Since Texas winters tend to be milder than that of our neighbors to the north, so this activity could end up being a family favorite, especially for the kids.

If it’s warm enough, and if there isn’t snow, consider adding in a decoration scavenger hunt, like finding pinecones you can use to make ornaments. You could also take pictures of your favorite lights and use them to inspire your own home’s decorations. As an added bonus, you’ll get some exercise. Then, once you’re cold enough, return home for cocoa and a favorite holiday movie.

Find a Creative Way to Decorate Your Tree

One Texas mom had the idea to decorate her tree with starfish and seashells. Make your tree decorations unique by creating a theme that you build upon each year. You could set aside an afternoon for arts and crafts and make your own ornaments. You could search stores and nature for a special family theme. Or, use collections your family has already begun and turn them into ornaments unique to your family.

Bake a Favorite Holiday Treat

 

Whether you’re doing an old family recipe or trying something new and exciting, getting the family into the kitchen for an afternoon of baking and decorating is a great way to infuse your home with holiday cheer. Decorating cookies is always a fun activity for kids, especially licking icing off of spoons and fingers! The warmth of the oven and the smell of holiday goodies add a nice sense of coziness to North Texas homes in the winter.

Just be careful cooking with young children in the kitchen. Be prepared for spills, and always pay attention to lit burners, hot surfaces, and to the oven. The holidays are the worst time of year for household accidents, such as fires. Keep this in mind while enjoying these times with families to better keep everyone safe. And as always, your best bet is to shop for affordable Texas home insurance coverage to ensure you’re prepared in case a holiday catastrophe does occur.

Attend a Tree Lighting Ceremony

Find out if your town square or one of your city’s parks has a festival or celebration centering around Christmas lights. Tree lighting ceremonies are great for kids—there’s music, activities, and sometimes, Santa arrives in his sleigh. Dallas has a great festival featuring a street-wide celebration with lots of great activities for families. Bring a blanket and some snacks so you can sit in the grass and snuggle before the giant tree lights up. If a tree lighting ceremony isn’t an option, consider visiting one of those over-the-top houses that light up the night with a grand display of holiday lights.

Choose a Volunteer Project

Another way to get into the spirit of the holiday is to volunteer. Have your family decide on an event you’d like to do together and spend a day reaching out to others. You might select a child from a Salvation Army Angel Tree and buy presents. Or perhaps you’ll choose to donate food or clothing to a community festival. Local organizations like the Volunteer Center of North Texas will have specific opportunities and events your family can consider.

Do Something Special on Christmas Eve

Make Christmas Eve extra special by starting a family tradition for it. Have a meal of your favorite holiday foods. Go caroling. Allow the kids to open one gift on the night before Christmas, and give them a new set of pajamas to wear that night and for Christmas morning. Watch a favorite holiday movie, play board games, or read to the kids before they go to bed.

Time with family is the most important part of the holidays, and your children will love creating special memories and sharing joy. Many traditions last well into adulthood and are activities your children can pass on to their kids. When the stress of the holidays seems overwhelming, take some time to have fun with your family.

Abigail Clark is an upcoming freelance writer. She graduated from The University of South Florida with a bachelors in marketing, minoring in journalism. When she isn’t up to her neck in coupons she is enjoying the outdoors fishing. She loves doing reviews for technology, home products and beauty products. 

 

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