5 Easy Christmas Traditions to Start With Your Kids This Year

There’s something magical about the holidays when you have kids. The noise, the glitter, the sugar highs… okay, mostly magical. But this time of year is also the perfect opportunity to start a few simple traditions your family can look forward to every Christmas. And the best part? These don’t require a ton of time, money, or Pinterest perfection.

Here are five easy Christmas traditions to start with your kids, starting this year!

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1. A Christmas Book Advent Calendar

This one is pure holiday magic. Wrap 24 Christmas books (they can be new, thrifted, or borrowed, no judgement). Each night from December 1 to 24, your kids unwrap one and you read it together before bed.

It’s cozy, it’s screen free, and honestly… it gives you a guaranteed quiet moment every night. If you want to make it extra easy, reuse the same books every year so it becomes a familiar tradition your kids can grow up with.

Alternative to wrapping each book: Get a small "Santa Gift Sack", and put a new book in it each night, then hide it around the house. Then the kids have to go searching for the sack to see which Christmas book they get to read.

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2. DIY Handprint Tree Skirt

This is the messy but adorable one, and totally worth it. Grab a plain white or canvas tree skirt, some fabric paint, and have the kids stamp their handprints on it.

Each year, add new handprints in different colours and watch how those tiny hands grow. In 10 years, you’ll be sobbing on the living room floor… in a good way.

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3. DIY Advent Calendar of Daily Activities

Instead of chocolates, small dinky toys, etc. each day, try an activity based advent calendar. Each day until Christmas, pull a card with a fun mini activity like:

• Bake cookies
• Drive around to look at lights
• Visit a local Christmas Tree Farm
• Walk around a Christmas Market
• Make a Christmas Card
• Make an ornament for the tree
• Stay in your PJs and have a Christmas movie marathon
• Build a fort
• Candy Cane Search (A favourite with my kiddos. Put Candy Canes around the house and let them find them!)

The daily activity could be going out somewhere, or a craft, or just be something super simple you can do at home. It’s about connection, not perfection.

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4. December 1st Box

Okay, I know we missed December 1st already, but this one is another favourite! At the beginning of the Christmas season, give the kids a small box with:

• Christmas PJs
• Festive snacks
• Hot chocolate
• A small book or ornament
• Christmas cups or plates
• Holiday Games
• Christmas Crafts supplies
• Colouring or activity books

Instead of doing the "Christmas Eve box" with all of these things, give it to them at the beginning of the season, that way they can enjoy and use everything all month long and build the Christmas excitment!

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5. Holiday Declutter & Donate

Grab some boxes and get the kids to pickout some toys, books and clothes, that are in good condition, that they have outgrown and then donate them so someone else can enjoy them! And you can do the same with your closet and take a look at the rest of the house to see if you can add anything to the mix.

Take the time to explain to the kids the importance of decluttering and donating, not just this time of year but year-round so that someone else who may be less fortunate will be able to use something that you don't need anymore.

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Final Thoughts

Traditions don’t need to be fancy, expensive, or Instagram perfect. They just need you.

Years from now, your kids won’t remember how tidy the house was. They’ll remember the books, the handprints, the cookies, the lights, and the moments you made special.