Want to do something fun with the kids during the holidays without spending a lot of money? Here are some ideas for having fun during the holidays without spending a lot of money. These activities would also be perfect as Advent calendar ideas, so if you need help in that department, this list of winter and Christmas activities for kids may come in handy.
Christmas activities for children
neighborhood movie night
Host a Christmas movie night for friends and family. Invite the gang over and have everyone bring something to eat. Kids love watching Christmas classics over and over again and adults love visiting during the holidays, so it’s fun for everyone.
Here are a handful of PG-rated Christmas movies (there are some that are also G-rated) to get you started with ideas…
- The Grinch
- Elf
- arthur christmas
- alone at home
- The Christmas Chronicles
- noelle
- Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey
- that christmas
- 8 bit christmas
- The polar express
Build a Christmas-themed Lego
We started this tradition more recently, but it’s something we’re really looking forward to. Every year, we put together a Lego Christmas tree around Thanksgiving and display it somewhere in the house.
And then after the new year, we take it all apart and put it in bags for next year. We simply put it back in the big box of Christmas decorations we have stored, along with the instructions for rebuilding. So it’s tucked away and ready for next season.
Christmas Storytelling in the Library or Bookstore
Visit local bookstores and libraries for upcoming holiday storytelling events. Most large bookstores, like Barnes and Nobles or Borders, have a children’s Christmas book author to promote their story and read it to children for free. Another plus is that the author will sign the book if you purchase a copy. And maybe a local bookstore has a similar offering.
Many local libraries also host special holiday events, such as storytelling, ornament making, or other holiday crafts. And usually everything is free!
make reindeer food
When I was a kid, I always left cookies for Santa and sometimes even a carrot for Rudolph, but what about the other reindeer? Making reindeer food is an easy activity and can be aimed at children of all ages.
First, decorate lunch-sized brown paper bags or small canvas drawstring bags, etc. You can decorate them with stickers and markers, or you can use pom poms, pipe cleaners, and googly eyes to make reindeer faces. Be creative!
Next, place oats, birdseed, and some edible sprinkles (optional) inside the bag. One cup total is great – you don’t need much. Then, fold the bag or tie it and set it aside for Christmas Eve. On Christmas Eve, the whole family can spread the treat in their garden to help the reindeer find their home and give them something to eat.
Make/Decorate Stockings
New family tradition: Make your own stocking! This is a cute idea that will add to your Christmas decor and can be changed year after year or used over and over again. If you want to make your own stockings, here are a couple of ideas to get you started: Quilted Christmas Stockings // DIY Holiday Stockings.
Don’t you want to do it yourself from scratch? No problem: Instead, grab and decorate a simple cotton stocking (from Etsy) or a felt stocking from a craft store. Kids can use sequins, glitter pens, faux gemstones, pre-cut foam shapes, and more.
Go to a Christmas market
Look in your local newspaper for your neighborhood school Christmas bazaars or local Christmas markets. They are great fun for kids and often have live music, Christmas decorations, and stalls selling handmade items that would make nice Christmas gifts.
Bake Christmas Cookies
If you can accept the fact that it will inevitably be a disaster, baking cookies with the kids is super fun! Make it easy on yourself and buy pre-made dough so all you have to do is roll it out, cut it with cookie cutters, put it on a baking sheet and bake.
Or go a little further and make something from scratch, like these Gingerbread Sandwich Cookies and Chocolate Hazelnut Cookies for the holidays. And if you’re feeling really ambitious, hosting a cookie exchange for kids is something they’ll remember forever.
Night driving to see Christmas lights
Play Christmas music to get into the festive mood and drive around town looking at the local lights. Don’t forget to stop by that neighbor’s house who always goes overboard with the decoration, in the best way.
Wrapping party
Split up the craft supplies and let kids make or decorate their own wrapping paper for holiday gifts. Lots of gift wrap decorating ideas in my ultimate DIY guide to a paper-wrapped gift (and other unique holiday gift wrapping ideas, too).
And while we’re on the topic of gifts, I have 101 DIY Christmas gift ideas for everyone on your list, if you want to give a gift this year, instead of buying something.
Tree pruning party
Decorating the tree with homemade garlands is a special tradition that my son loves. We make hot chocolate, lay out all the tree items on the ground, and decide what DIY things we want to add throughout the year. We usually make a garland and at least a handful of decorations. We’ve tried all kinds of different things for garlands: blueberries, popcorn, dried citrus (like my dried orange garland), even jelly beans are good options. We also make a small set of DIY Christmas decorations almost every year.
Make a Christmas countdown calendar
Christmas countdown calendars are one of the things I look forward to making this time of year. And they can be made in many ways (or bought at the store). One of my favorite ways to make a Christmas countdown/Advent calendar is to wrap things individually (like above).
make a christmas wreath
My favorite wreath is an asymmetrical one that includes lots of fresh berries. But this giant Christmas wreath is close behind. If they’re too complicated for younger kids, something like this Homemade Blueberry Wreath is also fun to make (and easy for little hands).
Put together a Christmas puzzle
I love Christmas and winter themed puzzles and they are a great activity for December. It would also be good to include it in one of the days of your Advent calendar, if you have one and need ideas.
- Cute 130-Piece Christmas Tree Puzzle from Amazon $7.99
- Five Below 300-Piece Gingerbread Puzzle $6
- Target Snowy Clues 500 Piece Puzzle $22.49
make homemade decorations
Self-explanatory, really. But if you want to make a set of Christmas decorations for the tree, here are some DIY ideas…
Christmas crafts workshop
Visit your local craft store to check out their Christmas craft lineup. Places like Michael’s, for example, often host workshops where children can create decorations or other Christmas crafts for free or for just the cost of materials.
Another option is to turn your house into a mini craft workshop for the afternoon, weekend, etc. and do other DIY Christmas crafts without having to leave home. If that sounds good to you, I have some Christmas craft suggestions that might help you:
make festive lanterns outdoors
A fun way to add some outdoor decor that also doubles as lighting, these Christmas decorated lanterns are a great project for kids to try.
ice skating
And lastly, ice skating! Nothing says Christmas better than skating and drinking hot chocolate. Break out the old ice skates and head to the local skating rink, or rent a pair when you arrive.
That’s all for now on Christmas activities for kids this holiday season. Do you have more ideas that are not on the list? Add yours in the comments below.
