25 Holiday Family Traditions to Start This Year (Easy, Cozy, and Kid-Friendly)

25 Holiday Family Traditions to Start This Year

The holiday season is a time to cherish family and create lasting memories together. One of the best ways to do this is by starting new family traditions. Whether it’s a special meal, a fun activity, or a meaningful ritual, traditions can bring everyone closer and make the holidays even brighter. In this article, we’ll share 25 holiday family traditions to start this year, from simple and low-key to more elaborate and adventurous. So grab a cup of hot cocoa, gather your loved ones, and get ready to make some memories (or nightmares?) that will last a lifetime.

Before you dive into the list, here’s a simple way to make traditions “stick” without turning December into a second full-time job: pick 3 traditions you can do at home, 1 tradition that gets you out of the house, and 1 tradition that helps someone else. That’s five total. If you fall in love with more, great—add next year.

Also: traditions work best when they match your actual life. If your kids are tiny, aim for short + repeatable. If your kids are older, let them “own” a tradition so it doesn’t feel like another parent-led project.

One more thing: these ideas skew "Christmas" because that’s how a lot of families celebrate, but almost all of them can be adapted for Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, New Year’s, winter birthdays, “just because it’s dark at 4:30 PM,” or any holiday season your family celebrates. Everyone is welcome here.

1. Countdown with an advent calendar.

An advent calendar is a fun way to build anticipation and count down the days until Christmas. Buy a readymade version at the store, or build your own for a fun family project. Fill each compartment with a treat, toy, or note of gratitude. Pro-tip: Once candy is introduced, kiddos seem disappointed with anything else. Save the sweet treats for the days leading up to Christmas to avoid behavior that lands anyone on Santa’s naught list. A few ideas for advent stuffers:

• LEGO mini figures
• Candy
• Notes
• Costume jewelry
• Shopkins
• Silver dollars
• Stickers
• Pins
• Temporary tattoos
• Small ornament
• Micro Machines
• Lip balm
• Hair ties or barrettes

Advent calendar twist that keeps the peace: mix “stuff” days with “do” days. Instead of all objects, add little notes like “pick a holiday movie,” “choose a bedtime story,” “wear goofy socks,” or “help pick dinner.” Kids still get the countdown magic, and you don’t end up with 24 tiny plastic things living in your couch forever.

If you’ve got multiple kids, color-code days so nobody feels like the calendar loves one sibling more.

2. Baking bonanza.

Dedicate a day to baking holiday treats together with your little ones. Choose a “signature” cookie to bake annually, and incorporate any treasured recipes from grandparents and extended family. Not interested in being a domestic goddess? A tube of sugar cookie dough is more than sufficient. Crank some festive music, light a pine-scented candle, and get that oven preheating.

• Make it easier on future-you: write the cookie choice on an index card and stash it with the recipe (or tape it inside a cabinet door). Next year, you won’t have to “remember what we did last time” while your kid is already covered in flour.
• Bonus tradition: one batch for the house, one batch for sharing. Kids love delivering a plate to a neighbor or teacher like they’re running a five-star bakery.

3. Write a letter to Santa.

Not only is writing a letter to Santa is a great way to know exactly which gifts will delight your kiddos, but it’s also a sneaky way to practice handwriting with early writers. If your child is worried their letter won’t reach the North Pole, the United States Postal Service has you covered. Not only do they share Santa’s official address, your little one will even receive a response stamped with a North Pole postmark.

• Low-pressure version for toddlers: let them “dictate” while you write, then have them add a scribble signature and a sticker. It still counts.
• Add a parent trick at the end: ask for three things—something you want, something you need, and something you can do for someone else. Kids surprise you with the last one.

4. DIY gift wrapping.

Instead of opting for store-bought gift wrap, use craft paper to create personalized gifts with drawings, stamps, glitter, and stickers. Use family inside jokes for inspiration and let their creativity run wild.

• Pro move: make “wrapping night” a tradition with a snack, music, and a hard stop time. Holiday projects love expanding until midnight. If glitter enters the chat, keep it to a designated table surface and use a tray. You’ll still find sparkle in July, but it won’t be in your HVAC filter.

5. Take a festive trip to the library.

Public libraries are magical places—especially during the holidays. Check out classic books like The Night Before Christmas, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, The Polar Express, The Christmas Quiet Book, or Mice Skating. Snuggle up together for the perfect holiday storytime.

• Library tradition upgrade: let each kid pick one “silly” book and one “cozy” book. The silly pick keeps them invested, and the cozy pick keeps your blood pressure stable at bedtime.
• And if you’re in a busy season, audiobooks from the library can be a lifesaver during car rides to grandma's and quiet time.

6. Make an ornament every year.

Making a new ornament ever year is a fun creative outlet and a sweet way to mark the passage of time (sob!). Kids love getting to decorate with ornaments they’ve created and admire the ones they’ve made before. Feeling stumped? Encourage your kids to make an ornament that represents something they’ve been really into that year (PSA: You won’t be the only one with Roblox on your tree). Build something using a photo from last year, or use salt dough to make a handprint ornament. When your little grows up, they’ll have a collection for their own tree.

• Make it idiot-proof for next year: write the year on the back. Every ornament looks “recent” until it suddenly doesn’t.
• If you want to get extra sentimental, add one tiny note in the ornament box like “favorite song this year” or “funniest thing you said.” You’ll thank yourself later.

7. Take a holiday lights tour.

Bundle up, grab some hot cocoa or eggnog, and tour your neighborhood to find the best holiday lights display. If you have restless kiddos, create a scoring system to keep things interesting.

• Keep a running “Hall of Fame” list in your notes app—best house, funniest inflatable, most over-the-top. Next year, you’ll have an instant route with zero planning.
• If your kids struggle in the car at night, do a “walk-and-look” version on one street instead. Shorter outing, same magic.

8. Track Santa on Christmas Eve.

Follow Santa’s movements from the North Pole online thanks to the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD). Your kids can watch a sleigh blip on the radar, and sometimes they even share a “Santa Cam” video.

• Set expectations early: the tracker is fun, but it’s not a live security camera. Kids will take it personally if it “freezes.”
• Tiny parent hack: use Santa tracking as the bedtime closer—“We’ll check once more, then we sleep so he can land.”

9. Get matching Christmas jammies.

The cuteness of matching family Christmas jammies is hard to top (and is an exceptional photo op). Buy everyone a new pair each year to wear on Christmas Eve and wake up looking like a Hallmark ad.

• If matching jammies aren’t your thing, steal the concept anyway: matching socks, matching slippers, matching hats—something that’s easy and still feels like a “we do this every year” moment.
• And yes, someone will hate the texture. Keep receipts.

10. Make time for Christmas crafting.

The holiday crafting opportunities are endless (just ask Pinterest). Cut out paper snowflakes and decorate your windows. Use a mason jar and glitter to make a snow globe. Crush Shredded Wheat and combine it with glue and green food coloring to build kid-sized wreaths. No matter the age and stage of your little ones, there’s a holiday craft perfectly suited to their skill and attention levels.

• Crafting tip that keeps adults sane: choose one craft with a beginning and an end (snowflakes), not only open-ended chaos (glitter jars) unless you’re emotionally prepared.
• If you have babies or toddlers, “crafting” can be as simple as washable paint footprints on paper turned into cards. Fast, cute, done.

11. Build a Gingerbread house.

Building a gingerbread house can be as messy as you want. Baking from scratch will (thankfully) occupy a lot of unstructured time while you’re kids are on school break, but beware: Homemade gingerbread is temperamental where construction is concerned (it will involve more clean up, too). If your kids are younger and more frustration-prone, a pre-made kit may mean a jollier crew in your kitchen.

• Make it a team sport: one kid is the “architect,” one kid is the “decorator,” and one kid is the “quality control” taste-tester. Everyone gets a role, and you won’t have three people trying to glue a gumdrop in the same spot.
• Low-stress option: skip the house and do gingerbread “cookies that look like a house.” Same candy. Fewer tears.

12. Holiday movie marathon.

There are many ways to incorporate holiday movies into your family’s new traditions. Spend a chilly weekend binge-watching, watch part of a movie every night beginning December 1st, or pick a favorite and watch it every year. Here are some of our picks:

• The Muppet Christmas Carol
• A Claymation Christmas
• Elf
• How the Grinch Stole Christmas
• Home Alone
• The Nightmare Before Christmas
• The Polar Express
• A Christmas Story
• A Charlie Brown Christmas
  
• Frosty the Snowman
• Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
• Once Upon a Sesame Christmas

If you really want a great idea, take a projector (buy a cheap on refurbished on ebay) and turn baths into "projector baths," where you blast a movie (via bluetooth or wifi or a flash drive) onto the walls of the bathtub. 

• Make it feel like an event without spending money: do “movie tickets” on paper, dim the lights, and let kids pick the snack lineup. The ritual becomes the tradition.
• Parent note for mixed ages: you can keep the peace by letting each kid pick one movie night, then you pick one. Fair is fair.

13. Make a time capsule.

Have each member of your family write down the year’s highlights, place them in a box, and open it next year to reminisce.

• Add two quick prompts that make it fun later: “favorite food this year,” “favorite saying,” “best new thing I learned,” and “something I want to try next year.” Kids change fast. This captures it.
• If writing isn’t your kids’ thing, record 30-second voice notes and save them in a folder labeled by year.

14. Plan a special Christmas morning breakfast.

Start your holiday morning with a yummy and special breakfast—something you may not have the time to make during busy weekday mornings. Take a cue from Ina Garten and prep pancake, waffle, or muffin batter the night before and it will be ready to go as soon as you’re up. Most quiche and breakfast casseroles can be made ahead of time, as well.

• Make it a “signature breakfast” like a restaurant: same menu every year, same silly name, same plate if you have it. Kids love predictable traditions.
• And if mornings get chaotic, breakfast-for-dinner the night before can still feel special and keeps your actual holiday morning calmer.

15. Moments of mindfulness.

When your family is gathered around to open presents or eat a holiday feast, take a moment of mindfulness and gratitude. Ask every family member to say something positive about themselves: A new hobby they’ve started or an accomplishment they’re especially proud of (it doesn’t have to be profound, just uplifting). Then, ask them to tell the person next to them why they’re grateful for them and their impact on your life. If you’re worried this is a touch too sentimental for your crew, don’t worry. Children are apt to add some unhinged, off-the-wall commentary.

• Make it easier for shy kids: give them a “choose one” prompt—something I’m proud of, something I’m excited about, or something I’m thankful for.
• For older kids who roll their eyes at anything heartfelt, keep it short and weird: “One thing you did this year that was brave.” That lands differently.

16. Give back.

The holiday season is the perfect time to give back to your community. Sort through your kiddo’s toys and choose items to donate. Volunteer at a local food bank. Involve your family in Toys for Tots. Demonstrating care for your community to your children is the lesson of the season.

• Keep it kid-friendly: let them choose the donation items and help deliver them. Ownership matters.
• If donating toys is hard emotionally, start with books or coats they’ve outgrown. Smaller step, same impact.
• You can also make “care kits” together (socks, toothpaste, snacks) for a local shelter—kids love building something with a purpose.

17. Perform carol karaoke.

Get your crew together for a holiday sing-off—the more off-key, the merrier.

• Add one rule: everyone has to do one song, and nobody can make fun of anyone’s voice. You’ll get laughter without the hurt feelings.
• If singing isn’t your family’s thing, do “dance party to holiday music” and call it a day. Same energy.    

18. Do a holiday scavenger walk.

Grab the coats and cozy mittens, and head outside for a holiday or seasonal-themed nature walk. Who can spot the most wreaths or find a nativity scene? Who can collect the most pinecones? Getting outdoors and burning off some energy will help keep cabin fever at bay.

• Make it printable once and reuse it every year: “spot a red bow,” “spot a snowman,” “find three pinecones,” “find something shiny,” “hear a holiday song.”
• If it’s freezing, do an indoor scavenger hunt at home: hide candy canes, ornaments, or tiny notes around the house.

19. Take a trip down memory lane.

We believe there’s no better time to be schmaltzy than the holidays. Turn on your twinkly lights and spend an evening looking at old family holiday photos and videos, reminiscing about past celebrations. (Cuddle puddles encouraged.)

• Add a mini-interview: ask kids what they remember from last year, then tell them what you remember. Their version will be hilarious and completely wrong in the best way.
• If you’ve got home videos, keep it short. Ten minutes of clips beats one hour of “wait, is this the right file?”

20. Don’t forget their toy BFFs.

Make sure to include your little one’s favorite stuffies and toys in the festivities. Brainstorm a toy’s wish list for Santa (just remember, Santa has to follow through!) or craft a tiny holiday scarf for dress-up. Make toy-sized snacks and cookies to leave out for the big guy. Your kiddo will be thrilled their most cherished possession has a place in your holiday traditions.

• Parent warning: committing Santa to a toy’s wish list is a legally binding contract in your child’s mind. Keep it simple.
• This tradition is also great for kids adjusting to a new sibling or new routine—comfort toys love being included.

21. Craft holiday cards for neighbors.

Bust out the craft supplies and all the glitter you can get your hands on for a neighborhood “mailing.” Make a card for every neighbor and hand-deliver them with your tots in tow.

• Make it a “kindness lap”: deliver cards, say hello, and move on. No pressure for a full conversation at every door.
• If you live in an apartment building, this can be a hallway tradition—quick, easy, and still feels communal.

22. Play hide-and-seek with ornaments.

Let your little one choose a favorite ornament and “hide” it in the tree. The first person to spy the ornament wins!

• Add a fun twist: take turns being the “ornament hider” each day for a week. Kids love repetition, and it takes about 30 seconds.
• If you have babies in the house, keep the hidden ornament higher up so tiny hands don’t turn it into a snack.

23. Spice up your life.

Is anything more comforting than walking into a room that smells like the holidays? Creating your own potpourri is easy, kid-friendly, and a major mood booster. Fill a heavy-bottomed pot with two or three cups of water. Add orange slices, whole cranberries, star anise, cloves, cinnamon sticks, and a few rosemary sprigs. Bring to a gentle simmer and turn your burner down low. Refill with water as needed and enjoy your home smelling magical.

• Make it a “kitchen science” tradition: let kids choose the ingredients and guess what it’ll smell like before it simmers.
• Safety note: keep the pot on a back burner and treat it like hot soup—kids can watch, adults handle the stove.

24. Go out for a fancy meal.

We all know that “fancy” and kids require some wiggle room (yes, Panera mac and cheese counts!). Take advantage of free daytime hours, dress up, and head out for a family lunch. It’s an ideal test drive for a big holiday dinner and practicing manners—if Peppa Pig on the iPad is necessary, who are we to judge?

• Keep expectations realistic: the tradition can be “we dress up and go out,” not “we behave like tiny adults for two hours.”
• If restaurants stress you out, do “fancy at home” with a tablecloth, candles (fake ones), and a mocktail. Kids love the vibe.

25. Make reindeer food or snowman poop.

Reindeer food and snowman poop are silly projects that little kids love. To make reindeer food, mix peeled or shredded carrots with any salad mix or veggies you have on hand. Add sprinkles and glitter, and prepare to delight Rudolph. For snowman poop, just toss together mini marshmallows and white chocolate chips.

Incorporating new traditions can make the holidays even more special. Over time, they’ll become the memories that your family cherishes and looks forward to, year after year. Whatever traditions you choose to start, the key is to do them together, making the little moments count. Happy holidays!

• Quick safety note on this one: skip glitter unless it’s clearly labeled edible, and keep the “snowman poop” mix for kids who can safely handle chewy snacks without choking. For tiny toddlers, you can do a snack swap (puffs or yogurt melts) and still get the joke.
• Make it a whole scene: sprinkle the “reindeer food” outside, then add a few hoof prints in flour. Kids lose their minds in the best way.

Finding What’s Right for You

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