There is something about the crisp cool air that really gets me in the mood for holiday traditions to start.
When I was a young girl and October rolled around I couldn’t wait to start writing my Christmas wishlist and neither could my siblings.
Holiday Traditions to Start with Your Family
However, now that I am an adult. It has totally changed course and I make it more fun for my kiddos.
As you may know I am a mom and foster mom. My kids ages range from toddler, to elementary, to teenager, and high schooler.
In our house we love putting up the Christmas tree early!
This year we bought one of the fancy ones! It is the most gorgeous trees I have ever seen!
First tradition to start, is when putting up the Christmas decor and espeially the tree. We turn it into a fun experience!
In fact, you could even name the experience something!
- Happy to my Holiday Experience!
- Celebrating Jesus
- Santa Claus is Coming to Town
- Holly Jolly Good Time
It’s fun because we put on Christmas music, warm up with Genuine North Pole Hot Cocoa, and decorate the Christmas tree!
As a mom and foster mom it is a must for me to add each one of the children placed in our care to be a part of our family rituals.
For example, every year my children open Christmas pajamas on Christmas eve. I also include silly Christmas socks or matching slippers to match.
We even take it a step further in our family. Since the bio families of our kiddos often time are still involved. We like to make them a part of Christmas too.
In fact, the little guy placed with us currently he’s been with us for over two years. His first Christmas we wanted to make it special for him too.
We bought him an adorable pair of Grinch pajamas that were matching to ours and then we also bought his bio mom a pair to match.
He’s little we get that but for his bio mom we wanted her to still feel a part of his holiday too.
Family Christmas Traditions
We enjoy creating special holiday traditions that last for years to come. In fact here are a few more traditions that we like to do.
- Elf on the Shelf (See some of our ideas here!)
- Visiting Santa Claus
- Making Christmas cookies
- Grabbing blankets, hot cocoa, and venturing out to see the Lights
- Giving back and helping the community
Toddlers are just at the beginning of learning what the Christmas season is all about. We love that they want to learn!
Holiday Traditions for Toddlers
In fact, with having four kids of my own. Each stage is so fun to partake in.
With that said, easy ideas for little ones such as toddlers to do for Christmas are some of the following:
- Make a Christmas Ornament
- Christmas Craft
- Help Decorate the Tree
- Visit Santa
Another really fun way for toddlers to do something fun for a holiday tradition is to dress them up in adorable Christmas clothes.
Whether it be an Ugly sweater, Rudolph costume, or others. As well as, you could take it a step further and teach them an easy Christmas song.
In return it is a fun thing for them to do and yet a fun thing for you to post for Christmas spirit and share for your family and friends to view on social media.
In fact, you could do this every year with the same song and when they turn 18 put all of the videos together and watch as they grow and their voice changes.
Preschool and Elementary Holiday Traditions
It’s the sweetest time of year for so many kids and being young and full of Christmas spirit is some of the best times in a child’s life.
Therefore, creating magicial moments for this age is so important and just plain out FUN!
Last year, when our kids got off the bus. Each one of our school-aged kiddos get off the bus at different times. There as, each child got to experience this!
All I did was cover empty boxes with green wrapping paper and made a star out of poster board. My husband and I each held an end of the streamer and as the kids got off of the school bus they got to ran through the streamers and knocked over a diy giant Christmas tree.
Oh my goodness did they laugh and giggle!
Middle School and High School Holiday Traditions
This stage the kids are getting older and as most of them don’t want to admit they still want to celebrate Christmas with traditions.
From experience, my own kiddos my oldest is almost 15 and she loves decorating for Christmas, baking gingerbread cookies, and still partaking in a candy cane hunt!
In fact, she was the one that helped with my grinch craft & games and she loved it!
Some ideas that you could use for this age would be…
- Gift them an Ornament
- Streamers on the door are still fun to break through
- Bake Christmas Cookies
- Let them put the star on the tree
- Take them to see Christmas lights somewhere new and grab hot cocoa on the way from Starbucks!
It doesn’t matter what age you are at kids and adults all love celebrating Christmas! It’s the sweetest time of the year!
