This post was written by Jalyssa Kessler, CCLS, CPST, certified child life specialist, Parkview Health.

This year, the holidays, like everything else, will look a bit different. But you can still make this a magical holiday season filled with new memories and traditions! Maybe in the past there just wasn’t enough time to introduce a new family-focused activity. Well, this is the year to try some fun things and enjoy quality time together.  

Here are some festive ideas that will get your family active and in the holiday spirit. You might even decide to make one (or more) of these ideas an annual tradition. And the more the merrier! Get your extended family and friends involved, too. Get creative and jolly this holiday season, from the safety of your home.

18 ideas for family holiday fun at home

• Make homemade cards for your extended family and friends and mail them or take a fun drive and drop them off on their porch. Pinterest has so many ideas! (While you’re there, give us a follow.)
• Challenge your kids to make their siblings, cousins or friends homemade gifts. You’ll be surprised what kids can create with recycled items you have lying around the house. Making time to create fosters ingenuity and giving it to someone special captures the true spirit of the season.
• Get your extended family and friends together for some friendly, virtual competition. Battleship or charades would be fun! You could even have a gingerbread house building and decorating showdown.
• It’s everyone’s favorite time of year for all those yummy cookies and candies. If your normal tradition is to have an annual baking day with your family or friends, get your kids involved and do it at home this year. You could even Zoom with those you normally bake with and still do it “together.”
• Get outside and play! We bundle up to play in the snow, so don’t let the cold temperatures get the best of you and keep you inside just because there’s no white stuff on the ground. Go for a walk and knock on the windows of your neighbors. For a special treat, take a night walk and enjoy the light displays in your neighborhood.
• Set up a scavenger hunt, either inside or outside. You could even do this with Christmas gifts or treats as the treasure.
• Have a family game night, complete with prizes like a “get out of chores free” card.
• Clean out the cupboards and get crafty with indoor holiday decor. Sometimes it’s fun to see where you and your child’s imaginations go.
• Put up your Christmas tree and decorations as a family. Try your hand at stringing garland. Talk about your favorite holiday traditions and let someone new put the star on top of the tree each year.
• Drive around and look at Christmas lights, carols playing in the background. Vote for which one is your favorite and consider leaving a note on the family’s porch letting them know how much you enjoyed them.
• Have a Christmas movie marathon, complete with snacks and hot cocoa, just like at a cozy movie theater.
• Read a Christmas or winter-themed book each night before bed. Some families like to wrap books and give them during the 12 days of Christmas. You could even write a book with your kids.
• Write letters to Santa. There are several locations around town where you can drop these off and get them to the North Pole.
• Create a Christmas Eve tradition. Some families like to open one gift on Christmas Eve, such as a book and new pajamas.
• Have a special breakfast or brunch on Christmas morning. Plan the menu together and let the kids help in the kitchen.
• Purchase solid-colored stockings and craft supplies and let your kids decorate their own stockings.
• Cut out paper snowflakes. Here’s a great tutorial to get you started.
• Create a calendar or paper chain with a fun thing to do each day. Even the littlest things and changes in routine can brighten a child’s day.