Our favourite family-friendly festive traditions

Blog Article | By Simplyhealth | 08 December 2022

Every family has a classic Christmas tradition, whether it’s sitting down to write letters to Santa, hanging up your homemade stockings or leaving out milk, carrots and cookies on Christmas Eve. Why not mix things up this year and try one of our family-friendly traditions below!

Remember that the traditions don’t have to be extravagant, it’s about the memories created and quality family time.

Be a festive foodie

Spend a cold winter’s afternoon with a homemade hot chocolate decorating a gingerbread house. This is the perfect activity to keep children entertained and the best part is, once you’ve appreciated your masterpiece, you can enjoy a sweet treat.

And for the grownups, try your hand at mulled wine or cider from scratch. You can also make them alcohol free and add in extra fruit and winter spices, such as cinnamon, to give your winter warmer extra flavour. Invite friends and family over for an evening to taste and enjoy!

Get crafty this Christmas

Cards, wrapping paper & decorations are festive staples but creating them yourself with a personalised touch makes them that extra little bit special. Crafts can be as simple or extravagant as you want to make them, but the main point is they’re fun for everyone and the children will love getting involved! Some crafty ideas include;

Creating your own Christmas cards
Designing your own wrapping paper
Making tree decorations

Tour the neighbourhood light displays

It’s a timeless tradition that many families have done for years. Bundle into your car or wrap up warm and go for an evening walk to check out the light displays in your local area and maybe even hang up your own. See who can spot the most unique display!

Give back

Giving back is a great lesson for children to learn and an opportunity to put the magic back into someone else’s Christmas. Get together and show gratitude for people and communities who are less fortunate.

You could donate unused food to food banks, help at a homeless shelter serving Christmas lunch or put together a shoebox of gifts for a charity collection.

Family watching movie wearing Christmas pyjamas

Host a movie marathon

If you’re tired from all the festive cheer over Christmas and just need an afternoon curled up on the sofa in your pyjamas, then indulge yourself in a movie marathon with a bowl of your favourite popcorn.

Why not let each family member pick a favourite and watch one film a week in the lead up to the big day. From rom-com classics, like The Holiday, to the laugh out loud Home Alone series, there’s plenty for everyone to watch and enjoy!

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