30-ways-to-make-christmas-magicalEvery year I want to make sure my sons understand the true meaning of Christmas and that they don’t get wrapped up (ha!) in just the idea of getting presents from good ole St. Nick. There are so many things that can be seen or done to make sure that Christmas time is magical, and not just for the kids! So, if you are looking to add some traditions to your family, or just looking for some things to do to get into the true Christmas spirit this year, now’s your chance to do it! 

Here are 30 ways to make Christmas magical: 

  1. Reindeer food – we make this every year for our kids to throw out in the yard! My favorite part is the glitter because it makes your yard sparkle! You can find the directions here
  2. Make cookies for Santa.
  3. Elf On The Shelf – my boys love theirs.
  4. Kindness Elf – similar to Elf On The Shelf, but with the elves looking for acts of kindness from your kiddos! 
  5. Eggnog! We make eggnog every Christmas season. My children request it, especially if my mother in law is in town. We actually add ice cream to ours and blend it up. For the adults, we add rum!
  6. Watch Christmas movies. We love the 25 days of Christmas on Freeform. You can find the schedule here
  7. Volunteer – Contact a local animal or homeless shelter to see if you can come in and volunteer. It is so humbling to be able to help people in any way you can. An act of kindness can really go a long way and many people, and animals, will be grateful!
  8. Pick an angel from an Angel Tree – this is a great way to really get kids involved. When you pick an angel, have your kids help you pick out gifts for the child/children you have. I remind the boys that not everyone is as fortunate as them, and we need to make sure we help where we can. You can find an Angel Tree location here.
  9. Go and see Christmas lights! We love driving around neighborhoods and admiring all the lights that are displayed. 
  10. Listen to Christmas music – we play Trans Siberian Orchestra or Pentatonix’s albums when we decorate our Christmas tree. I will even play it when I am home alone and decorating Christmas presents.
  11. Read the nativity story from the Bible – every Christmas Eve my husband sits the kids down and reads the story of Jesus’ birth from Luke 2. It’s a great way to remind the kids the true meaning of Christmas.
  12. Celebrate Jesus’ birthday with a cake! I have some friends that do this and even sing Happy Birthday to Jesus Christmas Eve.
  13. Live nativity scene – this sounds like so much fun. Good Shepherd has a live nativity scene and is located in Cedar Park.
  14. Read the story the Night Before Christmas. This is always a fun story and really can get the kids excited for Santa Claus.
  15. Tell the story of the real St. Nick. We used this story when we told our oldest about Santa Claus, but it can be used to really explain that there really was a St. Nicholas and that he loved giving.
  16. Family Speeches – it would be a great tradition to start for you or your spouse, or both, to give a short little speech at Christmas dinner. 
  17. Make hot chocolate. My kids love hot chocolate and have special mugs just for the occasion. We like to add marshmallows and candy canes to yours.
  18. Tree decorating! It is so much fun to decorate our tree and see all the ornaments we have accumulated over the years. My favorite are the ornaments that the boys have made at school. We also hang candy canes on our tree and they slowly become treats for the kids.
  19. Make homemade ornaments for gifts. A great ornaments to make are salt dough ornaments or anything that can be personalized. 
  20. Christmas tree farms – we went to Elgin Christmas Tree Farm this year to cut down our own tree. It was a lot of fun and it will be something we do every year. 
  21. Snow! I know, we are in Texas, and it doesn’t snow down here, but you can find some snow in Hutto! On December 10, downtown Hutto will have it’s Christmas Fair and there will be snow for the kids to see and play in!
  22. Make a gingerbread house. My boys love these and we try to do one every year. We spend a night listening to our Christmas music and spending time together making our houses. Plus, the kids love to be creative with their candy decor!
  23. Letters to Santa – write a letter to Santa and give it to Macy’s! Macy’s has a wonderful campaign where for every letter they receive to send to Santa, they donate $1 to Make A Wish. It’s a great way to be a part of a wonder charity and it keeps the spirit of Christmas magical. 
  24. Advent calendar – a great way to countdown the days of Christmas and it can be paired with anything- Christmas books, Bible quotes, candy, acts of kindness…the list can go on!
  25. Christmas caroling – gather your neighbors and their families. Everyone can see lights as you walk the neighborhood and sing along to favorite songs.
  26. Gifts for police, fire fighters, sanitation and mail men! This is a really good way to give back. Bringing food to a fire station or a police precinct would really mean a lot to the men and women who protect us daily. A lot of them work during the holidays and having people show their appreciation would mean so much. My kids love watching the garbage trucks and the mail truck come by, so giving a small gift or holiday treats would make their day!
  27. Matching PJs. I want to start the new tradition of the whole family wearing matching Christmas pajamas Christmas Eve…husband isn’t too keen on the idea though…
  28. Cookies for the neighbors – a great way to show love and magic during this season is to back some holiday treats and give them to your neighbors. This can help build bonds for your street and neighborhood.
  29. Go and see Santa – just do it. Go take your kids and see him. Take lots of pictures. It’s always fun to see the kids light up and run down their list to him. 
  30. Love – all this season really needs is love. Love your kids, your spouse, your family, your co-workers, and just everyone. If we show kindness and love, people can see that there is goodness in our world, and sometimes that kindness can change someone’s day around. 

What are your favorite ways to make Christmas magical? 

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