16 Holiday Traditions to Try with Your Family
Whether it’s making gingerbread houses, decorating a tree, or volunteering at a soup kitchen, holiday traditions are something we look forward to every year. They are more than just a way to bring the family together—they actually have a multitude of benefits, including making the world feel safe and predictable, increasing security and belonging, and providing comfort when things are stressful and unfamiliar.
How Family Holiday Traditions Support Mental Health
These benefits are especially helpful for children during the holiday chaos, which disrupts their daily routines and can lead them to experience something called holiday stress. Potential triggers for this phenomenon include irregular sleep schedules, being around unfamiliar or rarely seen relatives, lots of pressure and high expectations for their behavior and reactions, overindulgence of candy, treats, and sugar, and an overall shift from their regular routine—essentially, everything that happens during the holidays!
16 Holiday Traditions to Try with Your Family
If your child seems to be particularly affected by holiday stress, traditions can give them something comforting to look forward to. We’ve created a list of the ones we love most – read on for more, or download our printable list here.
Decorate sugar cookies!
Whether it’s with just your household or with cousins, grandparents, baking a batch of sugar cookies with fun shapes and decorating them is a terrific holiday pastime. Here’s a great recipe from Joy Food Sunshine for cut-out sugar cookies that you can try.
Make gingerbread men…
or gingerbread ninjas, if you want to spice things up for your kids. For a great recipe, try this one from Sugar Spun Run.
Design gingerbread houses.
This can be as easy or as challenging as you want it to be! Most grocery stores are selling gingerbread house kits this time of year, but if you’re feeling brave, you can try making one from scratch with this recipe.
Deliver cookies to your neighbors.
Whether you and your neighbors know each other well or have never met, leaving a package of homemade cookies on their doorstep is a great way to spread holiday cheer. If you’re looking for something unique to share, try making these Taylor Swift chai eggnog cookies!
Create homemade ornaments.
There are endless options for DIY ornaments to make with your child – check out this great list of ideas from Better Homes and Gardens.
Create your own advent calendars.
While the classic chocolate-filled calendars are great, it can be fun to get creative and make an advent calendar for your child. Whether you decide to do one with books, candy, or something else altogether, it’s a great way to count down the days toward the holiday with your child. You can also do a reverse-advent calendar!
Draw Christmas cards for family and friends.
All you need is some paper, crayons, and creativity! Handmade cards from children are a great gift to family and friends. Make sure you save a few to look back on as your child grows up.
Photo: Fountain Avenue Kitchen
Mix up reindeer food and scatter it outside on Christmas Eve.
After all, the reindeer will need a snack after a long trek from the North Pole to your home! This recipe details all you need to make this magical treat. The birds and squirrels are sure to enjoy it, too.
Treat first responders.
You can drop by some homemade cookies, a bag of candy, or a box of donuts – whatever you bring to your local hospital, fire station, or police station is sure to be appreciated by those who are working through the holidays.
Go caroling at a nursing home.
Make sure you check with the nursing home or assisted living facility that you want to carol at beforehand to make sure it won’t be disruptive to the residents. Then, gather friends, family, and Christmas carol printouts, and you’re all set.
Volunteer at a food bank.
Nearly 1 million Virginians are facing food insecurity, and volunteering at a food bank or pantry is a great way to teach your child the importance of helping those in need. Check out this Virginia food bank locator to find one near you!
Donate used clothes and toys.
There are many toy and clothing drives around the holidays. You may see them at your office, your church, or even at the grocery store! These are great places to drop off clothes and toys that your child has grown out of.
Take a tacky light tour.
Put your child in their pajamas, give them a cozy blanket, and explore your neighborhood to see tacky light displays. You can casually drive around and see what’s out there, or you can look for a guide put out by your local newspaper on where the best tacky light houses are.
Decorate your yard or porch.
You don’t have to go all out to get your yard or porch looking festive! Most children love those inflatable Christmas blow-ups, which are fairly easy to set up. You can also do string lights, which take a little more work, but are definitely worth the effort.
Check out the Santa tracker.
Before your child heads to bed on Christmas Eve, you can view the Santa tracker with them to see where in the world he is! Google has a great tracker, as does the official Santa Tracker website.
Camp out around the Christmas tree.
Set up a pillow and blanket fort by the tree and give your child a cozy spot to read holiday books, listen to Christmas music, and drink hot chocolate before bed!
We hope this has given you some ideas to expand on your family’s traditions, and we wish you a wonderful holiday season from VMAP!
