100 Ways to Make Christmas Memories with Your Kids

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With Christmas right around the corner, it seems that everywhere we look, we find ourselves bombarded with advertisements telling us we all need more stuff. I believed the advertisers for years. But now that I’m older? I realize that when I think back on my childhood, it’s the memories I made with my family that I cherished — not the gifts I received.

With my kids, I want to savor these fleeting Christmas seasons while they are still, well, kids. I hope to give them the gift of memories over the gift of toys they’ll forget by next year. That’s why I’ve compiled a list of 100 ways to make Christmas memories with your kids.

Some of these ideas are free. Others are inexpensive. Some can be done with only a little thought, while others take a bit of effort. A few are quintessential Nashville, while others can be done wherever you live. The point? Make some memories and enjoy the season with your family! When your kids grow up, they’ll thank you.100 Ways to Make Christmas Memories with Your Kids

  1. Have a Christmas movie night.
  2. Sing Christmas carols around the Christmas tree.
  3. Go on a drive to look at Christmas lights in your area.
  4. Bake Christmas cookies.
  5. Go to The Nashville Symphony for the Holiday Spectacular and Sing-Along.
  6. Make a hot chocolate bar.
  7. Write a letter to Santa.
  8. Watch as Norad Tracks Santa on Christmas Eve
  9. Use a Christmas countdown app as you get closer to the big day — or have Santa text your kids!
  10. Go ice skating.
  11. Read Polar Express together — then watch the movie.
  12. Visit Santa.
  13. Go to Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center to see the lights.
  14. Make a holiday themed craft.
  15. Build a gingerbread house.
  16. Go to Walk Thru Bethlehem.
  17. Donate gifts to a local charity.
  18. Hang Christmas stockings.
  19. Make a Christmas play.
  20. Go to GLOW!
  21. Camp out one night by the Christmas tree.
  22. Play Christmas music.
  23. Go caroling.
  24. Make a homemade Christmas ornament.
  25. Go to Holiday LIGHTS at Cheekwood.
  26. Decorate the Christmas tree.
  27. Read “‘Twas The Night Before Christmas”.
  28. Go to a Christmas concert.
  29. Write a letter to a family member you won’t see at Christmas.
  30. Go to see The Nutcracker with the Nashville Ballet.
  31. Serve a red and green themed meal.
  32. Make homemade caramel corn.
  33. Have a cookie decorating party.
  34. Visit a live nativity.
  35. Snow tube at Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center.
  36. Go to a candlelight service.
  37. Make and decorate a birthday cake for Jesus.
  38. Hang mistletoe and give out kisses.
  39. Go to Franklin Theatre to watch a Christmas movie.
  40. Cut down or pick out a Christmas tree.
  41. Go to a tree-lighting ceremony.
  42. Check out books from the library about how people celebrate Christmas around the world.
  43. Go to the Music City Winter Fest.
  44. Have a funny Christmas photo shoot (think decade themed!).
  45. Do Elf on the Shelf.
  46. Do a red and green scavenger hunt.
  47. Go to a pottery painting studio and paint a Christmas themed mug to use over the holidays.
  48. Have a s’more fondue night.
  49. Make up your own Christmas carols.
  50. Draw the kids a bath, play Christmas music and use Christmas colored toys in the tub.
  51. Invite friends over for a Christmas themed tea party.
  52. Bundle up and go on a cold weather hike.
  53. Go to Dickens of a Christmas in Franklin.
  54. Take boxes of baked treats to your neighbors.
  55. Wear Santa hats for a day.
  56. Do a Christmas family photo shoot.
  57. Throw a Christmas party.
  58. Make popcorn and cranberry garland.
  59. Go to a Christmas parade.
  60. Make a wreath.
  61. Decorate the tree together.
  62. Make paper snowflakes.
  63. Visit a homeless shelter or nursing home.
  64. Window shop.
  65. Stamp or paint your own wrapping paper.
  66. Read the Christmas story in bed.
  67. Go see The Dancing Lights of Christmas.
  68. Wrap presents together.
  69. Decorate a Christmas shirt with fabric paints.
  70. Build a snowman.
  71. Make snow angels.
  72. Have a snowball fight. If there is no snow, use wads of paper!
  73. Make snow globes.
  74. Make a snowman out of play dough.
  75. Write your own family Christmas story.
  76. Do something kind for someone in the family.
  77. Have a “no screen time” day.
  78. Eat candy canes.
  79. Have a game night.
  80. Snuggle on the couch.
  81. Picnic by the Christmas tree.
  82. Play “Try to guess the Christmas carol” game.
  83. Give someone a secret Santa gift.
  84. Sit by the fire.
  85. Go to a Christmas market.
  86. Make a Christmas playlist.
  87. Crepe paper your child’s door on Christmas morning so they have to break through it.
  88. Go on a candy cane hunt.
  89. Leave cookies for Santa.
  90. Eat dinner by candlelight and Christmas lights.
  91. Eat “snowballs” (ice cream).
  92. Play with a kid nativity scene.
  93. Keep extra Christmas cards in your van to give to strangers at the grocery store.
  94. Do an Advent Calendar.
  95. Call each other only Reindeer names for a day.
  96. Play Christmas Bingo.
  97. Play with snow globes.
  98. Read classic Christmas stories/poems around the tree.
  99. Sing Silent Night by candlelight.
  100. Wear Christmas pajamas.

For more fun handpicked holiday ideas for families in Music City, click here.

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allisongraber
Allison was born and raised in the Midwest, which accounts for her straight-talking ways. Nashville has been her home since the end of 2014 and there is no looking back! Her husband, Lynn and two daughters, Ellis the threenager and 6-month-old Adeleine, fill her world with joy, exhaustion and glitter. When she's not brushing out tangled hair or cleaning spit-up off her leggings, she enjoys hiking, eating healthy foods, traveling, trying out new fun things to do in Nashville or reading books. She revels in laughing (many times at herself), meeting new people, and having deep meaningful conversations. (That kind of sounded like a dating profile). She has quite a few grey hairs, which proves she has wisdom, and a big heart made softer by the loss of three pregnancies. When she writes she pulls from the joy of the little moments with her girls, the humor in the everyday, her faith and her experiences in loss. Motherhood brings out all the feelings but she's found that when she is a part of a community of people doing life together, a little of the burden is removed. That's why she's honored to call Nashville home. You can read more from Allison at allisongraber.com where she writes about motherhood, womanhood, and faith. You can also follow her on Facebook and Instagram.

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