When we look back on Christmas, we don’t remember the pile of Amazon boxes or that last-minute dash for wrapping paper. What sticks is the laughter, the awkward family karaoke, the time you burned the cookies and the turkey (a new personal record), and that heart-melting moment when Grandma told the same story for the 17th time — and everyone still listened.
So, if you want to stack your season with memory-making moments (and not just leftovers), here are 50 things to do this Christmas that’ll have you grinning long after the pine needles are vacuumed up in July.
Holiday Traditions with a Twist
• Put up the tree blindfolded (bonus: fewer arguments about light placement).
• Start a “ugliest ornament wins” contest.
• Have a family pajamas photo shoot — pets included.
• Handwrite a note to tuck into the tree for future you to find next year.
• Create a Christmas playlist where everyone adds their most random festive song (yes, even Uncle Bob’s polka).
Kitchen & Cozy Chaos
• Host a cookie bake-off — winner gets bragging rights until Easter.
• Try making gingerbread houses… without superglue-level frosting.
• Have a “wrong recipe” night where you swap ingredients (cinnamon in mashed potatoes, anyone?).
• Cook one family recipe from scratch with the oldest relative guiding.
• Set up a hot chocolate bar with toppings that would make Willy Wonka jealous.
Gifts & Giving (Beyond the Shopping Cart)
• Do a “white elephant” exchange with only re-gifted items from your house.
• Make homemade ornaments and gift them.
• Create a DIY coupon book for experiences instead of things.
• Donate a toy together as a family outing.
• Write “thank you” cards before gifts are even opened.
Outdoors & Adventure (Weather Permitting)
• Go carolling — badly.
• Build a snowman family (or, if you’re in warm weather, a sandman with sunglasses).
• Have a winter picnic with blankets, thermoses, and fingerless gloves.
• Drive around to see Christmas lights and score them like a reality show.
• Try ice skating and see who falls first (bet it’s you).
Movie & Game Nights
• Host a Christmas movie marathon and vote on the real holiday classic (Die Hard counts, fight me).
• Play charades using only holiday movie quotes.
• Do a trivia quiz on who knows the family’s favourite festive films best.
• Play a board game with Christmas-themed house rules.
• Recreate a scene from your favourite Christmas movie using only things in your house.
Crafts & Creativity
• DIY wreath-making with whatever you can forage in the yard.
• Paint or decorate Christmas mugs.
• Make paper snowflakes until your house looks like Elsa sneezed.
• Create personalized stockings with glue, glitter, and chaos.
• Build a mini photo booth with Christmas props for silly snapshots.
Family & Friends Connection
• Record a video message to your future self about what Christmas means this year.
• Share one memory from childhood around the dinner table.
• Invite a friend or neighbour who might be alone.
• Start a “memory jar” — everyone writes their favourite moment on Christmas Day.
• Create a family Christmas scrapbook together.
Spiritual & Reflective
• Read a Christmas story or Bible passage together.
• Light a candle for someone who can’t be there.
• Start the day with gratitude journaling (before the gift frenzy).
• Volunteer at a shelter, food bank or an animal shelter.
• Go stargazing and remember the first Christmas star.
Just for Fun & Whimsy
• Host a Christmas karaoke showdown.
• Wear tacky Christmas sweaters in public with pride.
• Do a TikTok dance challenge in Santa hats.
• Have a “Christmas Olympics” — events like fastest present wrapping, eggnog chugging, or tree-decorating speed run.
• Start a family “Santa hunt” where someone dresses up and sneaks around the house.
Wind Down & Chill Moments
• Read Christmas books by the fire.
• Take a Christmas Day walk with cocoa in hand.
• Have a candlelight evening with no screens — just stories, laughter and a board game.
• End the night with a gratitude circle.
• Go to bed in fresh Christmas pajamas and dream of sugarplums (or maybe leftover pie).
Christmas isn’t about perfection — it’s about connection. No one remembers if the tinsel was crooked or the roast was overcooked. What matters is the laughter, the traditions (weird or not), and the warmth you create together.
So, grab your cocoa, wrangle your people (even the grumpy ones), and start making memories that’ll last longer than your phone storage.