5 Fun Family Activities for Christmas
In many countries, Christmas is a family holiday when several generations gather around the table to spend time together and bond. Most family Christmas day celebrations are quite traditional, so it might be a good idea to shake things up and do something different every now and then. Here are five fun family activities for Christmas that do not include playing board games and watching Christmas movies.Making Christmas tree decorations. In most households, there is a box with Christmas decorations that are used every year. These decorations are associated with happy memories, but you can't cling to old memories all the time, you also need to make new ones. So gather your family together and ask each member to create a decoration that reminds them of their happiest family-related memory. We aren't saying that you should replace all old decorations with the new ones – there will be a place for every happy memory on your Christmas tree, we are sure about it!
Photo shoot. Photographs are one of the best ways to capture your family memories. Christmas is the perfect time to book a family photo shoot because a big part of your extended family will be it the same place at the same time. Depending on your budget, you can splurge on a professional photo shoot in a studio or ask a family friend to take photos in your home – either option is great. Don't take the photo shoot too serious and have fun – creative and spontaneous photos are the best.
Ugly Christmas sweater contest. Ugly Christmas sweaters are many people's guilty pleasure. Stop being ashamed of your love for tacky sweaters and embrace it! Have an ugly Christmas sweater party with a runway competition where winners are chosen and prizes are awarded. You can award literally every sweater by awarding prizes in multiple categories, such as “most original sweater”, “best handmade sweater”, etc. And don't forget to take hilarious photos!
Sing-along. If you like to sing but don't think that you sing good enough to go Christmas caroling door-to-door, you can have a family sing-along. You don't have to sing only Christmas carols: pick any musical film you like and sing along while watching it. You can even dress up as characters from the movie. It's something like a family-friendly variant of The Rocky Horror Picture Show midnight screening with audience participation.
Volunteering. Christmas is a time of giving and a perfect opportunity to teach your children about the importance of helping out people less fortunate than yourself and contributing to the community. In return, volunteers meet new people and learn new skills. Every year, numerous organizations start looking for volunteers around Christmas time. You can help organize charity events such as concerts, fairs and fundraisers, volunteer at a homeless shelter or children's hospital, etc. There are a lot of options, and even small towns have something to choose from.