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Christmas Eve Activities
The Whole Family Will Enjoy

Christmas Eve is all about spending time with family. There are so many Christmas Eve activities that the whole family can enjoy together! Here are some ideas of what you can do on Christmas Eve.

Christmas Eve is all about spending it with the people who matter most. And what better way to get your family in the Christmas spirit is to make lots of fun memories!

The Christmas season is a special time of the year! We have some great ideas on what you can do during the holidays:

• How To Plan An Unforgettable Christmas Eve Celebration
• The Best Drive-thru Christmas Light Shows in America By State
• Hosting a Christmas Party at Home

We’ve gathered these family-friendly Christmas Eve activities and traditions to make this Christmas the start of more fun, unforgettable Christmases to come.

Whatever you choose to do, be sure that this Christmas Eve is one to remember. And if nothing else, have fun with your family.

That’s what the Christmas season is all about…getting together with your loved ones and making memories that will last forever.

Christmas Eve Activities The Whole Family Will Enjoy

Watch Christmas Movies

There are a lot of good films to watch during Christmas, but which ones would the whole family enjoy? 

Christmas Tip: The next time you are watching a movie together, take it to a whole new level! Get out your old VCRs and make sure they are working.

Get creative! Wear a costume or put on clothes to look like your favorite character from the film.

Play Games for Hours On End

There are so many games you and your kids can play during Christmas; you may even wonder where to start.

What better night to have an epic family game night than Christmas Eve? Play games like Yahtzee, UNO, or even Twister. Clean out your game closet and see what treasures you can find.

Bake Cookies and Treats Together

There’s nothing like the smell of freshly baked cookies and other treats and serving them to the entire family for Christmas Eve in your home. 

Christmas Tip: Baking is a great way to spend time with the kids, but why not kill two birds with one stone? You can be preparing some treats for your family Christmas Eve dinner while having some fun with the kids. 

This way, you are saving time, plus it brings out their creative side by decorating the cookies and treats themselves.

Create a Hot Cocoa Station

One of the best parts of the Christmas holidays is hot cocoa, so why not upgrade your favorite beverage with a whole hot chocolate bar on Christmas Eve? 

Set out dark and milk chocolates, as well as a variety of toppings, such as chocolate shavings, chopped pecans, and crushed-up candy canes, in addition to whipped cream and marshmallows. 

Everyone in the house will have fun making the messiest, most extravagant, and delectable dessert drink possible!

Take Your Cookie-making Skills to a New Level

If you have children or grandchildren, they most likely enjoy leaving milk and cookies for Santa.

Instead of baking traditional chocolate chip cookies this year, try making something a little different and letting the kids decorate it. 

Why not try making peppermint cream cookies, lemon icing gingerbread trees, or any other new recipe you come across? Santa will appreciate the variety!

Have a Treasure Hunt

Kids love getting Christmas gifts, but why not make your children or grandchildren work for their Santa gifts this year? 

You can make your Christmas Eve party more competitive by hiding the gifts throughout the house and providing clues as to where they are as the night progresses.

Christmas Pajamas 

Lounging around in your pajamas is one of the joys of Christmas morning. Consider giving everyone in the family a “pre-gift” this year: Christmas-themed pajamas to wear the next morning. 

They’ll make you feel all warm and cozy as you open presents and watch Christmas movies all day!

Volunteer

Make your Christmas Eve more charitable by asking everyone in your house to find a can of food or a toy that can be donated to a worthy cause. 

Alternatively, you and your family can volunteer for a couple of hours at a soup kitchen or toy drive before starting to open your own gifts—the timing couldn’t be better.

After all, it’s these acts of kindness that define the holiday spirit!

See All of the Christmas Lights

As a kid, we bet you used to enjoy doing this. To really play it up, grab some snacks and turn it into a full-fledged event.

There are probably a lot of Christmas light displays near you, depending on where you live. Some towns even have paid displays with thousands upon thousands of lights that you can drive through.

It literally hurts my head to think about all the work that goes into putting up the lights and then taking them down. That, my friends, is true holiday spirit dedication.

Decorating the Christmas Tree

Some families wait until the night before Christmas to put up their Christmas trees. Putting up the tree, hanging the ornaments, and spending time with your family sounds like the ideal way to start the Christmas season.

Present-Wrapping

If your family waits until the night before Christmas to put out presents, you’re probably all too familiar with the activity of wrapping presents.

And, depending on the number of Christmas gifts you have, this could take all night!

Consider it a sporting event, and set a goal for yourself to beat your previous best time. And keep in mind that your gift-wrapping skills are being used for the greater good of Christmas morning joy.

Prepare a Christmas Eve Feast Together

There’s something magical about cooking in the kitchen with your family. Everyone has an opinion, and an idea about what they want to eat, and all of the dishes somehow come together.

There are no food rules on Christmas Eve, even if you want grilled chicken and your child wants lasagna.

Gather all of the necessary ingredients and bake, and cook them all at the same time. Take your time, make something new, and keep in touch with one another throughout the process.

Oh, and don’t forget the best perk of being a cook: you get to sample every single dish throughout the preparation process.

Isn’t it true that a cook doesn’t want to risk serving something unpalatable to others?

On Christmas Eve, you’re taste-testing for overall happiness.

Play a Guessing Game

First, you’ll need someone to stuff a stocking with random items. Tie a ribbon around the top of the stocking once it’s been stuffed, and no one can peek inside the stocking. 

Sit in a circle and pass the stocking around so that everyone can guess what’s inside. Provide them with note cards on which they can jot down their guesses. The prize goes to the person who gets the most correct answers!

Frequently Asked Questions

On Christmas Eve, what do most families do?

Every year on Christmas Eve, some families go all out for a fun-filled day of playing games, baking cookies, building puzzles and cakes, and making various Christmas crafts. Of course, they did it all while wearing matching Christmas pajamas!

Do you have a tradition of opening presents on Christmas Eve?

Christmas is observed on the 25th day of December each year, and it is during this time that families gather to open gifts that Santa has left under their Christmas tree.

Despite the fact that it is not tradition, some families open presents on Christmas Eve.

What can you do on Christmas Eve if you don’t have any relatives?

If you’re alone on Christmas eve, here’s how to spend the day if you don’t have any family

• Orphan Christmases can be hosted or attended.
• Make a difference in the lives of others (but don’t volunteer)
• Disconnect from technology and reconnect with reality.