Welcome to the cozy holiday season! ❄ As fellow parents, we know there’s something truly special about creating festive memories with young kiddos. The twinkling lights, the jingle of holiday tunes, and cherished traditions can make this time of year enchanting for little minds. We also know how much pressure parents can feel to make the season bright. We’re here to make it a little bit easier to create simple holiday magic at home.  

Here are our five favorite tips for easy ways to make the season bright with little ones:

1. DIY Holiday Cards

Work with your kids to make a list of everyone that you’d like to send some holiday cheer to this season. This can include their friends, your friends, family members, teachers, or other people you encounter regularly (the garbage man is a favorite in our house!). Then help your little ones gather the supplies needed to make festive cards. Try incorporating photos, stickers, glitter (if you dare), colorful markers, and other holiday fun to make each card unique. Creative touches like handprints can be especially cute! You can design the cards in any way you’d like to celebrate the holidays and values that matter most to your family. Encourage your kids to think of personal messages to each person that you can help them write out. Not only does this give your little ones a creative outlet, it also teaches them about the importance of giving during the holiday season. 

2. Fireside Story Time

Regardless of whether or not you have a fireplace in your home, you can transform your living room into a cozy haven for the timeless tradition of reading stories by the fire. Dim the lights, turn on some soft background music, and set up your “fireplace”. If you have a real fireplace, light it up and cuddle in the warm glow. If not, you can try out one of the “Fireplace for Your Home” or similar videos on Netflix or YouTube to create the fireside illusion. Have every family member bring a favorite holiday story and a cozy blanket. You can read the stories one by one and talk about what you enjoy about each one. If your children are a little bit older, you can even work together to tell a collaborative story with each person contributing a few lines. This tradition can inspire a love for reading and give your family a screen-free option for entertainment together. 

3. Kindness Chain

This simple paper craft can be used as an advent calendar (starting December 1st) or simply a countdown to the end of the year. Cut enough strips of paper for each day in your countdown. On each strip, write a simple act of kindness that you and your kids will do each day. Busy Toddler has some great ideas for different acts of kindness if you’re looking for inspiration! Once you have written something on each strip of paper, use a stapler or tape to connect each strip of paper to the next in a chain. Each day, take one link off of the chain and complete the activity! A bonus to this is that it gives children a visual representation of time passing to help them connect waiting to something tangible. 

4. Indoor Campout

If the weather is cold where you are in December, consider trying out an “indoor campout” with your kiddos. Set up a blanket fort or use a tent (if it fits) in the main living area of your home and invite the whole family to put on pajamas and bring their pillows and blankets. Bring flashlights or headlamps and turn out all the lights to mimic the experience of being outdoors. You can actually go outside to try and stargaze, or string some twinkle lights around the room and pretend you’re admiring the galaxy! Prepare a “campfire” picnic with things like s’mores and festive snacks. If you celebrate Christmas, this tradition can be made especially fun by “camping” out around the tree! Whether or not everyone actually sleeps at the “campsite”, the possibility will feel magical to little ones! This is an easy way to make some special holiday memories without having to leave the comfort of home. 

5. Family Movie Night

This is one of our favorites and can be a great option in combination with the Indoor Campout. At the beginning of the month, make a list of everyone’s favorite holiday specials (check out our Holiday Special Video Guide + Action Kit for our top 10 age-appropriate holiday specials for toddlers and preschoolers). Plan as many movie nights as you’d like throughout the month to enjoy the specials, or combine them all into one big holiday movie extravaganza! You can do theme nights like “Santa Night” and “Winter Wonderland”, or whatever themes fit your chosen holiday specials. Encourage family members to dress up and think of easy foods that go along with the themes. This can be a fun weekly tradition to encourage togetherness and co-viewing of media! 

Do you have any favorite simple family holiday traditions? Let us know! We’d love to hear from you in the comments here or on our Instagram.