20 Fun (& Budget-Friendly) Christmas Activities

My family looks forward to these fun, family friendly, and cheap Christmas activities as soon as November hits.  It is so easy to get lost in the commercialism and the frenzied pace of the holidays, and while it is fun to receive  gifts, my husband and I want to focus our family time and faith too.

Don’t forget to slow down during the hectic holidays to create memories and traditions, and most of all enjoy the season with your family.

20 Fun (& Budget-Friendly) Christmas Activities

1. Plan a Movie Night In.

Pop some popcorn, snuggle up with blankets and find some hilarious Christmas movies on Netflix, cable or rent from the library. We just watched Christmas with the Kranks on Netflix.

2. Attend Holiday Events at Your Library

Check out your library’s calendar. Our library has activities all month long, such as holiday story times, gingerbread house decorating, and even a visit from Santa.

3. Christmas Decorating Party

Make decorating your house for the holidays a family event by playing Christmas music, serving cookies and hot cocoa. Have everyone talk about their favorite ornaments and why they mean so much. The upside of making a big deal about decorating the tree and house is that everyone will be more willing to help.

4. Attend a Christmas Program at Church

To celebrate the Birth of Christ, the true meaning of Christmas for many Christians, many churches have concerts, musicals, plays, candle lighting services, and other programs through out December that lead up to the much anticipated Christmas Eve service.

Many churches welcome non-members to attend the activities and they are often open to the community and free to attend.

5. See a Live Nativity.

6. Go to your Town’s Christmas Parade.

7. Go Christmas Caroling.

My daughters’ Girl Scout troop has caroled through our neighborhood and a local senior home. They have so much fun and meet afterwards for hot chocolate. Gather your neighbors, friends and/or family for hot chocolate and cookies and go caroling through your community.

8. Host a Cookie Swap.

A cookie swap is a fun way to celebrate the holidays with your friends and family AND you can cross baking off of your holiday to-do list.

9. Bake & Decorate Gingerbread Cookies

One of our favorite (and messiest) traditions. Why does the most fun activity have to be so messy, messy, messy. I guess I need to just—LET IT GO, LET IT GO….sorry, I live in a Frozen world, right now.

10. Build & Decorate Gingerbread Houses

Another favorite tradition and not quite as messy. I buy the kits at Michaels (on sale, of course + a coupon).

11. Make Christmas Crafts to Give as Gifts

Before my girls were in elementary school, we did a lot of crafts. I’m not a crafty person, but my girls seem to be attracted to glue, paint and glitter. Follow along on my Pinterest Christmas Crafts board for more craft ideas.

12. PJ’s & Pancakes Family Breakfast

Breakfast is a crazy time of day, but if there’s a Saturday that’s free, we make time for a sit down pj’s & pancakes breakfast.

13. Family Game Night

We have the most hilarious time playing Apples to Apples Junior.

14. Christmas Book Read Aloud

Gather the family and enjoy your favorite Christmas books together.

15. See the Christmas Lights

I’m pretty sure drivers aren’t slowing down to check out our Christmas lights (below), but my husband couldn’t help himself last year when he saw this reindeer on sale. Driving around and looking at Christmas lights is one of our favorite things to do. However, we don’t usually make an extra trip out, instead we take detours on our drive home from other nightly activities.

16. Got Snow? And hills? Host a Sledding Party

If you have hills in your back yard, you’ve got a party just waiting for some snow.

17. Go Ice Skating (or Roller Skating)

Our local roller rink offers buy 1 get 1 free coupons in the Clipper magazine and Bonus book.

18. Christmas Gift Wrapping Party

We wrap all of the presents for our extended family all at once.

19. Ice Cream Sundae Party

Ice cream and all of your favorite toppings makes a fun party.

20. See a Matinee

Going to a movie at a theater is such a treat. This is the most expensive activity on the list, but we go to the movies one time a year and that is at Christmas. There is always a movie appropriate for kids at this time of year and we go to a matinee which is several dollars cheaper than the prime times. This year, we’re going to see Annie.

What fun & frugal activities are you & your family doing this Christmas? Let us know in the comments.

photo credit: Pixaby