December is pretty much all about Christmas around here. But there are a few quirky holidays to celebrate throughout the month, and lots of seasonal fun to be had. Read on for your monthly list of what to do in December.
What to Do in December: Holidays
Arguably the biggest holiday of the year, and definitely the biggest in my house, Christmas Day is December 25th. Since I love lists, I made a massive one of fun Christmas activities! Get all the inspiration you need for your Christmas fun in one place. In addition, I have a list of meaningful Christmas countdown or advent activities to create a sweet tradition for your family this year.
For a whole lot of Christmas information, including how Christmas is celebrated around the world and the origin of many Christmas traditions, visit www.whychristmas.com.
New Year’s Eve is on December 31st. I love to reflect on the past year and plan for the upcoming year on New Year’s Eve. You can download a free printable New Year’s goal-setting printable for your kids to fill out. Help them think about their own goals for a new year.
I have a set of monthly planning pages to help you plan and prioritize the things that never get checked off your list. Start now and create a monthly plan for the books you want to read, projects you want to do, or habits you wish to form next year. Find the complete downloadable monthly planning pages in my Etsy shop.
Fun Holidays
December 1st is Eat a Red Apple Day. What a great way to start December—with a healthy snack before all those Christmas goodies! Your kids might like the classic Red Delicious apple, but you could also have them pick an apple variety they’ve never tried before.
National Brownie Day is on December 8th. Cut your brownies into triangles and let your kids decorate them like a Christmas tree. Or make these ah-mazing Classic Mint Chocolate Brownies from Sally’s Baking Addiction. You won’t be sorry. Unless you eat six in a row, and even then, only a little bit sorry.
In keeping with the season, Poinsettia Day is December 12th. Buy a traditional red one for a bright pop of Christmas color, or have your kids make pretty paper poinsettias using a free template from First Palette.
On December 16th, celebrate National Chocolate Covered Anything Day. Make some peanut clusters or cover store bought Oreos or shortbread in chocolate for a yummy holiday treat.
Crossword Puzzle Day is December 21st. Download a free Christmas themed crossword puzzle at Puzzles-to-Print.
Free Printable List of Fun Holidays
Download this free printable list of fun holidays to celebrate with your family!
Complete Set of Monthly Lists
Monthly Fun Holidays / Monthly Bucket Lists / Monthly Home Maintenance + more!
If you want a whole year’s worth of fun holidays to celebrate, read 365 Holidays to Celebrate with Your Kids and download the free printable.
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On Sale This Month
All the things are on sale this month! If you’re looking to buy electronics, toys, or almost anything else, you’re in luck. Also, don’t forget to keep track of any Christmas supplies you want to replenish as you wrap, shop, and decorate. You can snag some super deals on stockings, ribbon, and even gift packs of lip balm or beef jerky at the after-Christmas sales if you’re not shopped out by then.
If you plan to give your kids new Christmas pajamas or shirts and you haven’t gotten them yet, now’s the time! Alternatively, a beautiful Christmas storybook or nativity scene can be brought out year after year for a lasting Christmas tradition.
Shop Ahead
I scan my calendar every month for the upcoming weeks to see what events will be here before I know it. In December, I’m pretty focused on Christmas shopping, but I am on the lookout for deals on items I can use for birthdays in the upcoming months. Now is the time to stock your gift closet, think about Valentine trinkets and Easter basket toys. If you find a spectacular sale price, think about the gift-giving occasions for the next 6 months and shop ahead.
Seasonal Happenings
Since we are focused on Christmas this month, I’m looking for all the Christmas activities to make the season fun and festive for my family. My Pinterest Christmas board has lots of ideas to get you started.
Here’s your countdown…get that Christmas planning done!
December is one of my favorite months of the year. I love the decorating, the game nights, the crafts, and of course, the Christmas goodies. Find something you love and make it a family tradition.
Around the House
With so many activities happening in December, I keep the home maintenance to a minimum. Keep the dryer vent cleaned out, sharpen the kitchen knives, and check flashlight batteries to be ready for any winter power outages. Putting up and taking down Christmas lights and decor is a whole chore in itself, so my December projects are mostly limited to Christmas preparations.
For the Kids
I spend a lot of time focused on the kids in December! It’s so fun to see their earnest hopefulness when they write to Santa or their pure delight when they open gifts. It’s easy to get caught up in giving things to them, which is not bad, but I also want to encourage my kids to give to others. This year, I am planning to have my kids choose 12 acts of kindness to do in December. If you’d like a free printable list to use for your family, find it in my post about meaningful advent activities.
We’ll read Christmas stories and have movie marathons this month, take a drive in our pajamas with hot cocoa to see the beautiful light displays, and belt out off-key renditions of Silent Night and Joy to the World. I want my kids to remember the Christmas season as joy-filled, but peaceful. There’s no need to do EVERY Christmas activity, read EVERY Christmas book, or watch EVERY Christmas movie. Ask your kids what they love and include a few of their favorites in your holiday celebrations.
Kind Words Project
One final thing I am doing for my kids in December is something I’m calling my Kind Words Project. Often, my words of correction far outweigh my words of encouragement. From December 1st through December 24th, I intend to write down a kind word or phrase daily to encourage my kids. I hope this will help me pay attention to the ways they help each other, the times they let someone else have the last cookie, or the days they wake up with a happy smile. I’ll tuck the list of kind words in their stocking on Christmas morning! You can download a printable to use for your own kind words project and encourage your kids, your spouse, or a friend.
Plan Ahead
Because December is so full of activities and events leading up to Christmas, I don’t do a whole lot of planning ahead until after Christmas. I do jot down ideas throughout the month, but the week after Christmas is when I sit down to think about the month and year ahead. A few years ago at the end of December, I pulled out a list of goals and plans that I had made for the year ahead and realized that I had not followed through on most of them. I had listed books I wanted to read and websites I wanted to check out; recipes and restaurants I wanted to try. Almost all of it was going back on my list for another year. So I began incorporating a planning system for all the things that I never seemed to get around to.
Check out my post detailing how I use monthly lists to plan my year if you struggle with finding time to pursue a hobby, connect with friends, or watch the documentary that’s been in your Netflix queue for years. Set a timeline to plan for the things you want to prioritize.
Check out my December family devotional, Light of the World, for a flexible take on advent readings. Only six readings to complete during the hectic days before Christmas, and daily readings for the week between Christmas and New Year’s. From “let there be light” to “let your light shine,” we cover the theme of light throughout scripture. Available to download now!
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