When Zack and Kaila were younger, I used to do a 25 Days of Christmas Giving/Fun with them. Every day, starting December 1st, I would plan something special for them to do for others or a fun activity just for them. Activities ranged from baking cookies for our neighbors and friends to having ice cream for breakfast. I knew even then that although it is always important to remember others during the holidays, it is just as important to have fun and do things for yourself.

This year it seemed appropriate to once again revisit this tradition and make an effort to find something special to do, if not every day, at least as often as possible, through Christmas and beyond. As Zack tells me everyday…Make Everyday the Best Day Ever! With that in mind, I have made a list of activities that might be of interest to you, plus there are a few that have been suggested to me that I wanted to pass along. I am always interested in trying something new, having fun, and making every moment count, so if you have any suggestions, please feel free to leave a comment or use the submission form to share your ideas.

Activities for the 25 Days of December

1. Serve ice cream for breakfast.
2. Leave a note on a car in a parking lot or a neighbors front door telling them to have a great day or Happy Holidays.
3. Read a holiday book.
4. Bake cookies for family or friends — but be sure to sneak a few for yourself.
5. Call someone you haven’t talked to in a while and catch-up with them.
6. Write your teacher a note or send them an email letting them know how much you appreciate them.
7. Donate food to a local pantry or pick up food for a needy neighbor.
8. Write a “thank you” note to a grocery store clerk and hand it to them.
9. Hug someone special to you and tell them something you love about them.
10. Send out Christmas cards to friends and family.
11. Make a handmade gift for a family member, friend or neighbor.
12. Make pancakes for dinner.
13. Have fun decorating Jello snack cups in holiday designs.
    

    
14. Write a “thank you” note to a mailman or delivery person and give to them when they deliver to your home.
15. Donate clothes to a local charity.
16. Take a family photo or selfie and share with friends and family on Facebook, through text, or email.
17. Have a family game night.
18. Make a gingerbread house.
19. Put on a Christmas sweater to show your holiday spirit.
20. String popcorn for the tree and make an extra strand for the birds.
21. Visit an Christmas display at a mall or store.
22. Cover pine cones with peanut butter and roll in bird seed. Then hand from a tree branch for the birds.
23. Make some Christmas candy.
24. Make a surprise to visit to someone, just to say Hi!
25. Make a holiday video greeting and share with friends and family.
26. Make your favorite holiday drink and make an extra one for someone special.
27. Hide a dollar in a store for someone to find.
28. Have a family movie night.
29. Take a walk or drive around your neighborhood at night when all the Christmas lights are lit and leave notes in the mailboxes of those houses you really like thanking them for such a nice holiday display.
30. Draw, color, or paint a holiday picture or greeting and share on Keep In Touch for all the members to see.
31. Walk a neighbors dog.
32. Shovel a neighbors driveway or sidewalk.
33. Surprise someone by caroling on their doorstep — bring them some homemade cookies and/or candy.
34. Print off some Christmas games (mazes, word searches, sudoku) or coloring sheets and have fun doing them.
35. Have a family Christmas Carol Karaoke night.
36. Decorate an outdoor tree with lights and ornaments.
37. Play holiday music while doing your chores.
38. Tell everyone you see in a store or while out, “Happy Holidays” or “Merry Christmas.”
39. Make a paper chain for your Christmas tree.
40. Visit Santa.
41. Make coffee filter snowflakes.
42. Enjoy steaming cups of hot cocoa and have a competition to see — How high can your whipped cream go!
43. Re-enact a favorite Christmas photo – Then and Now.
44. Decorate your own Christmas sweater or shirt.
45. Decorate a stocking or even an old sock.
46. Do your best shaving cream Santa beard.
47. Show your Santa camp-out set up: For those that make a fort or something to keep a lookout for Santa, post it for all to see.
48. Make reindeer food. Here’s a link to one everyone can enjoy–who doesn’t like oatmeal.
49. Share your present wrapping tips and secrets by offering to help someone wrap their Christmas gifts.
50. Play in the snow. Build a snowman, have a snowball fight, build a snow fort, go sledding…so much to do, so little snow. Here’s one we built some years ago. We must have had a lot of snow that year.
    

    

What else can you come up with? Would love to see what types of activities others do to keep the Holiday Spirit alive. Share yours below: