Hooray! It’s that time of year. Christmas time! There is something magical about the holiday season that is just so fun to celebrate! One way you can make the most of this season is by trying to cross off everything on this Christmas bucket list!

This bucket list is great for kids, families, and couples! Use this as a challenge with friends or family members to see who can cross off the most activities! 

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35 Must-Do Holiday Activities to Add to Your Bucket List

1. See Santa

No matter how old you or your kids are, go find a Santa to sit on, take a picture with him, and tell him what you want for Christmas this year!

2. Eat a Candy Cane

You should be eating at least one candy cane every holiday season! They make so many different flavors now that you really need to eat quite a few to find the best ones. 

3. Watch a Christmas Movie

Even better, go on a Christmas movie marathon binge-watch. Try to watch as many Christmas movies as you can during the holiday season. 

4. Decorate a Christmas Tree

Whether it’s a huge tree that takes up your living room or a tiny little desk tree, it counts! Deck it out in lights, bulbs, tinsel, and anything else you can think of. 

5. Read a Christmas Book

Read all the Christmas books! Reading books about Christmas is the perfect way to get excited about the holidays and all the fun there is to be had. 

6. Write a Letter to Santa

Writing a letter to Santa is especially fun for young kids! Be sure to get our printable letter to Santa for your children to use. 

7. Sing Carols

Christmas and caroling go together like peanut butter and jelly! You can’t have one without the other. 

8. Decorate a Gingerbread House

While you might regret trying to build and decorate a gingerbread house, you should still at least give it a go! The more you do it, the better you will get at it, and maybe one day, you will have an awesome gingerbread house that is cute and doesn’t fall apart. 

Don’t forget to get this bucket list as a FREE Printable so you can check off each activity as you go!

9. Listen to Christmas Music

This one should be easy to check off the list because Christmas music usually plays everywhere as soon as the day after Halloween! 

10. Make a Homemade Gift for Someone

Homemade gifts are so special. They are more meaningful than something you buy for someone. Give something homemade to a friend or family member and watch them light up. 

11. Spot Your Favorite Christmas Tree

Every time you leave the house during the holiday season, you are likely to see a bunch of decorated trees, but some are just beautifully done. Point out your dream Christmas tree, and maybe even snap a picture for future inspiration. 

12. Drive Around the Neighborhood Looking at Christmas Lights

Looking at Christmas lights is a great activity to do together. You don’t have to leave the warmth of your car, and some of the light designs are amazing! You can check out local neighborhoods for free or even find larger light shows that you drive through that typically cost per car load. 

13. Take a Family Picture by the Christmas Tree

You should make it a goal to take a picture by the tree with your family each year, so you can watch yourselves grow as a family. This is a fun and meaningful tradition for families and couples. 

14. Wear Red and Green

Tis’ the season, so dress like it! Show your Christmas spirit by wearing red and green at least once during the holiday season. 

15. Open Presents

This is also typically a pretty easy one to check out, as most families celebrate by opening presents on Christmas. 

16. Give a Gift to a Friend

Gift-giving is so much fun, especially for friends. It doesn’t have to be expensive by any means, but give a nice gift to a friend you care about. 

17. Go to a Christmas Party

Whether it’s a classroom party, a work party, or someone else’s party that you are going to crash, find at least one Christmas party to be a part of this year. 

18. Hang Up Stockings

Stockings are tradition! And even if you don’t have a place to hang them, lay them under the tree. 

19. Bake Cookies

Santa needs his cookies! Baking and decorating cookies is a fun family activity to do in the winter when you are stuck inside anyway. 

20. Build a Snowman (Or Craft One)

If you are somewhere where it snows, you have to build a snowman! If not, it can be fun to make a snowman craft, whether it’s just drawing one, sculpting one, or crafting one. 

21. Go Ice Skating

Ice skating is so much fun, as long as you are dressed appropriately! Ice skating is such a fun activity. And it’s one that can be a little challenging, which is fun to watch your family practice and improve at. 

22. Drink Hot Cocoa

If it’s cold out, hot cocoa is a must! Everyone deserves a nice warm cup of hot chocolate with some mini marshmallows inside. Yum! 

23. Donate Food to a Local Food Bank

The holiday season is focused a lot on big dinners and family get-togethers, so it can be hard for families that aren’t able to purchase a lot of food. That’s why this time of year is a great time to donate food that can help these families. 

24. Draw a Picture of Your Favorite Christmas Character

There are many characters from different books and movies, so pick your favorite and try to draw or color them! From Santa, to scrooge, to an elf, or anyone who comes alive during the holiday season. 

25. Hang Mistletoe

Any excuse to kiss the people you love more often is always great! Hang some mistletoe in your home to help remind you to share some love! 

26. Make an Ornament for the Tree

Homemade ornaments are so much fun, especially for the kids. There are so many ways to make ornaments nowadays. You will be glad you hung on to those ornaments and get to use them every year as your family grows. 

27. Make a Christmas Card

Christmas cards are an easy way to bring someone joy. You can make a card for friends or family, but you can also make one for people in assisted living centers, people in the army who can’t be home for Christmas, and so much more. 

28. Donate to a Toy Drive

Not every family has the luxury of being able to afford many toys for their children, which is why it can be so helpful to donate to the toy drive to help those families give their kids a Christmas to remember. 

29. Do an Advent Calendar

The typical advent calendar has chocolate, but there are many different types of advent calendars now, so you can find one that best suits you and your family. 

30. Perform a Random Act of Kindness for Someone

While the holidays are fun for most people, they can also be stressful and hard for others. You never know what someone is going through, so it’s important to perform random acts of kindness. 

31. Wear an Ugly Christmas Sweater

It doesn’t have to be ugly. It can be a cute sweater, as long as you wear a Christmas sweater! 

32. Wrap Presents

Some people never had to wrap presents, and it shows! Everyone should have to at least wrap one present every year. It’s good practice! 

33. Have a Snowball Fight (Or a Pillow Fight) 

If you have snow, you must have a snowball fight! Build a snowman, make an igloo, make snow angels, do it all! If you live somewhere, that doesn’t get snow, have a pillow fight instead! 

34. Do a Christmas Craft

Hooray for crafts! There are so many cute crafts that you can make for the holidays, both for kids and adults. 

If crafts aren’t an option, get these Kids Christmas Activity Pages instead! 

35. Deliver a Treat to Your Neighbors

Everyone loves receiving treats! This is a fun way to celebrate the holidays with your neighbors. 

Final Thoughts On This Christmas Bucket List:

We hope you can do all the fun things on this list! Be sure to share this bucket list with friends and family so everyone can participate in the Christmas fun! We would love for you to share any fun Christmas traditions or activities that you and your family do each year. Comment below so we can add them to the list! 

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