5 Low-Stress Ways to Make Family Memories This Christmas

Every year, it seems like the month of December just flies by. So many parents spend their time & energy trying to create the “perfect” Christmas, only to end up frazzled & exhausted by December 25. Been there, done that…and never doing it again!

Instead of stressing over crafting the picture-perfect, over-the-top Christmas season this year, I’ll be focusing on making meaningful memories & connections with my family. I have a feeling you want to do the same, right? Keep reading – I’m sharing 5 simple, low-stress ways to focus on making Christmas memories, with budget-friendly ideas that totally fit homeschool life.

5 Simple Christmas Traditions Kids Will Remember for Years

A memorable Christmas certainly does not have to break the budget and definitely doesn’t need to have over-the-top details. That just results in unnecessary stress…and no one wants that.

I don’t know about you, but I don’t remember the tiny details of every Christmas season. I remember the simple traditions that allowed my family to bond & spend time together. I’ve continued some of these Christmas traditions with my own kids and am beyond happy to share 5 of them with you today.

As a homeschool parent, I’m sure you’ll appreciate the fact that many of these traditions also have an educational aspect!

Wrapping the Gifts

While we have a beloved Christmas tradition relating to the gifts received from Santa, I’ll also have the kids wrap gifts themselves. Giving them the go-ahead to wrap gifts for family members can be amazing for strengthening fine motor skills, reinforcing math skills like estimation & measurement, and even encourages creativity! My kids are so proud to wrap gifts that I’m not even concerned about perfectly creased corners anymore.

Baking Cookies Together

I mean, it’s pretty much a given that families will bake Christmas cookies together, but there’s many ways to go about it. I used to stress over baking upwards of 10 cookie varieties, often spending days alone in the kitchen, in an effort to create the “perfect” cookie assortment for my family.

You know what happened? I spent a ton of time, energy, & money on cookies only to require multiple days of rest afterwards. And, while my family appreciated the cookies, we all got tired of them after a week or so. Ugh.

Ever since, I’ve enjoyed a low-stress Christmas by involving my kids more in the cookie process. Instead of finding new, exciting recipes, we stick to the basics. I go through my recipe box, pull out the cookie recipes, and ask my kids what they want to make…and then we make the Christmas cookies, one batch at a time.

They get to practice measuring ingredients, calculating baking time, and estimating the cookie spacing on the cookie sheets while we all end up making Christmas memories stress-free! 

Just in case you’re wondering, this chocolate chip cookie recipe from Walt Disney World’s Grand Floridian Resort is one of our favorites! Spritz cookies are always on the “must make” list as well.

Advent Calendar Countdown

Who doesn’t love a good countdown to a special event? My kids and I will do countdowns for family vacations, birthdays, and even for new seasons of our favorite tv shows, so you bet we’ve included Christmas countdowns every year.

There are many commercial Advent calendars out there. The number of options, and their price tags, can often be overwhelming. Instead of spending tons on one-time-use Advent calendars that’ll likely end up in the garbage, we’ve really been enjoying my (free) printable coloring Advent calendars. They’re print & go, requiring no prep or stress, and are fun for the kids!

Outdoor Decorations

Growing up in the suburbs of South Jersey, going on drives to see Christmas lawn decorations was one of my favorite Christmas traditions. There’s just something magical about seeing the wide variety of twinkling lights & Christmas decorations while listening to Christmas songs on the car radio. It’s one of my favorite low-stress, memory-making Christmas traditions!

No matter how old my kids (or I!) get, going for a Christmas decoration drive around town has always been something they’ve enjoyed. Sometimes we’ll bring along blankets to stay extra cozy. We may even bring along a few Christmas cookies or hot cocoa to enjoy, too (I swear, tweens & teens are always hungry!). My (free) printable Christmas decoration scavenger hunt adds a bit of friendly competition, encouraging good sportsmanship, attention to detail, and even patience.

Watching Christmas Movies

Watching Christmas movies with the kids is an absolute Christmas must in our family! Since we’re already paying for streaming services, I love that this family Christmas tradition doesn’t cost us any more than we’d already be paying each month!

There are a number of ways to go about including Christmas movies in your days. You could watch movies spontaneously or try:

• Writing down the name of 24 Christmas movies on a piece of paper. Fold up the paper & store in a container. Each day, pick out a piece of paper & watch the surprise selected movie!
• Make a Christmas movie “Bucket List” with the kids on a piece of lined paper, including your 24 must-see Christmas movies. Start at the top of the list & check off movies as they’re viewed.
• Scrolling through your streaming service suggestions for new-to-you movies to watch.
• Including an educational aspect to Christmas-movie-watching by only watching movies made in a certain decade, country, language, etc., per week.

A Stress-Free, Memorable Christmas

Whether you pick one of my ideas or incorporate all five, there’s no doubt you and the kids will make plenty of meaningful, lifelong memories this Christmas season & beyond. By keeping the Christmas traditions simple, your family’s Christmas will be filled with connection, heartwarming moments, and fun…and that, my friend, cannot be purchased in a store.

From my family to yours, Merry Christmas!

Happy holiday homeschooling, friend! 🎄

Want More Tips For Christmas Traditions?

Be sure to check out these great posts!

• 25 Christmas Traditions For A Wonderful Holiday Season
• An Easy {and Techie} Christmas Traditions Unit Study
• 5 Last-Minute Advent Calendars That Focus On Experiences

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