How to Keep Kids Busy During Christmas Break

Christmas break. Parents either love it or hate it. You may work and you’re unsure about what to do with the kids for two weeks. You might just stress about keeping them busy. Or maybe this gives you a break from homework and taking the kids to school.

Either way, if your kids are either old enough to stay home without you (if you work), or you’re home with them during winter break, you may need to find things to keep them busy.

I have come up with this huge list of ideas. Pick and choose what works for you and make the most of the time you have with your kids while they’re young (even if they’re really driving you crazy!). Check out this list of 101 things to do during Christmas break.

101 Christmas break ideas

1. Bake cookies
2. Make snowflakes
3. Do your family history and/or take a DNA test
4. Watch Christmas movies
5. Make gifts for others
6. Catch up on homework
7. Decorate the house and tree
8. Buy gifts for others through Sub for Santa (or other programs)
9. Go sledding
10. Look at Christmas lights
11. Go see Santa
12. Get family pictures taken
13. Dog sit for neighbors/friends who may be going out of town
14. Volunteer together
15. Make homemade candy
16. Visit a retirement center
17. Have teens apply for/look into college scholarships
18. Or study for the ACT/SAT tests
19. Do Science experiments
20. Make vision boards
21. Donate clothes, toys, etc to others
22. Have an at home spa day together
23. Deliver treats to neighbors
24. Shovel all of the driveways in the neighborhood
25. Make ornaments
26. Have a sleepover with friends or as a family in your own living room
27. Plan 10 random acts of kindness you can do for neighbors
28. Hang out at the mall
29. Color
30. Make a snow fort or blanket fort
31. Go to an indoor trampoline park
32. Go to the Nutcracker
33. Leave the kids with a babysitter and get a massage
34. Put on a talent show
35. Take a train ride
36. Play Legos together
37. Visit friends
38. Create art
39. Organize your closets
40. Watch movies at home
41. Attend local holiday events
42. Try indoor sports- basketball, skating, etc.
43. Go shopping
44. Ice Skating
45. Make playdough
46. Go skiing
47. Have a Christmas Party
48. Be a secret Santa to someone
49. Go snow shoeing
50. Christmas caroling
51. Work out
52. Visit a museum
53. Look through Groupon deals for fun activities in your area
54. Go on (or plan) a family vacation
55. Build a snowman
56. Clean your home
57. Visit a local aquarium
58. Play board games
59. Try out new recipes from Pinterest
60. Enroll your kids in a winter camp
61. Invite a few kids over (with working parents) and have your own winter day camp
62. Go on a scavenger hunt
63. Play laser tag
64. Try out an Escape Room
65. Play dominoes
66. Sleep in
67. Go out to a movie
68. Plan your Spring break
69. Go bowling
70. Play hide and seek
71. Go to the library
72. Read Christmas books together
73. Play card games
74. Read a book alone
75. Play video games
76. Catch up on medical appts that are difficult to get to during school
77. Get haircuts
78. Try out a new hobby
79. Make an obstacle course
80. Create a movie or play together
81. Go sledding
82. Create your own Christmas cards
83. Write/send Christmas cards to friends and family
84. Have a snowball fight
85. Go hot tubbing
86. Complete a puzzle
87. Take a cooking class together
88. Go on a Staycation
89. Decorate a Gingerbread house
90. Paint the snow outside
91. Make a bird feeder
92. Have fun with Elf on the Shelf
93. Explore your city
94. Create your own recipes
95. Make slime
96. Go snow tubing
97. Go to a hockey game
98. Write letters to friends you haven’t talked to lately
99. Learn a new skill
100. Try a new restaurant
101. Go to a dollar movie

Share your ideas

What are your favorite activities during Christmas break?