Ideas for Family Holidays and Celebrations

My kids probably most look forward to our Advent Calendar. For a long time, I had a reusable one that I just filled with little chocolates, and that by itself was fun. Then a few years ago I experimented with creating a DIY "punch board" advent calendar, gluing 24 disposable cups onto a big piece of cardboard, filling each with a little candy, snack or other small gift, and then covering it with gift tissue paper secured by a rubber band. It has been THE biggest hit!! My kids wake up early just to go punch their advent calendar all season long :)

The holidays are a wonderful time to volunteer as a family. Not only is it a perfect expression of the meaning behind the season, but there are also so many more opportunities to volunteer as a family than at other times during the year, such as buying, wrapping or delivering gifts to those in need, serving holiday meals, or helping out or performing at nursing home holiday parties.

Baking and decorating cookies! I love to make Christmas cookies by myself or with my kids throughout the season, but when we gather with extended family members we also make it a point to set out a decorating station for anyone to frost and design pre-baked sugar cookies. Often, there is a bit of a competition involved in who can make the "best" decorated cookie.

We always love driving around to look at Christmas lights. We pick a night each year where we dress in our pjs, play Christmas music, drink hot chocolate, and drive around a couple neighborhoods that go all out with decorating.

What did the turkey say to the turkey hunter? Quack quack quack.

Why did the police arrest the turkey? They suspected it of fowl play.

What do you get when you cross an octopus with a turkey? Finally enough drumsticks for everyone at Thanksgiving!

What do you get when you drop a pumpkin? Squash.

Customization stations like make-your-own pizza or a top-your-own ice cream sundae bar.

I love the idea of an outdoor movie night. Project a movie on a screen outside, lounge around on sleeping bags and pillows, and pass around the snacks!

Inflatables are always a hit, though renting one can be pricy. We've done the giant slides in the past, and they are tons of fun for kids and adults!

My daughter wanted one last year. We rented a waterslide as it was a summer birthday. We also rented a snow cone machine which was a big hit.

I like to get the kids involved in making dessert for Thanksgiving because it can usually be done ahead of time or earlier in the morning before there's too much going on in the kitchen.

A centerpiece, name card or placemat craft is a fun way to keep kids busy on Thanksgiving, and makes something useful for the dinner table. I've also seen coloring placemats that could come in handy during the dinner itself, for kids who get antsy during a long meal.

Set out a big jigsaw puzzle, and people can work on it as they please throughout the day. I love low-key family Thanksgiving activities like this that encourage people to sit together and chat, and it works well for a wide range of ages. Puzzles with a harvest or holiday theme are a fun choice.

With a white tablecloth or runner on your table, have everyone present for the Thanksgiving dinner write something they are thankful for in Sharpie or fabric marker and sign their name. Carefully launder the tablecloth, and you can bring it out again each year to repeat as an annual Thanksgiving activity and enjoy looking back on past years!

Why didn't the skeleton cross the road? Because he didn't have any guts.

What's the scariest pasta to eat? Fettuccine "afraid-o"

Why do vampires have no friends? Because they are a pain in the neck.

Why don't mummies take vacations? They're afraid to unwind.

Teens can do an escape room for Halloween. Many have spooky themes that are perfect for the holiday.

A murder mystery dinner is a fun thing for teens to do for Halloween with friends. You can use a kit that sets it all up for you, and everyone can dress in costume that matches the time period or setting of the game.

Volunteer to participate in a trunk or treat event! This is a fun Halloween activity for high school kids who have a car. They can pick a theme, decorate the car and dress up in costume, and hand out candy to kids.

Read scary books or spooky mysteries in the month of October to get in the Halloween spirit. My teen is reading a few Neil Gaiman books this year.

Rosie the Riveter with jeans, blue button up shirt with sleeves rolled up, red bandana around the head, red lipstick.

Wednesday Addams. Wear a black dress/skirt with a white collared shirt. If you can, put on a black long sleeve shirt over the collared shirt, and add white knee socks, black shoes, dark makeup, and braid your hair for the finishing touch!

A black cat is pretty easy to throw together using stuff you already have at home. Just wear all black, and draw whiskers and a nose on your face with eye liner. Add kitty ears using black triangles cut out of construction paper (tape them on a headband or pin them on with bobby pins), and if possible, find something to use as a tail, like a black belt, tie or sash.

Scarecrow is an easy diy costume. Jeans, button down plaid shirt, floppy hat. Use makeup or facepaint for a brown nose and red circles on cheeks.

We like to paint or carve pumpkins to leave outside of our house to decorate for Halloween.

Make a Halloween playlist (or find a ready-made one), and listen to it throughout October. We have a few streets around us that really go all out with Halloween decorations, and we like to listen to a playlist in the car while we drive around and check them out.

Find a local pumpkin patch or corn maze to explore as a family. Many really go all out with fun Halloween activities for kids.

Hide candy or little Halloween trinkets inside Easter eggs for a Halloween egg hunt.