This December Bucket list is easy, fun, and safe for every age. If you’re looking for simple, meaningful, low-stress ways to celebrate the season with kids of any age, this list has you covered. Check out my ideas for festive December activities for the whole family!
December is my favorite month of the year because I cannot help but feel joyful when surrounded by twinkling decorations. While the holidays can feel overwhelming, I try to counter the chaos by intentionally slowing down. I don’t like to overload our To Do list with so many must-dos – but instead put easy ways to savor the season. Here’s what’s on our family’s December Bucket List for 2025, filled with simple traditions we actually have time for.
Our Family’s December Bucket List 2025: Simple Ways to Celebrate the Season
December is particularly special in our family with not one, but two birthday girls – it’s truly a time I feel grateful for our little family. Our December Bucket List changes every year as our family changes (and grows) – so it’s fun to rewrite it at the start of the month with new ideas.
- Decorate the house for Christmas (or your special December holiday)
- Melt a hot chocolate bomb in a cup of hot water (then drink!)
- Watch holiday movies by the fire (here is the Most Nostalgic Holiday Movie list)
- Drive around to look at Christmas Lights with hot cocoa and candy canes
- Pass out Holiday Cheer awards – see number 3 in this post or keep scrolling for a printable
- Bake Christmas cookies (the BEST Christmas cookies ever)
- Decorate a gingerbread house (try this trick using Poptarts)
- Make Christmas Swag and Holiday Decorations with my Dad
- Donate old toys to make room for new toys before Christmas
- Write a letter to Santa (or contact Santa in one of these ways)
- Wear matching Christmas Pajamas (maybe more than once?)
- Visit Santa and bring him our Christmas wish list
- Make a holiday craft (try this DIY Ornament)
- Be merry and bright — tell a stranger Happy Holidays while wearing something festive.
A Fresh List of Fun and Festive Things to Do in December
If my family’s holiday bucket list doesn’t strike your fancy, here are a few more ideas of fun things to do in December.
Festive Outdoor Fun – For cold-weather lovers
- Bundle up at night for a neighborhood holiday light walk
- Visit a local tree farm to see Santa and his reindeer (Star Hill Family Farm looks so fun!)
- Go ice skating (once our neighborhood pond is frozen you can bet you’ll find us there!)
- Collect winter greens to DIY Christmas Decorations
- Attend a town tree lighting or festive December activities: Wallingford’s Holiday Stroll is THIS Friday!
Cozy At-Home Traditions – Perfect for busy nights, toddlers, teens, and tired moms.
- Make a holiday playlist for 2025
- Bake one new cookie or dessert recipe – then hand them out to neighbors!
- Make homemade ornaments
- Visit the library to borrow a new holiday/winter book to read … each week!
- Have a hot cocoa taste test
- Write letters to Santa
- Write a Gratitude Letter
Holiday Adventures – Small outings that feel big for kids
These holiday/winter themed outings are fun for kids of all ages — pick what fits your family’s schedule and weather.
- Visit a holiday village or Christmas market: Glow Gardens in Hartford is AMAZING!
- Drive to see a well-known lights display: Festival of Silver Lights at Hubbard Park, Sand Hill Road in Middletown, or Holiday Lights Spectacular at Olde Mistick Village
- Take the kids to see The Nutcracker
- Try a holiday craft workshop: Words on Wood in Wallingford
- Museum or aquarium holiday-themed events: Lantern Light Village at the Mystic Seaport Museum or Shark Diving Santa at Maritime Aquarium
- Go on a festive train ride (CT holiday train ride options)
Pass Out Holiday Cheer Awards
Every year my family has a wonderful time passing out hand written notes to our favorite decorated homes in town. The best part is when someone posts the note in our town’s online forum – thanking my family for make their spirits merry and bright!
Print this Holiday Cheer Award below or use it as inspiration for your own homemade cards!
Give Yourself Permission to Do Less
With these December bucket list ideas you can make family memories that will last a lifetime. However, the most important thing to remember in December is: you don’t need to do it all. Pick what brings you joy. Don’t hesitate to say no. Give yourself grace. The magic of the season comes from the moments you choose to savor — not how much you check off a list.
Great family ideas! Especially liked the letters of gratitude, letters to families with lights, and the pancakes! Enjoy the Holidays.