December is such an exciting time for families. It can often be a time of the year when you spend some time together, do activities or just enjoy each other’s company.
December also has special occasions, including Christmas, which can often be the focal point of the month. That being said, as much as families want to spend time together and enjoy this time of the year, it can be difficult to know what to do.
With that in mind, here is the December bucket list for families.
Write your letters to Father Christmas.
One of the first things that you could do would be to write your letters to Father Christmas. This could be an activity that you do right at the beginning of the month.
You could sit down with the children and spend time writing the lists, drawing them if they wish, and decorating their letter ready to post off.
There are templates you can print off or simply let them get creative.
Enjoy hot chocolates and cookies while you are doing it. It can be a lovely tradition that you start and continue to do at the same time year after year.
Go Christmas tree shopping together.
Christmas tree shopping is a relatively new thing. Aside from buying a Christmas tree each year, many people are now choosing to go to Christmas tree farms where they can walk around a field of trees and pick the one they want.
They will then be chopped down and prepared for you to take delivery of it. A different way to spend some time and could offer some lovely photo opportunities.
Make a big deal out of switching the Christmas tree lights on.
Another thing you could do would be to make a big deal out of switching the Christmas tree lights on. Many towns and villages have their own organized events, which can be a great thing to do as a family.
But when it comes to your own, why not gather everyone around, let the children put on a show, and switch their lights on?
Bake cookies together.
Christmas is a time of the year when you get to enjoy some of the best food.
A lovely way to spend some time with your children is to bake Christmas cookies together. You could bake cookies or Christmas biscuits. Perfect to leave for Santa on Christmas eve.
A Christmas film night.
December is the perfect opportunity to start watching those iconic and classic Christmas films. So a great thing to add to your bucket list would be to dedicate an evening or afternoon just to films.
Grab blankets, plenty of snacks, and drinks, and get yourself comfy for some great films.
It will also give you the chance to introduce your children to some of the epic films you may have watched as a child. You can’t beat some of the oldies.
Make homemade gifts for the family.
Christmas is a time of giving, so why not use this time of the year to make some homemade gifts for the family?
Children love to get involved in this, and it could be an activity that keeps the whole family occupied. Whether it is handprints or drawings or creating foodie gifts, you could create some lovely gifts.
Many people have the intention to do this and never get around to it, so why not add it to your December bucket list this year?
Handmade Christmas cards.
If you start early enough, you could create some lovely handmade Christmas cards. Children will love the chance to get creative with you.
Cards are often something that is gifted within a few of Christmas, so this could be something you tuck off your December bucket list very early on.
A hot chocolate station.
December is a time of year to indulge, and there is nothing better than creating a hot chocolate station in your kitchen.
A slow cooker can create some amazing hot chocolate, and surround it with cups, toppings, sweet treats, and whipped cream.
Children will love the chance to embellish their own hot chocolates. And for the grown-ups, you could even leave a boozy addition close to hand to make the hot chocolate a little more fun.
Enjoy the winter weather as a family.
Another thing to do would be to enjoy the winter weather as a family. Traditionally, we don’t always get snow in the UK. But we can sometimes be blessed with it.
If you do get snow, make sure you get out and enjoy it. Go sledding, build a snowman, and have an impromptu snowball fight. Have some fun with it.
Embrace the Elf of the Shelf tradition.
If you have never done it before, why not add the elf on the shelf to your December bucket list this year?
This is where an elf visits your home on the first day of December and causes havoc in your home. Each evening while the children are in bed, the elf will be naughty or do something in your home.
It could be eating all the sweets or setting up a sugary elf breakfast. There are so many ideas online.
It can be a tough commitment to move the elf and create the scenarios. But younger children believe in the magic, and it is such a lovely way to countdown to Christmas.
Organize a Christmas party.
Another thing to add to your list would be to host and organize a Christmas party. You may choose to attend other people’s parties, but why not throw your own this year?
Random acts of kindness.
December is a time of year of giving, but not everyone is in a fortunate position. This is when a great thing to do as a family is to give back and do some random acts of kindness.
It could be anything, such as donating to your local food bank or volunteering, or encouraging your children to show kindness to children at school.
Again there are plenty of ideas online, but this could be a lovely way to show children what Christmas is all about.
Get a family photo.
Finally, don’t forget to document the month as much as possible and get that all-important family photo. These are the things that you will look back on in years to come.
