We all know that Christmas can be an expensive time but one thing that you don’t need to spend a fortune on is the time you spend together as a family having fun and enjoying the build-up to the big day. There are plenty of completely free things to do at Christmas!
20 Free things to do together at Christmas
Always top of our list for free family fun at Christmas is a good old movie afternoon watching Christmas movies – we have quite a collection of Christmas DVDs but we try to add a new one each year. The two that we can quite happily watch time after time are Elf and Santa Claus.
Aside from a movie afternoon, we love a good old games night which we do all year round but it always seems more fun at Christmas. Our favourite at the moment is our homemade Rapidough game or our Roll a Gingerbread game!
Another thing we love doing every year is to drive around the neighbourhood to see all of the lovely Christmas lights.
Find a carol service going on in your area to go along to and go sing your hearts out!
Decorate your tree together.
Bake Christmas cookies and make Christmas cupcakes.
Hand deliver your Christmas cards to your family and friends and use it as a chance to catch up in person.
Download the JibJab app on your phone and make funny family videos- this is one of our favourite family activities each year and we generally end up with tears streaming down our faces with laughter.
Adopt an elf and have some elf on a shelf fun.
Make your own salt dough Christmas tree ornaments.
Do some Christmas colouring- you’d be surprised how enjoyable this is at any age.
Wrap presents together – the kids may not do a good a job as you might usually do but you’ll all have great fun trying. We love wrapping presents together.
Make paper chains to hang around the house.
Wrap up warm and go to the park to collect pine cones which you can use to do some Christmas crafts or just pop in a bowl to decorate your house.
Check your local museum’s websites and see what they have going on as their events are usually free and fun. Also, check your local council’s website to see what they have going on – we have reindeer parades and all sorts.
Visit your local garden centres as they usually have brilliant Christmas displays.
Make your children a magical video using Portable North Pole.
Get the kids to put on their own Christmas pantomime.
Write letters to Santa together to leave out on Christmas Eve – believers and nonbelievers included.
Look at what you have in and make some Christmas sweets – for yourself and to give away as gifts.
Invite friends round for some good old-fashioned Christmas party fun!
{Updated for 2018 as I’ve had a couple of emails asking for suggestions on free things to do at this time of year}
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Image credit: Shutterstock, Vik Y
