How to Make Christmas Special 

It might surprise you, but making Christmas special and memorable doesn’t just happen – shocking right!?. It takes a bit of forethought and preplanning to bring it together, and make it feel a bit magical. If you’ve had parents or other family members really nail it for your childhood Christmasses, you might have a few pointers up your sleeve already, but chances are, you might want to do things differently for your family. 

If you have your own family now, you might be interested in developing some new family traditions – but wondering where to start. Here is a list of curated ideas you could introduce to bring a bit of Christmas magic and something your kids will look forward to every year. 

1. The Christmas calendar

Have a dedicated Christmas calendar which is jam packed with the activities for the month of December. It could include Christmas fetes, Christmas BBQs, pool days, family events, Christmas craft nights, tree decorating etc. Knowing they have so much to look forward to really is the foundation of creating a super exciting and special Christmas. 

2. Matching Christmas PJs for the WHOLE family

Buying matching Christmas pyjamas for your family to pop on over Christmas is a lovely way to build connectedness and also have really cute photos in your matching PJs. Extending that out to the grandparents, aunts, uncles, or your friends/ family away from home, is another way to bring the magic at Christmas time. Unfortunately there are lots of daggy Christmas PJs out there, and ones made from materials that don’t breathe – so be sure to pick some that are short sleeved, made from organic cotton, and most importantly – ones that make the adults look and feel great too. The kid’s will always look cute in the kids Xmas pjs but adults can now take the opportunity to look great too! 

3. Capture those memories

Finding a moment to take a great photo of the family which you actually feeling like printing and framing is often harder than you think. Why not make it a family tradition to book a beautiful photoshoot with a professional photographer, and have a treasured keepsake to look back on. These photo days are often in beautiful locations and a great day to spend together. 

4. Christmas movie night under the stars

If you live in the southern hemisphere, planning a movie night with a project under the stars is a gorgeous way to bring the Christmas magic and excitement. It’s an outdoor activity and a fun and unique way to connect with your family. Set up a few bean bags, and grab that mini picnic table and some wine for the adults – and you have a super cute Christmas tradition. 

5. Gingerbread house competitions

Having planned Gingerbread competitions and roping in an external judge for the grand prize (could just be your neighbour) is a great way to build excitement and a bit of healthy competition. It is also a beautiful way to sit down and connect with your family, even if they are on a sugar high with all the sweets. Some families even have a cheap trophy for that person to hang onto for the year. These are the types of memories kid’s talk about for years to come. It also builds excitement in their preparation, thinking about what sweets to use, to bring home that coveted trophy. 

6. The Christmas Eve present

Introducing the Christmas Eve present is a great way to kick off the Christmas excitement. Place a small gift in the Christmas tree to open after dinner on Christmas Eve. It’s a great way to build excitement and start the festivities early, and a gift the kid’s could actually be in charge of choosing. 

7. Christmas clues to find the presents

Writing Christmas clues and making your family members hunt around for their presents is a hugely fun way to bring out those excitable squeals on Christmas day. It’s another great way to so down the present-opening ceremony too. 

8. Advent calendars 

Having an Advent Calendar for everyone is a super fun way to keep the Christmas magic going the entire month. Whether they are a surprise in general, everyone has selected their own OR a DIY version – this is a great idea for those who are super organised with their Christmas planning and really is the gift that keeps giving. 

9. Christmas morning breakfast

Many overlook Christmas breakfast as some people don’t want to fill up before the big lunch, but making a habit of sitting down together for a special Christmas breakfast (even if it’s only lite, cue smoked salmon and bellini’s) to talk through everyone’s favourite Santa gifts is also a beautiful way to connect with your family and slow down the day. It’s hard for kids to not zoom through the present-opening, often leaving parents feeling a bit deflated about the lack of appreciation for a gift they bought them, so this is a great way to slow it all down. Planning out Christmas day into activities like this just builds the excitement in the lead up to Christmas. 

10. Plan an activity for the day

Christmas fun that connects a family often involves a game or activity. If you live close enough to the beach, why not pack a picnic full of different Christmas foods and your new beach toys, and head to the beach for some sunshine and waves. The kids will get a chance to don their cute kids swimwear and everyone can have a moment to connect with each other and with nature, on what would normally be quite a hectic day. If you aren’t near the beach you can plan out a day of fun activities to play with each other like Klopp, cream pie, tag, celebrity heads or even crimes against humanity. Or even go on a family bike ride. 

11. Master a dish 

Part of what makes many Christmasses exciting is knowing the food that’s on the menu every year – especially if someone does something really well. If you’re starting your own family traditions, take some time to master your Christmas dish before Christmas day, and then see how it’s received on the day. It doesn’t have to be complicated. Maybe it’s just a great potato salad, or premium finger sandwiches to nibble on. Or maybe it’s a deconstructed pavlova for dessert. Either way, there are heaps of inspiration on Pinterest to get you started. 

12. Surprise adventures

And finally, pre plan some surprise adventures! Maybe you pile everyone into the car and go and have fish and chips and a dip in the beach pool once the sun’s gone down. Letting your kid’s stay up a little later while you all have a beautiful dinner under the stars at the beach would stay in their memories forever. If you aren’t near a beach, maybe you can take them for an impromptu car trip to check out all the Christmas lights, watch the carols in the city, or a Christmas disco at the local pub. Or maybe you surprise your other half at their work and go for an early dinner in town with the kids. Even adults love surprise adventures. 

So there you have it. A great list of things you can easily implement to make Christmas special for your family this year!