Are you planning on holidays with your teens?
Here is a list of ways you can celebrate the holidays with your teens. With a little planning, flexibility, and organization, you can look forward to these days with great anticipation!
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Christmas with teens is the best!
Christmas with teens can be special, so make plans that they want to be a part of! This is my favorite time of the year with my kids. Your time is limited, so it’s fun to make use of it in all the ways that your kids love.
Do you have our holiday planner?
#1 Christmas With Teens: Before The Break Begins
Before the season even begins, be sure that you set up a budget so that you don’t overspend. I am a big fan of “less is more”, and with teens they are just looking for comfort, food, and fun. Let’s get started!
If your teens are away at college, then they will be going through their finals season. Send them a fun care package to get them through these stressful days.
We have created the ultimate holiday planner -it is amazing, and super helpful for all holiday details!
#2 Christmas With Teens: Set Expectations
Some of your older teens will be coming home from college or elsewhere. You might need to set up some expectations. Here is a great post by my friend Miranda over at thereluctantcowgirl.com about how to survive and connect with your teens over winter break.
#3 Christmas With Teens: Create opportunities
As you look forward to having your children, their friends and families come for the holidays, think about activities that provide connection. Here are some ideas for that…
Set out old photo albums. These are fun for your kids to dive into, and let the memories pour out!
Have sugar cookie dough prepared and ready to decorate -my boys still love this activity! Here are a variety of cookie cutters to have on hand!
Make a night of it while watching holiday movies.
Set up a gift wrapping station for all to use. You may have some last minute wrapping to do, and your kids may not have even thought about shopping yet, so this will help them finish the process.
Puzzles are a great way to gather around for a cup of hot chocolate and long talks.
Another idea is to have some favorite games laid out to play! See our suggestions below!
Laura upped her holiday game last year with her games and activities. Check out 10 Ways to Connect with your College Student for ideas for fun things to do with adult children.
For any holiday your children might be heading home, remember to give yourself permission to sit down. To enjoy the moments. To get in the picture!
#4 Christmas With Teens: Decorating
My teens loved to decorate! We always made a big deal about it right after Thanksgiving, and played music to set the mood. They each used to have a tree in ther rooms, but over time, they decided against those. Start this tradition with your teens, and end the day with a favorite meal or dessert to thank them for their help.
How To Choose A Theme for The Holidays from Thistlewood Farms
Simple ideas for Christmas decor throughout your house from plaidsandpoppies.com
Front porch decor from nikkisplate.com
Setting a holiday table by freshexchange.com
Easy decorations for cabinets -you could do almost anything! I do my pantry doors and clip our Christmas cards onto it. Very festive! from b4andafters.com
Ideas for bedrooms at Christmas from ladydecluttered.com
#5 Christmas With Teens: Recipes
I tried to find complilations of easy recipes!
30 easy appetizers -my boys love “snacky” dinners from playpartyplan.com
21 casseroles to accompany your main dishes -from fooddrinklife.com
Simple and festive main dish recipes -you had me at simple! from 31daily.com
24 cookie recipes – try a new type of cookie this year! from cravingsomecreativity.com
Snowman pretzels – so many variations – by b4andafters.com
#6 Christmas With Teens: Traditions
Tradition: 1. : the handing down of information, beliefs, or customs from one generation to another. 2. : a belief or custom handed down from one generation to another. tradition. noun. (dictionary.com)
Hold onto the traditions that mean the most to each of you, and let go of the others to make room for new ones! Have fun. I talk about this in my YouTube video.
Here’s a fun tradition that I hadn’t heard of. Christmas Eve boxes. My kids always got new pajamas to wear, and a new game for the family to share. I might have to try one of these box ideas this from moneyprodigy.com
Build a gingerbread house -from akpalkitchen.com -I will have to find a picture of one of our boys’ creations from the past! Here are some kits that would be fun to build!
Here’s another fun tradition -from cleanmama.com Have basket of books for each major holiday. I have done this, and each year I would purchase one or two new books to add to the basket.
#7 Christmas With Teens: Crafts/Hobbies
Use this down time for your teens to find something new for them to try or continue with their love of creation. So many hobbies are relaxing, and this will go a long way to their decompression after a hectic semester.
20+ Sharpie crafts that are perfect for the holidays from happinessishomemade.net
Washi tape crafts for the entire family from sloely.com
String star ornaments -so cute from eytozee.com
Scrap fabric Christmas tree ornaments from firefliesandmudpies.com
Fun Crafts To Do At Holiday Time from Thistlewood Farm
#8 Christmas With Teens: Games
Game night is such a fun way to connect with your teens.
10+ games to play with your teen
12 games to play virtually if you are not together by christmasphere.com
Guess Who (Christmas version) by kidfriendlythingstodo.com
Holiday Jeopardy from allthepartyideas.com
Saranwrap candy ball -this is really fun- from momluck.com
‘Tis the Season Trivia game -we love this! I just keep it on our table during the holidays to spark conversation?
#9 Christmas With Teens: Movies
Here’s a post with more than 50 movies for Christmas
If you have gotten together for Halloween or Thanksgiving, here is another great movie post for those holidays!
Here are some ideas for setting up a fun family movie night… from healthyhappyimpactful.com
Holiday Bingo for Hallmark Christmas movies -such a fun idea!
#10 Christmas With Teens: Activities
25 Days for a Teenage Christmas -ways to enjoy the holidays with your teens?
Stained Glass Adult Coloring Book -for relaxing in front of a fire or good movie!
Putting together gift baskets for neighbors, friends, and other people can be a great family activity. Shannon at skiptomylife.com has some great ideas for this from the dollar store!
A great activity for giving back are these feed the hungry stocking packs -from 5littlemonsters.com The family that serves together, stays together!
Work on a holiday puzzle -we always have one set up on a side table in our sunroom for the holidays, and we all work on it at different times while watching movies.
Holiday scavenger hunt -we have done this before with our dinner club, and had so much fun!
#11 Christmas With Teens: Books
Here are a couple of books that will help you during this season.
Have Yourself a Minimalist Christmas
The Little Book of Hygge: Danish Secrets to Happy Living -If you have not heard of this, there are so many ideas for comfort. And, what is Christmas if not comfort?
#12 Christmas With Teens: Gifts
Here are various gift guide lists for different groups…
Stocking stuffers -for everyone!
Gifts for 18 year old – This post is about all sorts of things regarding a teen turning 18, but there are gift ideas at the bottom of the post.
147 Jolly Holiday Ideas to Enjoy with Your Teens
#13 Christmas With Teens: Be Flexible
Flexibility is the key to a successful get together. As our adult children move in and out of relationships, both romantic and otherwise, they might want to spend the actual holiday away from home. Flexibility means that you can adapt to that and make plans for an alternate time for a family get-together.
As grandchildren begin to arrive, the timing of certain events or celebrations may need to be altered, and that needs to be okay.
The main thing is to be able to think outside-the-box to make your home welcoming without being a doormat. If your child wants to spend a holiday away, encourage them to do so. But, at the same time, it’s okay to ask when they would like to come home to celebrate with you -provide a few dates that would work, and let them decide.
If your kids decide suddenly that they need to go out, have plans made for yourself and/or your significant other to have a date night or movie night in or really anything. Don’t feel hurt or rejected. Rejoice that your kids are in town and have great friends to hang with. Enjoy your free time!
Christmas with teens can be such a fun time. Be sure to do your prep work. Talk with them ahead of time to make sure that any plans that you make are something they like to do or that they know is one of your non-negotiables. Relax. Do as much ahead of time as possible. Enjoy!
Posts related to Christmas With Teens
Best Resources for Parents of Adult Children
10 Ways to Connect with your College Student
90+ Advent Calendars For Young Adults
25+ Best Games to Have For All Ages
Stocking Stuffers for Teenagers and College Students
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