12 Holiday Family Activities that are COVID Safe

With COVID throwing a wrench in most of our holiday plans, we’re focusing on family more than ever. Here’s some simple, fun, and festive activities you can do with your family this holiday season. All are COVID-safe and work for families of all ages.

1 - Hot Cocoa Night

Nothing beats some hot chocolate by the fire during the colder months. It’s the perfect treat for people of all ages. You can keep it simple with classic marshmallows, or make it more adult with add-ons like Irish cream.

2 - Decorate for the Holiday

Put on some holiday tunes and decorate for whatever you celebrate. There’s nothing like cleaning your current space and adding some festive flair to make your spirits bright.

3 - Baking Day

Have a baking day by yourself or with your family. Keep it simple with your one traditional family recipe, or make it grand by testing out all those Pinterest recipes you’ve saved over the years. There’s no wrong way to enjoy festive sweets.

4 - Game Night

Host a game night with your household members, or host one virtually with those who can’t make it. Lots of your favorite board games can be found in an online version for free. Invite out of town family members to a virtual game night and hop on zoom for a bit. It’s a great way to continue game night traditions while apart.

5 - Movie Marathon

Nothing beats a Christmas movie marathon. Everyone has their favorites, so pick yours and settle in to the couch for the ultimate movie watching evening. Make the night complete with your baking day treats and popcorn.

6 - Donate or Volunteer

Start a new holiday tradition of giving back, if you don’t do so already. This is a great thing to start with young kids to teach them the value of giving more than getting. Set aside a portion of your budget, no matter big or small, to donate to your favorite local charity. Something like food banks or gift drives. If you can’t afford to gift a donation, you can easily volunteer your time at toy drives or homeless shelters. Check out our list of Giving Tuesday suggestions here.

7 - Winter Hike/Walk

Whether you live in a cold or warm climate, a winter hike is a great activity to catch some fresh air, while keeping yourself healthy. Bundle up and take a long walk or hike to clear your head and get your blood flowing during a season that’s so hard to keep moving.

8 - Reading Hour

Whether you live alone or have kids running around, you can easily add reading to your hobbies this winter. Set aside one hour a day or even a week to spend reading by yourself or with family. Make it holiday themed or pick from your current bookshelf. This is a great way to unwind from your day or week without your phone or other technology.

9 - Dance party with Christmas Music

Staying motivated to keep your body moving through a pandemic is difficult. The easiest cardio exercise to achieve? Dance party of course! Blast your favorite Christmas tunes and dance it out.

10 - Crafts for all ages

Craft nights can be very stress relieving and can pull double duty during the holiday season. Make DIY ornaments or handmade cards to gift to loved ones. Or just do something simple and fun like drawing in a coloring book or stringing popcorn garlands.

11 - Spend a day in Christmas pajamas

Sometimes, you need to have a mental health day. Spend an entire day in festive pajamas to be lazy or do whatever you want. It’s the perfect way to relax and unwind, but keep it a little festive.

12 - Send Snail Mail

Spending the holidays away from loved ones is really hard, so a safe way to share some holiday cheer is by snail mail. Handmake your cards or curate them from your favorite store. Sending holiday cards with handwritten notes is such an easy way to send love to those you can’t see right now.

We hope you enjoy a few of these activities this holiday season while you stay safe. Finding ways to stay active or keep our stress low is crucial to our health as we battle this pandemic. Stay safe and have a happy holiday!