One of the best things about the winter holiday season is all the activities you can do, like going to a local shopping event or attending a Christmas play. Unfortunately, though, a lot of these activities require cash, and for everyone from baby boomers to Gen Z, money can be tight after buying holiday gifts and decorations.
Fortunately, there are plenty of holiday activities that don’t cost a lot, if anything. A lot of them are also fun family activities. Check out these 6 easy ideas for family fun over the holiday break.
Try these family holiday activity ideas
Go Christmas Light Viewing
Driving around and seeing how people have decorated their houses for the holidays doesn't cost much, if anything. Take a look at how people have set up their holiday lights and Christmas trees, and marvel at the more extravagant decorations, like a giant inflatable Santa Claus and reindeer. It's a lot of fun, and who knows--it might just inspire you to make a financial goal to buy more Christmas decorations for your home next year.
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Have a Family Game Night
A family game night brings together family members of all generations and is an ideal way to spend a cold winter evening. Some good family games include:
- Uno
- Settlers of Catan
- Sorry
- Carcassone
- Ticket to Ride
- Tribond
- Azul
You can also use family game night to teach children about finances with board games such as Monopoly and Life.
Make Your own Holiday Decorations
Gather the family around and have them make holiday decorations. You can make paper chains and popcorn chains, or you could even have the entire family work on creating Christmas cards. You can also make:
- Pomander balls (fruit with cloves)
- Wreaths
- Paper snowflakes
- Paper bag snowman puppets
- Twig ornaments
- Personalized stockings
- Clothespin characters
- Holiday cards
Go Caroling With Your Family
If you and your family love singing, go out and bring some joy to your friends. Pick two or three carols that everyone knows, and then go to different houses and sing. If you’re invited in for hot cocoa, coffee and cookies, definitely take the offer.
Make Some Holiday Treats
Baking holiday cookies isn't just a fun traditional Christmas activity, it's also a great opportunity for families to spend time together. You can also make other sweet treats like candy or eggnog. If you and your family are feeling really ambitious, you could even cook a whole holiday meal together and keep a little extra money in your budget that would otherwise be spent on restaurants.
Have a Family Holiday Movie Night
Pop some popcorn, get some blankets and even change into some family Christmas pajamas if the mood strikes you. You can even make this a competition with your family and have the person who gets their chores done first be the person who gets to pick the movie to watch that night.
Questions about affording for the holidays? Let's talk!
What are some other fun holiday activities to try this year?
This year, try holiday activities like a gingerbread house building competition, create personalized holiday ornaments, organize a holiday scavenger hunt or host your own family holiday talent show. These activities will bring joy and create lasting memories for the whole family.
Enjoy the Holidays With First Alliance Credit Union
December brings with it holiday activities for people of all ages. The only problem is that a lot of them cost money. However, there are several holiday activities from family movie nights to making arts and crafts that won't give baby boomers or Gen Zers money worries.
If you need some help paying for holiday expenses, become a member of First Alliance Credit Union. Our financial goal planner will help you to save for the holidays earlier, and our club savings accounts are a great way to save for the holiday season over several months. We also offer credit cards with no annual fee and a reasonable interest rate in case you need some additional help.
