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Selection of fun and easy Christmas activities for teens and tweens. These are ideas that they will actually want to be involved in and enjoy.
Bringing back the magic of Christmas for teenagers is not as hard as you might think, and these activities will allow the entire family to spend time together and have fun!
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Christmas is an exciting time of year regardless of your age, but sometimes the Christmas magic can be lost for teenagers.
They are not a child, but they are not an adult either. They sit somewhere in the middle.
Finding activities to keep teenagers happy can prove to be a challenge.
The good news is however that there are SO many Christmas activities for teens and tweens that they will enjoy and be excited about.
Whether you are looking for activities for Christmas eve, Christmas day or over the entire Christmas season, these fun ideas will be a sure hit.
The best way is to give teenagers options and then let them choose what they would like to do.
This ensures that they are engaged and happy and the entire family will then have lots of fun.
There are a lot of crazy Christmas party ideas that they will be sure to love, but if you are looking for specific activities then there are lots of options for those too.
How Do I Make Christmas Fun For Older Kids?
The trick to ensuring that older kids and teens enjoy Christmas is to make them feel involved.
It wasn’t so long ago that they were filled with the magic of Father Christmas and the sheer mention of December would fill them with delight.
Over time that fades and older kids and teenagers become slightly harder to please.
It is however possible for teenagers to regain the magic and excitement of Christmas. You just have to meet them where they are at and find something that will excite their interests.
Talk to them about what they consider to be fun Christmas activities. You might actually be surprised at their answers.
Activities you thought they would have outgrown they might really want to do, and activities you think they would want to do they might not.
As always, communication with teenagers is the key!
This is also the perfect time to start some new family traditions.
Traditions that your teenager would like to introduce. This is a great way to ensure that teenagers feel involved with the festivities around them and it also gives them a sense of control and excitement.
Continue reading for a list of Christmas activities that teenagers will enjoy. There is something to suit all interests and tastes.
These Christmas activities for teens will certainly help get your teenager into the holiday spirit.
Activities That Involve Food
Everyone knows that teenagers love their food.
So finding some Christmas activities for teens that includes food is always going to be a great idea!
1. Gingerbread House Making
It is so much fun to make gingerbread houses and this would be the perfect activity for teens.
A gingerbread house making station could be set up within the home, with everything that is needed to create the perfect house.
This could either be done from a pre-made gingerbread kit or baking the gingerbread from scratch.
Ensure that there are lots of lollies and candy canes on hand to decorate the houses with.
2. Hot Cocoa Bar
Christmas just screams hot chocolate!
Setting up a hot cocoa bar is easier than you think.
Simply set up a table area and ensure that you have a selection of various flavors of hot chocolate, mugs and lots of toppings.
Toppings could include:
- Marshmallows
- Chocolate chips
- Chocolate or caramel sauce
- Whipped cream
- Chopped peppermint bark or candy canes
- Toffee pieces
And don’t forget the cookies!
Present everything nicely on a table and let the teens help themselves. They will absolutely be in their element!
A hot cocoa bar would also work perfectly with a movie or games night!
3. Christmas Cupcake And Cookie Decorating
There is something about the smell of freshly baked goods at Christmas time.
Put on some Christmas music and have a variety of Christmas cupcakes and cookies that the teenagers can enjoy baking.
They can bake up a storm and then enjoy consuming their goods afterwards.
4. Candy Hunt
Despite what teenagers want you to believe, they are really just big kids!
Hide a bunch of candy and candy canes around the house and yard and they will soon find their childish spirit!
This is something that even older teens will enjoy (they just might not admit it!).
Of course it goes without saying that whatever they find they get to keep!
Christmas Party Ideas Teenagers Will Get Excited About
Have a group of teens together and wondering how to keep them occupied?
These are some great simple party ideas that they would love.
5. Christmas Pajama Party
If your teenagers are looking for something fun and casual to do with their friends, then they might like to consider holding a Christmas pajama party.
This is a laid back, relaxed and totally fun kind of party.
Teenagers love hanging out with their friends, chilling and eating.
A pajama party was simply made for them as the best part is they come in their favorite Christmas pajamas!
Have lots of rugs, cushions, blankets and Christmas treats on hand so everyone can truly relax.
6. Dress In Ugly Sweaters
If you mention this idea, the teens might initially pull a face, but once they realise how much fun it would be, it could turn out to be a real hit.
Christmas ugly sweaters are not meant to be serious. So once the teenagers realise this, they will be sure to have a great time.
Of course you can easily incorporate dressing up in ugly sweaters with a Christmas movie night or hot chocolate bar.
Perhaps even turn it into a competition. Ask everyone to dress in their ugliest Christmas sweater and then have someone judge them. Offer a small prize to the winner.
Incorporate lots of ugly Christmas sweaters party games to ensure that teens have a wonderful time.
7. Christmas Karaoke Party
If your teenager loves to sing, then a Christmas karaoke party would be a whole lot of fun.
This is something that can either be done with the family or a whole group of friends.
Perhaps even hire a microphone or karaoke machine to really let the teenagers get into the spirit of it.
8. Christmas Photo Booth
The great thing about a photo booth is that the activity is part setting it up and part using it!
Teens will have an awesome time taking pictures of themselves with various Christmas props.
Again, a photo booth can easily be linked in with several other activities here such as the hot cocoa bar, the pyjama party or ugly sweater night.
Not only is it a great activity to undertake, but it will also allow an opportunity to capture all the Christmas time memories that are made.
9. Christmas movies
If there was ever a time to sit and enjoy a movie, this is it!
There are SO many Christmas movies to enjoy and it is a great way for a bunch of teens to get together and have a fun time.
Host a movie at home (with that hot cocoa bar), or head out to the movies for a new release.
Movie nights at home are so much fun though and they are a great way for all family members to spend time together.
This is certainly one of those activities that you can enjoy at any age.
Pick a favorite Christmas movie that is appropriate for the younger and older kids to watch together and it will be a huge hit.
Fun Christmas Games For Teens
Love playing games at Christmas?
These games will interest the teenagers but will be also enjoyed by the the whole family.
10. Christmas Charades
For some easy Christmas fun you can’t go past some Christmas charades. It is such an easy game that is easy to set up and easy to play.
Playing a game of Christmas charades is a great way of enjoying some family time together, whilst also ensuring that the teenagers don’t get bored.
11. Board games
An activity that you often associate with Christmas is playing board games. It is a great way for the entire family to sit down together and have a fun time.
Alternatively if you have lots of people present you might want to have several games going that can be played as a small group, and keep alternating between the games.
12. Minute To Win it Games
Minute to win it games are perfect for teenagers. They are quick, fast paced and will keep teenagers attention.
They are the easiest kind of games to play and will guarantee to create a whole heap of laughs!
Check out some specific Christmas minute to win it games to keep the holiday spirit going.
13. White Elephant Git Exchange
If you have a group of teens getting together, it would be a lot of fun to have a white elephant gift exchange.
Before the teens arrive ask them all to bring a small fun wrapped gift to a certain value. This could be anything as small as $5 or $10.
Everyone places their gift in a pile and numbers are written up to the number of teens present.
Everyone picks a number
Number 1 goes first and picks a present from the pile and opens it.
Number 2 can chose to either steal the opened present or choose another present from the pile to open.
Each player goes in turn according to their number. As soon as a player has their gift stolen, they can choose another present from the pile.
The game continues until all the presents have been opened or stolen and everyone is holding a gift.
The more people involved in this game, the more fun it becomes.
Creative Teen Christmas Activities
Christmas is certainly a time to unleash the creativity.
If this is something your teen would enjoy, then they will love these ideas.
14. Christmas Tree Decorating
Decorating the Christmas tree is the perfect activity to undertake as a family.
If the teens are initially reluctant to be involved, why not give them a task to be in charge of.
The teens could coordinate what lights go on the tree or how it is to be styled.
Ensure that you have some Christmas music playing whilst decorating the tree to ensure that everyone easily gets into the Christmas spirit.
15. Making Christmas Ornaments
For the crafty teenagers, making Christmas ornaments would be a whole lot of fun.
Get out the glitter and the glue guns and let the creativity begin.
Teenagers will enjoy adding their creative flair, which can then be admired on the tree or given as a gift to someone special.
Outdoor Christmas Activities For Teens
Being active is definitely a draw card for a lot of teenagers, and there are plenty of activities that have a Christmas theme that they will enjoy.
16. Christmas Lights
There are so many light displays in the streets, that it is easy to turn this into an evening activity that the entire family will enjoy.
Rug up, grab some snacks and head off on an adventure to see the lights.
Maybe let the teenagers be in charge of what lights you go to see so that they are given a sense of control over the evening.
Even if the teenagers don’t feel it before, this is guaranteed to put everyone into the Christmas spirit.
17. Christmas Carols
It simply wouldn’t be the holiday season unless there were Christmas carols!
It doesn’t seem to occur very often now, but how amazing is it when you see and hear Christmas carollers.
Teens are old enough to head out with the rest of the family, so they might like to get a group together and head off singing Christmas carols to the neighbors.
Alternatively they could head to a local nursing home and offer some Christmas carols entertainment for the evening.
It’s an easy way to spread some Christmas cheer at the same time as proving to be a fun Christmas activity for them.
18. Ice Skating
Going ice skating is a classic Christmas activity and is something that the teens would love.
Grab a group of their friends together and they will be guaranteed to have a fun time.
19. Sledding
If you are lucky enough to live somewhere near the snow, then sledding is one of those perfect Christmas activities for teens.
It’s energetic, competitive and will keep the teens occupied for several hours or more.
Once the sledding is finished, they could finish it off at the hot chocolate bar or relax and watch a Christmas movie!
Whilst it may first appear difficult to find fun activities for teenagers to undertake, there really is so much that they can be involved in.
And if these Christmas activities for teens isn’t enough to keep them occupied, there are also a huge number of winter activities for teens that will help relieve any boredom. You really will be spoilt for choice.
Spending quality time together over the Christmas season will ultimately bring that Christmas magic right to your door.
You may also find that a number of these activities turn into regular Christmas traditions that everyone looks forward to year after year.
Need some more Christmas ideas? Check out these easy magical Christmas ideas the whole family can enjoy. You will find printables, simple recipes, decorations and more.
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