08 December 2023

The top 8 Christmas ideas and activities for all generations to enjoy

Written by Liz Moore, Communications Partner with integratedliving

Tis the season to celebrate together. Include all your family and friends in these fun Christmas ideas and activities.

Christmas is a time for people of all ages and stages to share in festivities. Here, we’ve found eight of the best Christmas ideas and activities to engage and include all generations at once:

1. Start with the Christmas Tree

If you’ve already decorated a tree inside the house, look for another in the garden you could add some Christmas zest to with solar lights or colour-clashing tinsel. Or you could find a new Christmas tree or shrub to plant or pot and decorate as you wish.

It’s a great excuse for a group trip to the local nursery, which often sparks new rich ideas for future planting and decorating around the home and garden. (And don’t forget fruit trees and flowering plants are welcome)

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2. Christmas Decorations

Alongside Christmas trees, festive decorations are imperative when celebrating Christmas. With so many to choose from, it can be easiest to start with a theme. This can be colours – will you choose red and green, or try silver, gold, blue, natural or a rainbow of hues? If you struggle to make decisions, it might be helpful to stick with one or two. Or you could go with a different sort of theme such as Australiana or animals or elves or traditional European. Whatever your calling, there are plenty of decorations you can make together with some arts and crafts. Like the doily angels or pipe-cleaner wreaths below made by our creative clients and team at our hive of celebrations, our Activity Centres.

3. Christmas Jokes

Don’t wait for the dreaded bon-bons, keep the laughs coming all Christmas. Try these jokes out to add more cheer:

What do you get if you cross a snowman and a vampire? Frostbite
Why did Santa go to music school? Because he wanted to improve his wrapping skills
What do you call Santa when he loses his pants? Saint Knickerless
Why did the Christmas tree go to the barber? It needed a trim
What do you call a snowman with a six-pack? An abdominal snowman
What's Santa's favourite lolly? Jolly Ranchers
What did one ornament say to another? I like hanging with you
Why did the Christmas cookie go to the doctor? Because it was feeling crumbly
Why was the snowman looking through the carrots? He was picking his nose
What do you call an elf who sings? A wrapper

4. Christmas Stockings

There are so many things you can do together to make Christmas stockings into a fun Christmas activity. You can make stockings from scratch, keeping it very simple with felt, a pair of scissors and some thicker needle and cotton. Or you can add your own decorations to them – again, felt (and some glue) will come in handy if you’d like to personalise them with a name. Or you can create the right place to hang them – rearranging your mantelpiece or Christmas tree and gift area to present them as you would like Santa to find them. Another great way to come together around Christmas stockings is to create lists for each person whose stocking needs filling. What would they like to unwrap on Christmas Day? Is it the same as you, or others? Which, of course, leads to the Christmas wrapping… this can be fun, too! Turn on Michael Buble and bop along as you go.

5. Ugly Christmas Sweater Contest

If you’ve never done this, now is the time to start! Have a great laugh at everyone else’s expense (but especially your own) with the contest nobody really wants to win! While you’re at it, why not pull out the wool and design your own ugly Christmas sweater pattern for next year. Don’t forget to turn down the air-con!

6. Christmas Games

Where do we start with all the games? Christmas trivia and quizzes are a great ice-breaker for keen minds of all ages. For older loved ones who might need a break from the festive activities from time to time, a seniors crossword or find-a-word can be a lovely thing to do together. So too, jigsaw puzzles that can be done in quieter moments over several days (a puzzle mat is an excellent investment so you can move the puzzle as needed and avoid the extra clutter it can create at a busy time). Don’t forget the old favourites such as Scrabble, Trivial Pursuit and Monopoly. Articulate is an easy one to play without a board which makes it great for bigger groups and relaxed times around the lunch table.

7. Christmas Recipes

It’s time to make that favourite recipe for the season. For some, it’s Rocky Road, plum pudding or mango mousse, while others like a minestrone, baked ham or a watermelon salad. Whatever your signature dish, it’s a chance to involve different generations in the cooking. Plenty of hands can make light work, so they say, and it certainly can make lots of fun. Gather the generations together, or allocate different people different dishes so everyone feels they’ve contributed to the special meal times.

8. Christmas Movies

For many, it’s a tradition to gather together and watch a classic Christmas film. There are plenty to choose from, including:

It's a Wonderful Life (1946) - Directed by Frank Capra, this heartwarming film follows the life of George Bailey and the impact he has on his community.

A Christmas Carol (1984) - There are many adaptations of Charles Dickens' classic tale, but this version, starring George C Scott as Ebenezer Scrooge, is a widely acclaimed one.

Miracle on 34th Street (1947) - A heartwarming story about a man claiming to be Santa Claus and the impact he has on those around him.

A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965) - The Peanuts gang discovers the true meaning of Christmas in this animated classic.

Home Alone (1990) - When Kevin McCallister is accidentally left behind by his family during Christmas vacation, he must defend his home from burglars.

Elf (2003) - Starring Will Ferrell, this comedy tells the story of Buddy, a human raised by elves, as he goes to New York City to find his real father.

The Polar Express (2004) - An animated film based on the popular children's book, it follows a young boy's magical journey to the North Pole on the Polar Express.

A Christmas Story (1983) - This nostalgic comedy recounts a young boy's quest for a Red Ryder BB gun for Christmas.

White Christmas (1954) - A musical film featuring Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye, known for its iconic song and dance numbers.

National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989) - The Griswold family attempts to have a perfect Christmas, but comedic chaos ensues.

The Santa Clause (1994) - Tim Allen stars as a man who accidentally causes Santa Claus to fall from his roof on Christmas Eve, and then has to take on the role himself.

How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1966) - The classic animated TV special based on Dr. Seuss' book about the Grinch who tries to steal Christmas from the Whos in Whoville.