25 Christmas Activities To Do With Teens That They'll Actually Think Are Fun

Inside: Just because they are getting older, doesn’t mean Christmas can’t be fun. Here are 25 ideas for Christmas Activities to do with teens this holiday.

Christmas with teens can look and feel so different than when they were little. They are rarely as excited about all the Christmas activities and Christmas traditions that you’ve done for years as a family.

They’re eyes don’t sparkle with excitement during the season the way they used to. They don’t ask to watch classic Christmas movies with you over and over again as they happily snuggle in your lap or next to you on the couch. Busy schedules may make it difficult to get them to commit to an afternoon of cookie baking and some of your favorite family Christmas activities may now be things they’d rather go do with their friends.

But all of this doesn’t mean they’ve outgrown Christmas entirely. You can’t still lay claim to some of those cherished Christmas activities and insist they participate in at least a few with you and the rest of the family. Sometimes, they think that they’re supposed to be too grown and mature to do these things, but in their hearts they still love it and in the end will be so glad that you “made them do it.” Also, it is possible that they would totally still be on board, but you just need to come up with some new Christmas activities for teens that are better suited to their ages and interests.

If you’re feeling lost about fun teen activities for Christmas that they’ll actually like, here are some ideas to get you started. And don’t give up! If one is a big fail, well keeping trying these Different Teen Christmas Activity ideas until you find the one that fits your teen(s).

25 Christmas Activities To Do With Your Teens

DIY Ornament Crafting: Set up a crafting station with supplies for teens to create their own unique ornaments.
Related: Christmas Ornament Kit for Teens or Ugly Christmas Sweater Ornament Kit
Holiday Movie Marathon: Pick a mix of classic and newer holiday movies for a cozy movie marathon.
Related: The Best Christmas Movies to Get Your Teens to Snuggle on the Couch Again
Gingerbread House Competition: Have a friendly competition to see who can create the most elaborate gingerbread house.
Related: Gingerbread House Kit
Cookie Decorating Party: Bake a variety of cookies and set up a decorating station with different icings and toppings.
Related: Christmas Cookie Kits
Christmas Scavenger Hunt: Create a festive scavenger hunt with holiday-themed clues and challenges.
Related:Teen Photo Scavenger Hunt
Ugly Sweater Decorating: Provide plain sweaters and various decorations for a fun and festive ugly sweater decorating session.
Related: How To Make Your Own Ugly Christmas Sweater
Board Game Night: Select holiday-themed or classic board games for a night of friendly competition.
Related: 40 Awesome Board Games For Teens They’ll Want to Play Again and Again
Secret Santa Gift Exchange: Organize a Secret Santa gift exchange among friends or family members.
Related: The Ultimate Lists of Gift Ideas for Teens And Tweens
Outdoor Ice Skating: Visit a local outdoor ice skating rink for a fun and active winter activity.
Holiday Karaoke Night: Sing your favorite holiday tunes with a karaoke machine or a karaoke app.
Related: Karaoke Machine for Teens
DIY Hot Chocolate Bar: Set up a station with different hot chocolate toppings like whipped cream, marshmallows, and sprinkles.
Related: Hot Cocoa Bar Kit Or Hot Chocolate Bomb Kit
Virtual Game Night: Connect with friends virtually for a game night using online gaming platforms.
Holiday Photo Booth: Create a festive photo booth with props and backdrops for memorable pictures.
Related: Holiday Photo Book Props
Holiday Recipe Cook-Off: Have a friendly competition to see who can create the most delicious holiday dish or cook up some of the recipes from your favorite family Christmas movies.
Related: Christmas Movie Cookbook
Outdoor Light Tour: Explore the neighborhood or local attractions with impressive holiday light displays.
DIY Christmas Cards: Get creative with card-making supplies to craft personalized Christmas cards.
Related: DIY Christmas Card Kit
Escape Room Challenge: Visit a local escape room or set up a DIY escape room at home with holiday-themed clues.
Related: DIY Escape Room
Holiday Pajama Party: Host a cozy pajama party with festive snacks, movies, and games.
Related: Family Christmas Pajamas
DIY Snow Globe Crafting: Create personalized snow globes using jars, water, glitter, and small holiday figurines.
Related: DIY Snow Globe Kit
Holiday Baking Challenge: Challenge teens to bake and decorate their own festive desserts.
Related: Christmas Baking Cookbook
Virtual Caroling Session: Connect with friends virtually for a fun caroling session using video calls.
Related: Christmas Carol Songbook
DIY Gift Wrapping Station: Set up a stylish gift-wrapping station with various wrapping papers and embellishments. Make it a competition to see who can come up with the best wrapped gif, the most creative wrapping paper or even the worst wrapped gift.
Related: Christmas Gift Wrap Kit
Holiday Trivia Night: Test everyone’s knowledge with a festive trivia night featuring Christmas-related questions.
Related: Christmas Trivia Game
Outdoor Winter Sports Day: Depending on your location, engage in winter sports like sledding, skiing, or snowboarding.
Related: The Ultimate Freeze Tag Game
Volunteer Together: Spend time volunteering as a group at a local charity or community organization to spread holiday cheer.

Hopefully, you will find some new family favorites from this list of Christmas Activities for Teens. Just remember to tailor these activities to the preferences and interests of your teens and both they and you may rediscover some of that holiday joy.

Enjoying Christmas with your teens doesn’t mean it can’t still be fun and memorable. You just have to be willing to let go of what it used to be in order to realize all that it can be. And on the bright side, at least your teens won’t be waking you up at 5a.m. Christmas morning!