Holiday Activities for Kids:
MAWE’s Ultimate Guide to a Fun, Stress-Free Season
Brought to you by Martial Arts of West End – Building Stronger Kids, Stronger Families, and Stronger Communities.
The holiday season is filled with excitement, tradition, and family time—but for parents, it can also come with the constant question: “How do I keep the kids active, creative, and engaged?”
At Martial Arts of West End (MAWE) in Henrico, VA, we know that families thrive when kids have meaningful activities that build confidence, creativity, and connection. Whether you’re looking for indoor crafts, service projects, family-bonding ideas, or ways to burn energy on cold winter days, this guide has you covered.
Below is MAWE’s Top Holiday Activities for Kids, filled with enrichment, fun, and opportunities to strengthen the values we teach on the mat—respect, gratitude, teamwork, and perseverance.
1. Create Homemade Holiday Cards
In a tech-driven world, a handmade holiday card stands out with warmth and personality. Provide construction paper, printable templates, markers, and fun craft elements like glitter or pom-poms. Let your child create a custom card for grandparents or loved ones—perfect for Christmas, Hanukkah, or even upcoming celebrations like Mother’s Day and Easter.
SEO Tip: This builds fine-motor skills and creativity—key components of child development.
2. Family Gift Shopping (Kid-Style)
Let your children pick inexpensive, heartfelt gifts from the Dollar Tree or similar stores. The joy of watching kids choose gifts with their unique logic is unforgettable—and often hilarious. This affordable tradition reinforces generosity, independence, and gratitude.
3. Decorate an Elderly Neighbor’s Home
Teach kindness and community service by helping a senior neighbor put up decorations, hang a wreath, or display their favorite holiday items. Kids build empathy, confidence, and social awareness—all qualities reinforced in MAWE classes.
4. Design Your Own Wrapping Paper
Buy a roll of craft paper and let kids stamp, paint, and decorate their own designs. From handprint moose to footprint reindeer, the result is personal, meaningful, and fun.
5. Let Kids Wrap Their Own Gifts
Their wrapping may not match your picture-perfect Pinterest aesthetic—but the pride kids feel wrapping gifts themselves is worth it!
6. Decorate a Kid-Sized Christmas Tree
Give children a small tree for their bedroom and let them decorate it with their own creations. It provides independence, creativity, and a sense of ownership.
7. Make Popcorn Garlands & Playdough Ornaments
Classic, nostalgic, and budget-friendly—string popcorn garland or bake homemade ornaments using Playdough and cookie cutters. Perfect for a cozy afternoon.
8. Holiday Movie Night + DIY Cocoa Bar
Build a pillow fort, let kids design their own hot chocolate creations, and enjoy a holiday favorite. Add mason-jar cocoa mixes as take-home gifts for friends or relatives.
9. Read a Holiday Classic Together
Instead of screen time, enjoy A Christmas Carol, The Polar Express, or The Night Before Christmas. Create a nightly reading ritual that becomes a treasured family memory.
10. Indoor Scavenger Hunts
Create your own or use a family-friendly scavenger hunt app. Great for burning energy indoors while building teamwork and problem-solving skills.
11. Make a DIY Advent Calendar
Count down the days with small activities, crafts, or acts of kindness—not just candy. Kids love the daily surprises, and parents appreciate the structured activities.
12. Collect Toys for Donation
Teach gratitude and compassion by having kids select toys in excellent condition to donate to families in need, local drives, or foster organizations.
13. Visit a Christmas Tree Farm
Turn choosing the perfect tree into a holiday adventure with hayrides, hot cocoa, petting zoos, and festive photo ops.
14. Feed the Winter Birds
Create a frozen birdseed wreath using cranberries, pine sprigs, and water. Hang it outside and watch birds enjoy a winter treat.
15. Host a Holiday Game Night
From Twister and Charades to snowy outdoor competitions, game night is a high-energy way to bond with friends and family.
16. Explore Google’s Santa Tracker
Enjoy coding games, global Christmas traditions, and festive challenges—all age-appropriate and fun.
17. Set New Year Goals (Kid-Friendly!)
Help your children create simple, age-appropriate goals related to learning, creativity, fitness, or responsibility.
18. Virtual Game Night
Invite relatives from anywhere to join virtual trivia and game nights—perfect for small spaces or long-distance families.
19. Volunteer as a Family
Serve meals, deliver holiday baskets, or participate in community clean-ups. Volunteering builds empathy and helps kids appreciate the true spirit of giving.
20. Take a Holiday Light Tour
Drive through neighborhoods with impressive light displays. Bring cocoa and snacks for a full evening experience!
21. Send Cards to Troops
Support our military through Christmas Cards for Troops or similar organizations. Kids learn gratitude, patriotism, and service to others.
22. Decorate the Driveway
Sidewalk chalk becomes festive with red, green, and winter-themed designs. Easy, washable, and perfect for creative afternoons.
23. Set Up a Hot Cocoa Stand
Just like a lemonade stand—but warmer! Safe, supervised, and a fun way for kids to practice entrepreneurship.
24. Take a Virtual Museum Tour
Visit world-famous museums from home. Kids can learn about history, art, animals, and cultures around the globe.
25. Candy Cane Hide-and-Seek
An inexpensive indoor game that keeps kids busy, active, and laughing with every round.
26. Host a Holiday Dance-Off
Play festive music and let each family member show off their silliest or most creative moves—instant laughter guaranteed.
27. Create Your Own Ugly Sweaters
Buy inexpensive sweaters and let kids design outrageous holiday masterpieces with fabric glue, ribbons, and decorations.
28. Festive Fingernails
Paint holiday-themed nails in fun colors. Kids love the creative expression (and painting your nails too).
29. Build an Indoor Obstacle Course
Use pillows, tape, chairs, and blankets to create a kid-friendly course. Great for burning energy on cold days—MAWE-approved!
30. Bless Your Delivery Drivers
Have kids prepare treat bags or snack baskets for FedEx, Amazon, UPS, and USPS workers who deliver packages through the holidays.
Final Thoughts from
Martial Arts of West End
No matter how busy the holiday season gets, it’s the memory-making that matters most. Children don’t remember the perfect wrapping paper or the spotless living room—they remember laughter, traditions, and time spent together.
From creative crafts to acts of kindness, family games, and learning opportunities, these activities help kids grow in confidence, gratitude, focus, and resilience—the same values we build every day at Martial Arts of West End in Henrico, VA.
If you need more ideas—or want to keep your child active and engaged during school breaks—check out our MAWE Winter Camps, After-School Program, and Family Martial Arts Classes.
Building champions for life—on and off the mat.