Merry Christmas to you and your family! I hope today is filled with lasting memories that you get to make with your kids. I plan on getting some rest. After several weeks of decorating, parties, activities, travel, dinners, gift giving, and church services, I’m going to be on the couch, watching more Christmas movies. But after today, there are lots of opportunities to do fun things as a family.
The week after Christmas is one of my favorite times of the year. Everything seems to slow down, which gives us a chance to relax and focus on the people we love the most. Here are 7 fun things to do with your family the week after Christmas.
1. Sleep in the family room together.
It’s like camping, but comfortable and indoors. The tree is still up, and the room is cozy. If you have a fireplace, that makes it even better. If not, I would recommend fake battery-powered candles. They create a similar soft glow, and they can stay on without being a fire hazard. Clear some space and lay down a bunch of mattresses. Fall asleep talking or watching a favorite family movie. Wake up first and make breakfast in bed for everyone. Enjoy a slow morning of lying around, unless you have toddlers. They’re going to be jumping all over those mattresses, which is another part of the fun. In fact, they’ll probably want to jump on you, so take a healthy dose of ibuprofen.
2. Roast marshmallows.
You can add this to the activity above or do it separately. If you have a fireplace, you can roast marshmallows alone or make s’mores. No fireplace, no problem. Just use a candle to roast the marshmallows (just make sure the little ones are being supervised) or the oven to make s’mores. Again, it’s bringing the camping experience inside. Or take it outside to the fire pit if it’s not completely freezing out. See who can roast a marshmallow the best without catching it on fire.
3. Be active in the cold.
There’s nothing like getting out into the cold air for a while and then coming back home to warm up. Take your kids sledding if you’ve got snow. If you don’t have snow but live in a cold climate, go to an outdoor skating rink. It typically has a festive atmosphere. An indoor rink will also do the trick, especially if you live in a warmer climate. You could also take your family on a hike or find a Christmas light display and go for a walk. After you’re done with your chosen activity, come home and have hot chocolate together. Talk about your favorite parts of the day.
4. Have a movie marathon with hors d’oeuvres.
Bring out the leftovers and put them on the coffee table, or make your favorite hors d’oeuvres and have a movie marathon. The beauty of this is you don’t have to fix lunch and dinner; it’s all there for the taking. Everyone eats when they want and what they want. Pick a movie franchise like Marvel or Star Wars; a trilogy like The Lord of the Rings (if you want a long marathon), or Toy Story; or a series of animated movies like How to Train Your Dragon, Despicable Me, or Shrek. Crash out on the couch for a day. That’s what the week after Christmas is for.
5. Look at pictures from the past year.
Ask your kids what their favorite memories were from the past year. See how many things they can remember. A year is a long time, and sometimes we can forget all the great things we did. Then use your screen mirroring feature and look over all the pictures you took in 2025. Ask your kids the same question at the end. Their answers may have changed.
6. Host a New Year’s party.
If you’re like me, New Year’s Eve can be a downer, unless you’re celebrating it with friends. Deck your house out, get some good food, and play some music. If you have little kids, get some disco lights, have a dance party, and shoot off confetti poppers. If your kids are teenagers, rent silent disco equipment and have them help put together playlists.
7. Create next year’s bucket list as a family.
Gather the whole family to start brainstorming what everyone wants to do in 2026. Or you can set out a jar with slips of paper next to it and have family members put ideas in the entire week. Discuss the ideas at the end of the week. Put the ideas down and start voting. You can also brainstorm big bucket list ideas and smaller ones. The smaller ideas could be planned monthly, while you may choose one or two big ideas for the year.
Sound off: What is your favorite family activity the week after Christmas?
Huddle up with your kids and ask, “What do you want to do the week after Christmas?”