It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas! We're expecting our first snowfall tomorrow, which got me to thinking about all the wonderful winter traditions our family has, as I'm sure your family does too! If you think winter isn't a great time to have a family photo session, you might be surprised that there are actually a ton of great winter activities worth documenting. Here are some of my favorites.
- Drink hot cocoa - with extra whipped cream and marshmallows.
- Have a pajama day.
- Play a card or board game - Candyland and Uno are favorites in our house.
- Bake your family's favorite cookies (and please, share the recipe with me in the comments - you can never have enough cookie recipes!)
- Make your own ornaments - the craft stores have some great kits!
- Build a gingerbread house.
- Have an indoor picnic.
- Gather up all the pillows and blankets from the house and build an epic fort.
- Write your own play, and perform it for your friends and family!
- Cook a favorite comfort food meal - nothing beats some delicious homemade chicken soup on a cold day.
- Write a letter to Santa. (Bonus, you can have Santa write back using this program from the USPS!)
- Decorate the Christmas tree, together as a family. One of our traditions is that we each choose one new ornament every year!
- Wrap gifts, with lots of ribbons and bows.
- Have breakfast for dinner - chocolate chip pancakes, anyone?
- Create a care package to send to a soldier overseas.
- Visit a museum in a nearby city.
- Go for a walk around the neighborhood to look at all the pretty Christmas lights.
- Take out some holiday books from the library.
- Go ice skating, especially if your neighborhood has an outdoor rink.
- Pick out the perfect tree at a nearby farm.
- Check out a local winter festival.
- Go shopping for holiday gifts, and pick up an extra one for a child in need.
- Warm up your vocal chords (and your neighbor's hearts) and go caroling!
- Go sledding at a local park.
- Build a snowman, complete with a carrot nose.
If you'd like to have a session featuring these or any other ideas, you can contact me here, or send me an email at hello@jengrimaphotography.com.
Does your family have a winter tradition not on this list? Let me know in the comments!