Merry & Bright :: A Christmas Bucket List To Infuse Your Holidays With Joy
Christmas and the holidays are such a special time of year. Many families are feeling festive and excited to celebrate and make memories as a family. Make the most of this joyful season by creating a Christmas Bucket list for your family filled with heartwarming activities and traditions to make your Christmas season even more magical!
Decorate the Christmas Tree
Decorating the Christmas tree is a common tradition many families look forward to each holiday season! Take the time to decorate your Christmas tree and include your children in the process. Allow children to be involved in picking ornaments, making ornaments, and helping to hang ornaments. Make it a fun and festive time together as a family! Sip on hot chocolate and play Christmas music while decorating the tree together!
Acadian Village Christmas Lights
Each year, Acadian Village celebrates the holidays by displaying Christmas lights, offering entertainment, carnival rides, Santa photos, and more! Visiting Acadian Village during the holiday season is a fun tradition to do with all ages of your family!
See the Christmas Lights in your neighborhood
Viewing Christmas lights doesn’t have to be expensive or fancy! In fact, it can be completely free! Go on an evening walk or drive as a family to view the Christmas lights in your neighborhood on any night of the week.
Flour Snow Sensory Bin
Need an activity to keep your toddler or child busy during the days it’s too cold to play outside? Try this flour snow sensory bin inspired by Busy Toddler! Take any kitchen tray, Tupperware, or cookie sheet and fill it with flour. Add small toys for your child to play with in the flour “snow!” Add a small Christmas tree decoration to make the sensory bin extra festive! Tip: Prevent a huge mess by placing a sheet under the sensory bin. Shake the sheet off outside to clean up!
Santa or Christmas Pictures
Take Christmas or Santa pictures as a family this holiday season! You will never regret having special photographs to preserve sweet memories of your family for years to come.
Paint Your Own Ornaments
Try painting ornaments with your children! Wooden or plastic ornament painting kits are very affordable at Target, Hobby Lobby, or Amazon. Painting ornaments is an inexpensive way to include your child in the creative process, and children will love hanging their finished product on the Christmas tree!
Golf Cart Santa
If you are familiar with Golf Cart Santa, you will know that the experience is way more than just a golf cart these days! Golf Cart Santa is a must-see experience in Lafayette during the holiday season! Check Golf Cart Santa’s schedule and see when it is coming to a neighborhood near you! 
Youngsville on Ice
Youngsville on Ice is set up at the Youngsville Sports Complex, and is like a true winter wonderland! Enjoy the ice rink, vendors, photo opportunities, kids’ activities, food, and more! Check the schedule to see what activities are happening each day, and definitely make your way out there to enjoy the holiday magic!
Make Christmas Cookies
Making Christmas cookies is another special tradition for families during the holiday season. Include your child in the baking and decorating process! Children enjoy using holiday-shaped cookie cutters to make special Christmas cookies! Bake cookies for your own family, to hand out to neighbors, for teacher gifts, or especially for Santa! Tip: Holiday cookie cutters can be repurposed to use with play dough for pretend baking play!
Santa’s Workshop on Antigua
Santa’s Workshop on Antigua is another magical Christmas experience in Lafayette! Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus take their time visiting with each child and offer a photo opportunity at their workshop. The exterior of the workshop is decorated as a Christmas wonderland, complete with Christmas lights, Reindeer Lane, Santa’s mailbox, the Grinch, and more! We have visited with our family several times and I am always amazed at the attention that Santa and Mrs. Claus give each individual child who visits them!
Build A Gingerbread House
Building and decorating a gingerbread house is a fun and festive activity for all ages! Younger children will enjoy decorating with their family members, and as children get older they may enjoy participating in gingerbread house-building competitions and challenges!
