Memorable Christmas activities for the whole family

Between all the carols and scenic snowfalls, Christmas unites the whole family. With a variety of festive family Christmas activities, it's easy to get your family in the holiday spirit.

The holidays are a wonderful time to give back to your community. Consider signing your family up to volunteer for local organizations or charities. There are a myriad of volunteer opportunities for the young and old. Your family could visit an elderly home and bring cards and Christmas cookies to those who need some holiday cheer. You could also look into volunteering for a program that delivers meals to underprivileged families on Christmas morning. Encourage your kids to join you in rounding up old clothing and toys to donate to local shelters or charities.

Doing a Secret Santa gift exchange is an exciting way to connect the whole family. Simply write each family member's name on a slip of paper and drop them into a hat. Then, have each person draw one name. Everyone is responsible for buying (or making) a special gift for the person they've picked, but no one's gift-giving identity is revealed until after all the presents have been opened. Secret Santa is a great activity for holiday parties, but could also be saved until Christmas Eve or your family's traditional gift opening time.

For many of us, the holidays are an excuse to indulge in sweets. Gather your family and all the special ingredients together and head to the kitchen to bake festive Christmas cookies. Use red and green sprinkles to decorate and cut the cookies into festive holiday shapes. Don't forget to bake some chocolate chip cookies to leave out for Santa on Christmas Eve!

One of the most important events of the holiday season is going to pick out a Christmas tree with your family. Have everyone hop in the car and drive out to a nearby Christmas tree farm where you can look around and decide on a tree together. Get into the mood with a playlist of sing-along Christmas carols in the car.

Nothing captures the Christmas spirit better than decorating the Christmas tree. Crank up those traditional holiday tunes and pull out the tinsel and ornaments. Kids will have a blast stringing up popcorn while older generations indulge in a little sentiment over heirloom ornaments.