11 Christmas Family Outings for Magical Family Moments

Christmas is a wonderful time of year to get together with family and make great memories. A great way to do this is to go on a Christmas outing with the kids. Here are some ideas for Christmas family outings!

The weeks before Christmas are an exciting time for children. Everywhere they discover Christmas decorations, decorated fir trees, Advent wreaths, Advent calendars, delicious Christmas treats, St. Nicholas Day and Christmas markets. They may also be making Christmas gifts at kindergarten, school, or at home with their parents. All of these things make the Advent season something special to look forward to!

To get in the mood for the upcoming festivities, Christmas outings are also a fantastic option for children. Some ideas presented here for Christmas family outings can of course also be implemented during the Christmas days themselves.

By the way, if you want to do something romantic just the two of you with your partner during Advent, we also have 11 tips for Christmas getaways for couples for you!

11 Christmas Family Outings

There are many magical ways to experience Advent and Christmas together as a family. In this post, I’d like to introduce you to 11 exciting Christmas family outings that will make for unforgettable memories.

1. Pure Advent Mood: Visiting a Christmas Market

A Christmas market is the perfect place to get into the Christmas spirit. Immerse yourself in the festive atmosphere and let yourself be enchanted by the scents, lights and sounds.

Here, children can listen to Christmas carols, sample traditional Christmas treats and look forward to a ride on the carousel or Ferris wheel. Some Christmas markets even offer workshops where children can make their own Christmas decorations.

Christmas family outings can sometimes take you to other cities. Some cities are famous for their particularly beautiful Christmas markets, such as Nuremberg and Dresden. If you live nearby, it’s certainly worth going there and combining a visit to the Christmas market with a little sightseeing.

2. Fun on the Ice: Skating for Young and Old

Ice skating is a wonderful activity for the whole family. Many cities offer seasonal ice rinks where children and adults can skate together.

Skating is also possible on many public waters, such as frozen lakes, when the temperatures have dropped accordingly. Here, however, it is always important to check whether a body of water has been cleared for skating by the authorities.

So grab your skates and hit the ice as a family! Whether you’re a beginner or a pro, gliding across the ice provides plenty of fun and strengthens the bond between kids and parents.

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3. The Magic of Cinema: Watching a Christmas Movie

Visit a Christmas movie at the theater with your kids. There are many new Christmas movies made especially for families every year. The selection of Christmas movies is wide, and there is something for every taste and age. From classic animated films to funny comedies and heartwarming family movies, there is everything.

Find out in advance about the latest Christmas movies so you can choose the perfect movie for your kids. Pay attention to the age rating and maybe read a brief content description to make sure the movie is appropriate for your kids’ preferences and age.

Make going to the movies a special experience by building your kids’ anticipation. You can watch the movie trailer together or create a small craft activity to make movie tickets or personalized tickets. Also, before or after the movie, consider a leisurely restaurant visit or a stroll through the Christmas market to make the most of the day.

4. Winter Adventure: A Christmas Hike with Kids

Wrap up warm and explore the winter landscape on a family hike. The Christmas season is the perfect opportunity to spend time in nature with your family and enjoy the magical atmosphere of the winter landscape. A Christmas hike with kids is a wonderful way to keep the holidays active, get the little ones out in the fresh air and create memories together.

Before you start, it is important to prepare the Christmas hike well. Choose a child-friendly route that is not too demanding and passes interesting places. Check the weather conditions and wear warm clothes and sturdy shoes for the whole family. Pack snacks, water and a map to make sure you are well equipped.

To make the hike exciting and fun, you can include games and activities for the kids. For example, consider a Christmas song challenge where you sing and guess familiar Christmas songs. Or you can play “I see something you don’t” with the kids using wintry objects you discover during the hike. You can also look for animal tracks in the snow, collect pine cones, or make a snow angel. A winter hike is definitely one of the most diverse Christmas family outings and offers numerous possibilities for design.

5. Winter Fun and Christmas Action: Visit to the Amusement Park

Some theme parks transform into true winter wonderlands at Christmas. Here, children can ride roller coasters, spin on carousels, and enjoy Christmas activities like gift workshops and snowball throwing.

Below are 3 examples:

• The Europa-Park in Rust (BadenWürttemberg) is currently Germany’s most visited theme park, with over 6 million visitors (2022). There is also the largest winter wonderland here in December and January. Highlights of the winter season here include the Alpenexpress Coastiality and a children’s ski school, as well as numerous spectacular shows.
• The Phantasialand in Brühl (NRW) is transformed into just such a place every year from November to January under the motto “Winter Dream”. In a Christmas-winter sea of lights, you can try out not only the classic rides here, but also special attractions such as the snow slide and the snow carousel (with artificial snow). A special highlight: the winter illuminated water ride “Chiapas” is the only water ride in Germany that you can also use in winter.
• In the Recreation Land Geiselwind in Lower Franconia (Bavaria), there is the Winter Wonderland from November to March. 25 of the rides, which are also otherwise available have then also open, but there are also additional special winter attractions such as an ice skating rink.

6. Animal Joy in Advent: A Visit to the Zoo in Winter

Many zoos and animal parks have special Christmas programs for children. Here they can build Christmas trees from branches and twigs, feed animals and participate in Christmas craft projects.

A visit to the zoo or animal park is a fascinating experience at any time of year, but especially during Advent it offers additional magic. The animals present themselves in their winter environment, some may be covered in snow or have special winter fur coloring. It’s a great opportunity for kids to get up close and personal with wildlife and learn more about the fascinating variety of animals.

Some zoos also offer special Christmas events where children have the opportunity to get closer to the animals or participate in interactive activities. This special Christmas atmosphere makes a visit to a zoo or animal park during Advent an unforgettable experience for the whole family.

7. Joint Festive Preparation: Choose and Decorate the Christmas Tree

A Christmas tree outing can be an unforgettable experience for the whole family. The first step to a magical Christmas tree is picking it out together with your kids. Head out together to a Christmas tree market or a Christmas forest near you.

Actively involve the children by giving them a chance to help decide the tree. Let them look at and feel different trees to find the one your family likes best.

Once the tree arrives home, the fun of decorating can begin. Make Christmas tree decorating a creative family project and let the kids contribute their ideas and decorate the tree to their liking. You can also schedule craft sessions together to make your own Christmas decorations.

Use colorful ribbons, glittery baubles, handmade pendants and fairy lights to make the tree shine. The result will be a customized tree that reflects your family’s personality.

8. Festive Sounds: A Christmas Concert for the Whole Family

Christmas time is a time full of music and festive spirit. A special experience you can share with your children is a visit to a (child-friendly) Christmas concert. You can enjoy the magical atmosphere together, listen to well-known Christmas songs and admire talented musicians.

Together you can listen to the sounds, sing along to the well-known Christmas carols and let yourselves be carried away by the magic of music. The joy and enthusiasm that children feel with music is really contagious.

Christmas concerts offer a wide variety of musical performances. From classical orchestral pieces to choirs and soloists to modern interpretations of Christmas carols, there is something for everyone. This allows children to learn about different styles of music and instruments and discover their preferences. So it’s also a wonderful way to broaden their musical horizons.

9. Magical Stage Moments: Christmas Theater Performance or Nativity Play

Enjoy a theater performance with a Christmas theme together. From classic fairy tales to modern interpretations, there is something for everyone. Attending a theater performance offers a very special form of experience. Live performances bring the Christmas story or a Christmas fairy tale to life in an authentic and engaging way. The sets, costumes and performers create a magical atmosphere that fascinates children and immerses them in the story. The immediate experience of theater creates a connection between the audience and the actors on stage and is always particularly memorable for children.

In the run-up to Christmas, many kindergartens and elementary schools also put on nativity plays that you can attend and that retell the Christmas story from the Bible in a way that is suitable for children. Nativity plays tell the familiar stories surrounding the birth of Jesus and the magic of the Christmas season. They also teach important values such as charity, hope and cohesion. By watching such performances, children can gain a deeper insight into the meaning of Christmas and grasp the messages in an emotional and way in the form of a special experience.

A visit to a puppet theater can also be an unforgettable experience for young children. Many puppet theaters offer Christmas performances that can delight children and put them in the Christmas spirit.

10. Discover a Fairy Tale World: Trip to a Christmas Village

In addition to Christmas markets, many cities also offer Christmas villages specially tailored to families, where children can immerse themselves in a wintry fairytale world. There are often craft stations, carriage rides and even the chance to meet Santa in person.

Christmas villages are places where the magic of the Christmas season comes to life. The streets are decorated with twinkling lights, the smell of cinnamon and pine needles is everywhere, and Christmas music fills the air. In this wonderful ambience, children can feel the festive mood and get in the mood for Christmas.

Christmas villages offer a variety of activities tailored specifically for children. From carousel rides and skating on an ice rink to craft stations and creative workshops, there is something for everyone to discover. Children can make Christmas presents, snack on cotton candy, meet Santa Claus or take part in exciting puzzle rallies.

11. Advent Adventure: Christmas Scavenger Hunt for Kids

Organize an exciting scavenger hunt for your kids. Hide little surprises in different places in the garden or park and let them find the clues. A scavenger hunt is always a fun adventure for the whole family.

A Christmas scavenger hunt is particularly suitable as a special event on St. Nicholas Day. At the end, the children finally find a big boot, filled to the brim with chocolate, Christmas cookies and small gifts.

I hope these 11 suggestions for Christmas family outings have inspired you.

The Christmas season offers numerous opportunities to experience magical moments with your family. No matter which of these Christmas family outings you choose, the most important thing is the time together and the smile on the faces of your children. With this in mind, we wish you a wonderful and reflective Christmas season!

Here on Greatime, by the way, you’ll find many more Christmas ideas, as well as tips for other occasions like Easter, Halloween, New Year’s Eve, to birthdays and weddings. And in general, our blog is a multi-faceted treasure trove of leisure activities. Our mission is to inspire people to get the most out of the time they spend together with their loved ones. In other words, to spend quality time with friends, partner or family!

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