Looking for kid-friendly Holiday Party Ideas? The best holiday gatherings aren’t defined by perfect decorations or Pinterest-worthy tablescapes. They’re about connection: kids laughing, adults actually relaxing, and families creating moments they’ll remember long after the decorations come down. Whether you’re hosting a Christmas party, Easter egg hunt, Halloween bash, Fourth of July cookout, or cozy winter gathering, these holiday party ideas are flexible, low-stress, and easy to adapt for toddlers, kids, tweens, and teens.
Key Takeaways:
- What are fun themes for a holiday party?
- What are easy holiday party ideas on a budget?
- What are holiday party games and activities for adults/kids/families?
- What are DIY holiday party decorations and craft ideas?
Below are 15 family-friendly holiday party ideas, each with customization options for different holidays and age groups.
1. DIY Ornament or Holiday Craft Station
Spring is a great time for crafting with your family because little kids love using bright colors, flowers, and nature finds that reflect the season. The warmer weather and longer days make it easier for young children to stay engaged, curious, and excited about hands-on activities. Crafting together also helps kids build fine motor skills, express creativity, and feel proud of what they make.
Spring crafts that family members of all ages can enjoy include painting flower pots, creating nature collages, and decorating easter eggs!
In addition, Halloween has long been one of the easiest holidays to turn into a low-stress, high-fun gathering for families of all ages. Costumes are optional (but super fun!!), candy is expected, and creativity is already baked into the season. A mask-decorating station is a perfect anchor activity.
For toddlers, set out pre-cut paper masks, chunky crayons, stickers, and washable finger paint. Older kids can graduate to feathers, beads, sequins, pipe cleaners, and glue dots. Tweens and teens love turning it into a mini fashion show, complete with a family vote for “spookiest,” “funniest,” or “most creative” mask. While kids create, adults can actually talk — a win for everyone!
How to tweak it for other holidays:
Keep the setup the same and swap the theme. For Christmas, decorate ornaments or wooden cutouts. For Easter, bunny masks or egg-shaped plaques work beautifully. Valentine’s Day lends itself to heart-shaped frames or kindness cards. Summer holidays are perfect for visors and pinwheels and leaf rocks are a great craft for holidays in the fall. And don’t forget easter egg decorating for the spring!
2. Holiday Movie Marathon
A movie night works for almost every holiday, age, and every energy level.
Movie Marathons are great to entertain kids for any of the Summer holidays (think Juneteenth, Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day). Summer holidays work with outdoor projector nights and family adventure films (Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation, The Sandlot, Luca) or Patriotic movies (National Treasure, Captain America: The First Avenger). Add a nacho bar or popcorn station so kids can move around between films.
Toddlers don’t need to make it through the whole movie — even 20 minutes feels special.
How to tweak it for other holidays:
Halloween can be a spooky-but-sweet movie night (Casper, Hocus Pocus). Valentine’s Day can focus on friendship and love movies (Wall-E, My Girl, Trolls).
A winter holiday movie marathon is the definition of cozy. String up a few twinkling lights, pile blankets and pillows in the living room, and let the movies do the entertaining. Choose one “family movie” for younger kids (The Grinch, Polar Express), and one later pick for older kids or teens (Home Alone, Elf). Or there is a whole selections of father/son movies for a Father’s Day marathon (Finding Nemo, A Goofy Movie, Kung Fu Panda 3). And certain holiday movies land themselves to be the default movie for that holiday (Groundhog’s Day, Independence Day, Coco for Dia De Las Muertas).
Check out our post on family favorite Christmas movies if you need a few recommendations!
3. Cookie Decorating Party
Messy, joyful, and always a hit.
Valentine’s Day is ideal for a cookie-decorating party because it’s sweet, simple, and naturally small-scale. Bake heart-shaped sugar cookies ahead of time. Set out pink, red, and white icing with sprinkles and candies.
Toddlers can decorate one cookie and be done. Kids love layering colors. Tweens turn it into a competition. Teens enjoy experimenting with designs or making cookies as gifts. Send everyone home with a small box of their creations!
How to tweak it for other holidays:
Hanukkah dreidels, Cinco de Mayo sombreros, Earth Day trees, or St. Patrick’s Day clovers all work with the same setup — just change the shapes and colors.
4. Family Scavenger Hunt
Great for burning energy indoors or out.
Games and outdoor activities are a wonderful way to help everyone relax and serve as the perfect icebreaker for family members of all ages.
An Easter scavenger hunt adds structure and excitement without the chaos of a free-for-all egg scramble. Create simple clues that lead kids around the house or yard, ending with a shared prize or basket.
Toddlers can follow picture clues. Kids love rhymes. Tweens enjoy riddles. Teens can race in teams or help design the hunt for younger cousins.
How to tweak it for other holidays:
There are all sorts of premade examples for a Chinese New Year scavenger hunt. Find the pot of gold for St. Patrick’s Day. A whole Star Wars themed hunt for May 4th (May the Fourth be with You).
5. Holiday Bingo or Trivia Night
Easy to print, easy to host.
New Year’s Eve bingo is a great way to keep kids engaged until an early countdown. Use squares like “confetti,” “ball drop,” “fireworks,” or “new year.” Play a few rounds, hand out small prizes, and let kids ring in the new year without staying up too late.
Older kids and teens can switch to trivia or pop-culture questions while adults play along.
How to tweak it for other holidays:
Holiday bingo works year-round — Birthday or Halloween trivia, ‘How well do you know the couple?’ anniversary game, Valentine’s hearts or Thanksgiving foods bingo all translate easily.
Read our post “80 Top Indoor Games for Family Reunions” for more inspiration and ideas for indoor games for the whole family!
6. Sweet Treat Swap
A relaxed way to host without cooking everything yourself.
A Christmas cookie swap is perfect for busy families. Ask each guest to bring one dozen of their favorite treat, plus recipe cards. Everyone leaves with a variety of sweets — without baking everything themselves. A sweet treat swap is the perfect holiday party idea, because everyone likes to get a fun treat!
Kids love packaging treats. Teens enjoy judging categories like “most creative” or “family favorite.”
How to tweak it for other holidays:
Valentine’s Day swaps can focus on chocolate. Halloween works with candy mixes. Thanksgiving can be dessert-only potlucks.
7. Themed Pajama Party
Comfortable, cozy, and low effort.
A holiday pajama party is comfortable, relaxed, easy to host, and really works well for any holiday you can think of. Matching pajamas are fun but optional. Serve breakfast-for-dinner and let kids rotate between games and a short movie.
Toddlers can head home early. Older kids stay for games. Teens love a late-night vibe with music or karaoke.
How to tweak it for specific holidays:
Valentine’s Day pajamas, New Year’s sleepovers, or cozy fall birthday parties all work with the same formula.
8. Gingerbread (or Graham Cracker) House or Cookie Contest
Hands-on and endlessly adaptable.
Few activities feel more festive than a gingerbread house party. Use kits or graham crackers for flexibility. Set up decorating stations and let families work together.
Toddlers can decorate pre-built houses. Teens enjoy competition and aesthetics. Judges can include “most festive” or “most creative.”
How to tweak it for other holidays:
Halloween haunted houses, Valentine’s candy cottages, or Easter candy scenes are easy swaps.
9. Backyard Games Bash
Perfect for warm-weather holidays.
Perfect for big, multigenerational family reunions, backyard games are great because everyone in the family gets moving! A Fourth of July backyard party thrives on movement. Set up cornhole, relay races, and water games. Teens can referee. Toddlers splash and bubble-chase.
End with popsicles and sparklers for a relaxed finish.
How to tweak it for other holidays:
Spring birthdays, Memorial Day, or Labor Day all benefit from the same outdoor setup.
Read our post “Family Reunion Games That Will Keep Kids AND Adults Off Their Devices” for more inspiration and holiday party ideas!
10. Holiday Karaoke or Lip-Sync Battle
Loud, silly, and confidence-building.
Holiday karaoke brings instant energy. Create playlists of festive songs and let families perform together. Kids love silly props; teens enjoy competition.
Holiday specific ideas:
Halloween novelty songs, Valentine’s love anthems, or a Coco singalong all work.
11. Photo Booth Fun
Instant memories with minimal prep.
An Easter photo booth is bright, cheerful, and easy. Bunny ears, pastel backdrops, and spring flowers make it feel special without much setup.
How to tweak it for other holidays:
Santa hats, heart glasses, patriotic props, or spooky masks keep this fresh year-round.
12. Potluck With a Twist
Food becomes the conversation starter.
A potluck is a great holiday party idea because it shares the workload, showcases everyone’s favorite dishes, and creates a warm, communal atmosphere where guests feel involved and connected.
Ask guests to bring a dish tied to a favorite memory. Sharing stories turns dinner into connection. Kids love hearing family history; teens appreciate the meaning behind traditions.
How to tweak it for certain holidays:
Boxing Day comfort foods, New Year’s brunch, or Fourth of July cookouts all adapt easily.
13. Craft-Your-Own Gift Wrap Bar
Creative and surprisingly calming.
A gift wrap station gives kids ownership over giving. Provide paper, stamps, ribbons, and markers and let the kids wrap their own Mother’s Day or Father’s Day gifts.
It works the same for any gift-giving holidays:
Valentine’s gifts, birthdays, or teacher appreciation gifts work beautifully.
14. Lights & Luminaries Walk
A quiet, grounding tradition. Perfect for a homegrown Asian Lantern Festival.
A Lights & Luminaries Walk is a festive community event where participants stroll along outdoor paths, such as garden trails or neighborhood sidewalks, that are softly illuminated by luminarias—traditional paper lanterns made from bags weighted with sand and lit by candles or LEDs.
A neighborhood lights walk is calm and memorable. Bring a comforting beverage, walk slowly, and enjoy the moment!
How to tweak it for other holidays:
Halloween porch walks, summer lantern strolls, or New Year’s evening walks all fit.
15. Acts of Kindness Party
A meaningful way to celebrate together.
Thanksgiving is perfect for service-centered gatherings. Write gratitude notes, assemble care packages, or collect donations together.
How to tweak it for other holidays:
Christmas giving drives, Valentine’s kindness cards, or back-to-school supply collections extend the idea year-round.
At the end of the day, the holidays aren’t about doing more; they’re about being together. Whether your gathering is big or small, loud or low-key, the moments that matter most are the ones where kids feel included, adults feel relaxed, and everyone leaves feeling a little more connected. Choose one idea, adapt it to your family and your season, and let it grow into a tradition that fits your people. Because the best holiday parties aren’t the ones that look perfect — they’re the ones everyone can’t stop talking about long after the leftovers are gone.