7 Free Family Fun Activities for the Christmas Season

"Christmas is coming and the goose is getting fat" but often the wallet is getting thin. Don't let the Christmas season get too busy to enjoy some free family fun activities. You can create Christmas traditions and family memories that don't ever have an interest rate.

1. Create a Basket of Christmas Books:

From here, there and everywhere, have everyone in the family collect all of their favorite Christmas books. Fill a basket with your favorites from Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer to Twas the Night Before Christmas and read a Christmas book each night.

Family organizing tip: I leave out a few Christmas favorites like our The First Christmas Nativity book and Why Do We Celebrate Christmas? storybook and pack the rest away with our Christmas decorations. This leaves more room in our bookshelves through out the year and makes these books fresh and exciting again when we pull them out for Christmas.

2. Head to the Library to for Music, Movies and More:

Not enough Christmas books in your collection? Head to the local library and check out Christmas books, Christmas movies and even Christmas music CDs. Also check out any upcoming special holiday events at the library, especially any that are scheduled for those days when the kids are out of school.

3. Go for a Walk and Go "Greening":

You'll want permission of course if it is not your property but start a family tradition of taking a walk together to collect greenery to green your home for the holidays. Take clippers, gloves and collection bags and your family can get some exercise, fresh air and free Christmas decorations from pines, to holly to running cedar.

4. Free Family Fun Christmas Games Online:

Our family's favorite online Christmas game is Christmas Hangman found at Dedge.com.

There's also a fun Holiday History quiz at the American Girl website.

ABC Family also has four free and fun online Christmas games from Virtual North Pole to Snowball Fight.

5. Favorite Christmas Movies and Christmas Specials:

It's getting dark earlier and while I am not one to promote endless, mindless television watching, 'tis the season for watching some family fun Christmas movies together. ABC Family has a line up for every night in December. This same link to ABC Family offers lots of free holiday movies you can watch online as well.

You can find a rather comprehensive list of Christmas movies, times and channels here at Chiff.com.

6. Christmas Caroling at Home

Despite the picture painted by the beautiful Byer's Choice Carolers, you don't have to don top hats and mufflers to enjoy Christmas caroling. I know I just gave you some fun online Christmas games and access to the when all the best Christmas movies are on, but your family can enjoy some free "unplugged" Christmas fun too. Whether you have a piano, a guitar, some Little Tykes drums or even some bowls and wooden spoons, let every drummer boy and girl be heard. Make a list of all the Christmas carols you can think of and make a joyful noise.

7. Creative Green Gift Wrapping Contest

This is a fun green Christmas tradition to begin. Challenge each member of your family to wrap a Christmas gift "green." Whether you put a gift in a pillow case and tie it up with a hair ribbon, put it inside an empty tissue box and decorate it, or wrap it in the latest Toys R Us catalog, challenge your family to a no gift wrap gift wrapping night.