You know what I love about family traditions?

I love that my kids look forward to them every year.

It’s so fun to hear them reminisce on their favorite family traditions.

I also love that these traditions will probably get passed down to their families in the future.

Having fun traditions throughout the year will create strong family bonds, and what parent doesn’t want that?

Traditions don’t only have to happen on major holidays.

That’s why I wanted to create this list of family traditions for every month.

Because I want my family to be a strong unit, and having strong family traditions is a great way to accomplish this.

I want my kids to look back on their childhood and know that they were SO LOVED.

Experiences will do that.

Read on for tons of family tradition examples!

I hope these ideas help you to create lots of new memories!

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Family Tradition Ideas For January

Set Goals

We as adults love to set goals in the month of January, right?

Why not involve our kids in it, too?

You can even set family goals.

Some examples are:

• We will try to eat more healthy meals and snacks.
• We will reduce screen time.
• We will all pitch in to help around the house.
• We will eat dinner together.

It can be difficult for kids to set their own goals.

Hold a family meeting and provide some guidance to your kids.

Ask your kids:

• Do you have any goals for school?
• Do you have any goals for the sport that you play?
• Do you want to earn a certain amount of money?
• Would you like to try to clean your room a little each day instead of letting the mess pile up?
• Would you like to eat healthier snacks?

Make sure that you are encouraging your kid to make goals that are reasonable and attainable, too!

Try Something New

Get together as a family and decide on a new activity to try.

It’s never too late to try something new, and it will be such a good time if you do it as a family.

My kids, husband and I recently became OBSESSED with the show All Round Champion.

If you haven’t watched it, you need to.

It’s the perfect show for people of all ages.

We have been motivated to try so many new activities as a family thanks to this show:

• rock climbing
• cross country skiing
• ice skating

Get together and brainstorm ideas!

Think about your interests as a family to get you started.

Build A Massive Snowman

Put all of your strength together in order to roll the biggest snowballs possible for a gigantic snowman.

Create A Time Capsule

Now that the year has ended, why not make it a yearly tradition to create a time capsule for kids?

You could make a plan to open a previous one every five years, for example.

Family Traditions For February

Show More Love

It can be difficult with everything going on (school, work, after school activities) to make sure that we are all feeling appreciated and loved.

Did you know that there are five love languages?

• acts of service
• receiving gifts
• quality time
• words of affirmation
• physical touch

In order to learn what each family member’s love language is, have everyone take the love languages quiz.

The month of February is a great time to focus on loving each other more.

Then, throughout the month of February, focus on speaking to the love language of your children and spouse.

By the end of the month, it will become second nature!

A yearly tradition that you could start would be to have the whole family sit down and write the things that they love about each other.

Then, hide these little notes in places that your spouse and children will find them.

It will be so special when everyone in the family finds these little notes all throughout the month!

Make A Homemade Heart-Shaped Pizza For Dinner

Making homemade pizza together as a family is fun already.

But… since it’s Valentine’s Day month, you might as well make it a heart-shaped pizza while you’re at it!

Serve A Fancy Dinner

Yes, it’s fun to have a special Valentine’s date night with your spouse, of course.

And I highly suggest you do that.

But kids can have fancy dinners, too!

So break out the china (if you’ve got it).

If not, that’s totally fine.

I find that fancy goblets to drink out of are much more special in kid’s eyes.

Buy some flowers for a beautiful centerpiece and break out a fancy tablecloth and napkins.

Light some candles and that’s it!

Family Traditions For March

Find A New Family Show To Watch

I am always on the lookout for a wholesome family show that my kids will love, but that WE will love, too.

Some of our past favorites are:

• Just Add Magic (Amazon Prime)
• Secrets of Sulphur Springs (Disney+)
• The Mysterious Benedict Society (Disney+)
• All Round Champion (BYUTV)

Have A Family Cooking Night

I admit it.

Usually I don’t like for other people to be in the kitchen with me.

But if it’s a pre-planned thing, then it can be really fun.

First, create the menu together.

One family member could be in charge of choosing the main dish, someone else could choose a side dish, a dessert, etc.

Then, get in the kitchen together and start cooking!

Have Everyone Fill Out A March Madness Bracket

If your family is into basketball, print out a March Madness Bracket for all of your family members.

You could even have a small prize that would go to the winner.

Family Traditions For April

Volunteer

April is National Volunteer Month.

You and your family could spend some time this month volunteering at a nursing home, animal shelter, library, hospital or soup kitchen.

Have A Family Easter Egg Hunt

Why should hunting for Easter eggs be reserved for kids?

Assign each family member a color. Kids should hide the eggs of other kids, while adults should hide the eggs of other adults.

This way, the playing field should be pretty even.

Then, have a family competition to see who can find their eggs the fastest!

Do A Ukrainian Easter Egg Tradition

I learned this fun Easter tradition from one of my Ukrainian students.

In the Ukraine, it is a common tradition to have “egg battles”.

Two people would rap their eggs together, and the person whose egg cracks would be out.

The game would continue until there is only one person left with an uncracked egg.

“Egg” A Neighbor’s House

Wait, wait, wait.

It’s not what you think.

This version of “egging” a house consists of filling some plastic eggs with treats, hiding the eggs all over your neighbor’s lawn, and then leaving.

You could also include this cute printable to explain what you did to the neighbors.

Family Traditions For May

Plant A Garden

If you usually plant a garden anyway, that’s great.

But if you would like to have the kid’s pitch in to help care for it, the way to get buy in is to involve them in picking some plants.

Planting pumpkins would be super fun for kids.

Fill Out A Mother’s Day Questionnaire

Receiving one of these questionnaires is always the highlight of Mother’s Day for me.

It’s so sweet to read my kid’s responses to prompts and questions about me.

You really never know what kid’s will say!

This I Love Mom Printable is the perfect gift for moms this May.

They have prompts such as:

I love my mom because:

• she is
• she always says
• she makes me feel
• she tells me
• she always
• she never

Sample Salsas For Cinco De Mayo

You could of course have a whole fiesta, but to have to live up to that every year is too much for me.

Especially because my daughter’s birthday is the day before.

So how about buying a bunch of different specialty salsas to sample?

This sounds like a fantastic idea to me!

Visit The Flower Nursery

Every May, my kids and I visit the nursery near our home.

They look forward to this tradition SO much!

And no lie, we spend a few hours there because it’s so hard to pick the perfect flowers (if you’re my kids, that is).

I always have my kids pick their own flowers for our deck.

I also have them pick flowers to give to their teachers, thanking them for “helping them grow” throughout the school year.

Visiting a local nursery is just guaranteed to get you in the spirit for summer.

Create Your Family Summer Bucket List

During May, we always sit down as a family and each create our summer bucket list.

It’s super helpful to know what my kids would like to do during their summer off from school, and we try to pick a couple ideas each month during the summer.

Family Traditions For June

Go Camping In Your Backyard

This is a tradition that my kids usually do at their grandparent’s house along with all of their cousins.

The more the merrier!

Camping in the backyard is a great idea with little kids, and great practice to see if your children are ready for camping away from home.

The best part is you have snacks and a functioning toilet just steps away.

Take A Picture Of Your Kids Surrounded By Their Artwork

If you have saved all of your kids artwork from the school year, you might be wondering what in the world to do with it.

We lay the artwork out on the floor and my kids lay down on the floor right in the middle of it all.

Then you can snap a photo (and throw out all of that artwork if you want to)!

Fill Out A Father’s Day Questionnaire

Just like our Mother’s Day questionnaire, the fathers can’t be left out!

This printable is just adorable and the prompts are guaranteed to get some cute responses.

Example prompts:

• He makes the best ________________.
• He always says _________________.

Have Ice Cream For Dinner On The Last Day Of School

Not that you need a reason to have ice cream for dinner, but it’s super fun to make the last day of school “Ice Cream For Dinner Day”.

Take Last Day Of School Pictures

We always take last day of school pictures.

You can buy chalkboard type signs to use or you can find a ton of printables online to use.

Family Traditions For July

Go Hiking

Do you have a favorite hiking place?

While it’s fun to find new places to hike, I think it’s also special to go to the same favorite hiking spot every year.

And while I listed this one in July, it could be really fun to visit your favorite hiking spot at different times of the year.

I’ve been dying to visit my favorite spot during the winter right after it snows.

Take A Picture Of Your Kids Surrounded By Their Favorite Books

This is very similar to my artwork idea from above.

We have been doing this tradition for a few years, and we all love it.

It’s so fun for my kids to find their most beloved books.

Then, spread the books out on the floor, stick your child in the middle of all of them and snap a photo.

Have A Picnic Lunch

There’s something so fun about having a picnic lunch.

We do them throughout the summer right in our backyard.

I often take a book to read to my kids too, and we usually stay on our picnic blanket outside for a few hours.

Play Summer Minute-To-Win-It Games

Minute-To-Win-It games are super fun, and perfect for all ages.

I love these ideas like Milk Crate Tug Of War and Rubber Band Can Shooting.

Go Fruit Picking

This is a tradition that is special to me because I remember going blueberry picking every summer with my grandmother as a child.

It’s always fun when we can continue family traditions with future generations!

I love this tradition too because when your done strawberry or blueberry picking, you can bake together, too.

Family Traditions For August

Plan An Annual Family Olympics

Right before school starts every August, we have our annual family Olympics with our extended family.

We play games like:

• water balloon toss
• marble toe pick up
• three-legged race
• wheelbarrow race
• crab walk
• relay race
• high jump
• long jump

We make special tie-dye shirts ahead of time to wear to the event, and everyone gets a candy bar medal at the conclusion of the ceremony.

It’s one of my 7 year old’s favorite summer traditions.

Create An Ice Cream Sundae Bar

Ice cream sundaes are fun, but an ice cream sundae bar takes it to the next level!

Go On A One-On-One Back To School Shopping Date

Sneaking in one-on-one time can be challenging, but the benefit of it is HUGE.

I love to take my kids back to school shopping, but I make it into a one-on-one mother daughter date.

It works so well because my 10 year old and 7 year old have much different stamina levels when it comes to shopping.

It also gives each child the chance to pick their favorite restaurant for a special lunch.

Take First Day Of School Pictures

Don’t forget to snap a photo to commemorate the first day of a new school year!

I also love to have my kids complete a first day of school interview before the craziness of the school year begins.

Family Traditions For September

Have A Yes Day

Have you done a yes day yet?

I think September is the perfect time because summer is over and it’s kind of a let down, right?

A Yes Day can be a total pick me up!

Think about how often you say no to your kids.

When I think about it, it kind of depresses me.

This is why a Yes Day is so important!

It’s literally one day out of the entire year, but it could mean so much to our kids to go an entire day without hearing the word no.

And it’s kind of liberating to be honest.

Now, don’t think that your kids will get free rein and you’ll be screwed into spending thousands of dollars in one day.

You can definitely set some ground rules!

Read more about this special day: making Yes Day a new tradition.

Have An Apple Taste Test

My kids did this in school in first grade, and they raved about it.

I decided to make it an annual tradition.

Visit your local farm or cider mill and buy a bunch of different varieties of apples to try.

Then, sample them as a family and rate them.

Have A Family Baking Competition

Have you and your family watched any baking competitions?

We really enjoyed Is It Cake?

We are definitely not that talented, but having a simple family baking competition could be a super fun bonding experience.

Your competition could be focused on cookies or cupcakes.

It could even be a decorating competition if the baking aspect is too much for younger kids.

Family Traditions For October

Serve A Spooky Halloween Breakfast

I love taking something simple like waffles or pancakes and changing them (simply) to make a holiday-themed big breakfast.

Here are some easy pancake ideas:

• cut a jack-o-lantern face
• make ghost shapes
• make a spider web using icing- place a fake plastic spider on the top
• make black, orange or green pancakes using food dye

Have A Pumpkin Carving Contest

You could also make it a pumpkin painting contest if you prefer.

To make it more even, we do kids vs kids and mom vs dad.d

Then we cast a blind vote to choose the winners.

You could even post a pole on social media and have friends and family choose a favorite.

Attend A Haunted House

As your kids get older, you can incorporate this spooky annual tradition.

We haven’t started this yet because my oldest was traumatized by a haunted house a few years ago.

Wear Family Halloween Costumes

You are never too old to dress up for Halloween!

You can come up with a family costume idea and everyone can get in on the fun!

• Family Halloween Costume Ideas
• Family Halloween Costumes With A Baby
• Halloween Costumes For Families Of Four

Trick Or Treat At Home

We did this trick or treat idea during COVID, and my kids have requested to do it every year since.

It’s fun for me too because we live in an area where we don’t get trick-or-treaters.

We send the kids outside to trick or treat at the various doors to our house.

My husband and I have different props and “costumes”, and every time the girls knock on the door, we answer as a different persona.

My husband loves to do the grumpy old man who doesn’t want trick-or-treaters.

Or the person who is excited to give toothpaste.

I have done Simone Biles (because my kids are gymnasts).

Just gather up any fun props from your house and get creative!

Family Traditions For November

Share What You’re Thankful For

I try to instill gratitude in my kids all year long, but especially in November.

I created a Gratitude Tic Tac Toe printable that is a super easy way to sneak in some gratitude activities.

Snap A Family Photo

It’s time to get that Christmas card ready!

I always like to send a photo Christmas card because then I know that I (the mom) have been in at least one family photo for the year.

Up until recently, we paid to get professional photos, but the prices have been going up like crazy.

I decided to do my own, and you know what?

I LOVE IT!

It’s so much less stress and special because we can choose the location, the day, etc.

All you need is a tripod and you should be able to set your phone or camera to take delayed photos

Play Hide And Seek In The Dark

My family LOVES this game.

I kind of despise normal Hide And Seek, so when I discovered this variation, I was pumped.

If my kids ask me to play Hide and Seek, I just tell them we will play after dark.

It’s basically the same as Hide And Seek except you turn off all the lights and equip everyone with flashlights.

It’s so much fun.

Family Traditions For December

Do A Christmas Read Aloud

For young children, you could read a different Christmas picture book each night in December.

For older kids, a chapter book is a great choice.

This year we are reading The Girl Who Saved Christmas.

Serve A Buffet Of Food On Christmas Day

I just saw this idea the other day and I LOVE THIS CHRISTMAS TRADITION.

One of the worst things about being a parent is the constant requests for food.

All. Day. Long.

So this tradition is to set up an all-day Christmas buffet on Christmas morning:

• Homemade Cinnamon Rolls for breakfast
• Various Platters- fruit, veggie, meats/cheeses/crackers
• chips and dips
• Meatballs, wings or soup in the crockpot

I mean, how nice would it be to not have to cook on Christmas Day?

Complete A New Year’s Eve Interview

I love to end the holiday season with an interview of my kids.

It’s so fun, but it’s even more fun to keep them from year to year and compare their answers as they grow.

You can ask questions such as:

• What is your favorite food?
• What was your favorite activity from the past year?
• What is your favorite book?
• What do you want to be when you grow up?

You can also get this New Year’s Eve Interview printable to help document it all.

Camp Out By The Tree

There’s something so special about falling asleep next to the twinkling lights of the Christmas tree.

So grab all the blow-up mattresses, blankets and pillows that you can, grab one of these Santa books and set yourselves up in the living room right next to the Christmas tree.

Choose A Special Ornament

Every year, right at the beginning of December, take a Christmas ornament shopping trip.

Each of your children can choose their own new ornament for the tree.

Then when they leave the nest, they can take all of their ornaments with them for their own Christmas tree.

Do An Advent Calendar

Everyone needs a way to countdown to Christmas, and finding the perfect advent calendar for each member of the family is so fun.

Have A Christmas Movie Marathon

Pick a cold, windy, snowy day to snuggly up on the couch for an all-day Christmas movie marathon.

So much better than a movie night.

Each family member can pick a favorite movie to watch.

You could also choose to do this on Christmas Eve if your kids tend to get a little emotional with all the day before Christmas excitement.

Deliver Christmas Carol Grams

We did this when I was in college and it was super fun.

Call a bunch of family and friends and sing Christmas carols to them.

Adopt An Elf on the Shelf

Have you given in yet?

The Elf on the Shelf has definitely deviated from its original purpose a little bit.

I mean, it was originally just supposed to be moving an elf around to different parts of the house.

It can still be that simple!

No one is telling you that you need to make it something elaborate, time-consuming and stressful.

You can check out my Elf on the Shelf Guide for Busy Moms to learn how to make it easy and enjoyable.

See The Nutcracker

Watching a live show of The Nutcracker every December is something we all look forward to (even my husband who was skeptical at first).

Open Presents One At A Time

This idea was inspired by my oldest daughter.

When she was three, it took her FOUR HOURS to unwrap her Christmas presents.

It was the best thing.

She unwrapped one present, played with it and then moved on to another present.

It was so nice to see her appreciating her gifts and not just ripping through them and tossing them aside.

Now, we do this as a family.

We take turns opening presents.

It makes Christmas morning last so much longer, and it’s much more special.

There you have it!

A massive list of fun traditions!

I hope it inspires you to create your own family traditions!

I would love to hear what other ideas you have. What are your favorite holiday traditions and traditions for any time throughout the year?