14 Ways to Entertain Family During the Holidays

By Beth Clark
Posted December 24, 2017

Needs idea to entertain your family after the holidays? We have you covered.

The Christmas season is full of hustle and bustle, from packing and airports to gifts and food. This (hopefully!) fun chaos is more than just one day; for most of us, family and friends stay in town through the weekend after Christmas. And that means you’ve got at least four days to catch up with loved ones: talk together, eat together, and make memories.

After the wrapping paper crunches underfoot and everyone heaves a deep sigh from gift giving, eyes may turn to you, as the resident Atlantan, to offer ideas of what you should all do next. So let’s plan ahead and get some ideas flowing, so that those days can be as fun and stress-free as possible.

If you want to stay in the house:

• Go into hibernation. Take a nap, or veg out on the couch with movies all day. Nothing wrong with that!
• Make a donation box. As your kids put away Christmas treasures, encourage them to find a predetermined amount of items to give away.
• Board games, card games, and puzzles are a great way to spend time together and make use of those new gifts. Taboo is very popular at my house!
• Connect with long-distance family and friends. Schedule a Skype date or a Google Hangout with relatives and friends you cannot be with on Christmas.
• Create a super-easy Christmas Photo Booth. Tape wrapping paper to a wall and pose for goofy photos in front of it. Add hats, sunglasses, scarves, face paint/makeup and just have fun. Don’t forget the props!

If you want to get out of the house and do free things:

• Weather permitting, take a walk together. Locations like Piedmont Park, the Eastside Trail on the Atlanta BeltLine and Sweetwater State Creek offer low-impact walks, so the whole family can enjoy the outdoors while working off some holiday calories. If you have teens, they might enjoy the new Old Fourth Ward Skate Park.
• Visit residents at a nursing home, for whom Christmas can be a lonely time. Teach your children a Christmas story, take them to a retirement center and let them tell the story. Enjoyment for all!
• Go for a drive and have a contest in which your family votes on a Best Decorated home.
• Volunteer together and give back to those less fortunate, perhaps at the Atlanta Community Food Bank.

If you want to get out of the house and visit attractions:

• Get an Atlanta CityPass. Save 46 percent on the price of admission and gain access to five Atlanta destinations, including Georgia Aquarium, World of Coca-Cola, Inside CNN Studio Tour, and your choice of Zoo Atlanta or Fernbank Museum of Natural History, and the High Museum of Art or the Atlanta History Center.
• Attend a Christmas play or performance, such as “A Christmas Carol” at the Alliance Theatre or “The Nutcracker” at the Fabulous Fox Theatre.
• Go to the movies, either a regular theater or even a drive-in!
• Explore other Atlanta attractions, such as the holiday lights at the Atlanta Botanical Garden, College Football Hall of Fame and Chick-fil-A Fan Experience (fun for everyone, even those who aren’t college football fans!), Center for Civil and Human Rights or the Center for Puppetry Arts!
• Get up high with the SkyView Atlanta Ferris Wheel.

With a little planning ahead, this will be a super memorable Christmas season, even after the awesome gifts. Happy holidays!

Beth Clark is a writer and foodie who loves to roam around Atlanta, uncovering the city’s quirky, glam, upscale and down-home character. Curiosity is her compass, and you’ll find her writing on www.thecitydweller.me.