Holiday Round-Up of Family Fun: Crafts, recipes and things to do

happy holidays from sdfm2014

San Diego's family-friendly holiday events, festive recipes, Christmas crafts, ways to celebrate Hanukkah, holiday tips, our famous Map of Christmas Lights and more. It's all in our Holiday Round-Up of Family Fun!

Places to Go

Family festivities, seasonal parades, Santa sightings and theater performances — San Diego offers a sleigh-full of holiday happenings! Read all about it in our list of December Holiday Events & Winter Camps.

Tour the best holiday lights in San Diego County with our famous Map of Christmas Lights!

Prefer to play in the snow, but don't know where to go? Read Finding Snow in San Diego.

Holiday Sweets and Treats

You can't have a proper celebration without festive treats!

Sweet Treats

Cranberry Christmas Cake 2379
Frosted Cranbrries for Christmas Cake

hot cocoa cookies sm
Hot Cocoa Marshmallow Cookies by food blogger, Norene Cox

Lemon Stars 2290
Gluten-Free Lemon Star Cookies by The Seaside Baker

Edible Mini Menorah

Peppermint Snow Pie

Almond & Olive Oil Cake

Mexican Hot Chocolate

10 Awesome Spots to Get Hot Chocolate in San Diego

5 Tips for a Perfect Pie Crust

Healthy Holiday-Themed Snacks

snacking joy snowman sm
Snowman Caprese Salad

holiday wreath
Christmas Kiwi Wreath

Red-Nosed Reindeer Snack

Veggie Christmas Tree Snack

CHRISTMAS & HOLIDAY CRAFTS FOR KIDS

Encourage creativity by setting up a craft table for the kids! Have fun with these projects:

putz house G 2545

Christmas Village Putz Houses by Art with Alyssa

Twig tree A
Twig Christmas Trees by Art with Alyssa

poinsettia yarn craft
Poinsettia Yarn Painting by Art with Alyssa

Sock sock snowman 2000
Sock Snowmen by Super Moms 360

DIY Christmas Advent Calendar

Crayon Holder Craft for the Kids Table

Marshmallow Snowman Cards

Giant Candy Land Yard Decorations

Thankful Jars

Holiday Hangers (fun with pipe cleaners)

Free, printable letter to Santa (to color and fill out)

Fun Ways to Celebrate Hanukkah

Find festive crafts (like these Hanukkah Place Card Holders) and beautiful projects in our Hanukkah Round-Up!

Celebrate New Year's Eve

Ways to Celebrate New Year's Eve with Kids

New Year's Eve DIY Noisemakers

New Year's Eve Browne Ball Drop Pops

Holiday Hacks and More Seasonal Articles

Holiday Hacks from San Diego Moms

How to Party Healthy this Season

Kid-Friendly Getaways

Ways to Ring in the New Year with Your Kids

Finding Joy in a Challenging Holiday Season

Multigeneraltional Holiday Gatherings: A recipe for success

San Diego Family's Kid-Tested Toy Reviews

Minimize Crazy to Maximize Joy this Christmas

Make the World a Better Place

Teacher Gifts that Could Land You on the Naughty List

Silent Nights: Help Kids Sleep Well During the Holiday

Check out our Christmas/Holiday pinterest board for more crafts, decorations and party ideas!

Free Summer Concerts 2025

Free Summer Concerts 2025

San Diego’s Free Summer Concerts 2025 Start the summer on a high note! Here are outdoor gigs and free summer concerts happening throughout San Diego County in 2025. CARLSBADTGIF Con . . .

How to Have a Retro Summer

How to Have a Retro Summer

The kids are out of school—it’s time to simplify the schedule and encourage as much outdoor play as possible. Have an old-school, retro summer! What is a Retro Summer? What does it mean . . .

10 Tips for Tackling Comic-Con with Kids

10 Tips for Tackling Comic-Con with Kids

You’ve thought about it and have decided to take the kids downtown San Diego during Comic-Con. There are things you can do to help navigate crowds and maximize fun. Here are helpful hints on how to . . .

Family Fun Outside of Comic Con (no badge needed)

Family Fun Outside of Comic Con (no badge needed)

Even if you weren't able to get a badge to Comic-Con this year, there are plenty of fun events you can take part in outside of the San Diego Convention Center. Fans in costume who are walking around d . . .

Summer Fun Bingo for Families

Summer Fun Bingo for Families

Looking for awesome unplugged activities for the kids or family this summer? Use our free, printable Summer Bingo game as a guide. You’ll find quintessential summer fun like water balloon fights, su . . .

Seas ‘n’ Greetings: How to celebrate Christmas in July

Seas ‘n’ Greetings: How to celebrate Christmas in July

Ready to start (or continue) the Christmas in July tradition? Here are fun ideas on how to do it. Ever since my toddler became obsessed with Frosty the Snowman, our family has celebrated Christmas . . .

San Diego Family's Ultimate Summer Sand-Bucket List

San Diego Family's Ultimate Summer Sand-Bucket List

San Diegans have it really rough—living in a top travel destination that many people dream of visiting. One thing is sure--there is no shortage of fun things to do, especially when the kids are ou . . .

31 Days of Summer Fun!

31 Days of Summer Fun!

Who’s ready to get out and have some fun in San Diego this summer? Here are 31 awesome ideas—one for every day in July. Plan a late-night date with the kids. We recommend going out for chocol . . .

25 Summer Boredom Busters

25 Summer Boredom Busters

Boredom is a precursor to creativity, so being bored is not all bad. But if you're ready for a change of pace, our boredom busters encourage families to get moving and start making memories! Go O . . .

10 Simple Pleasures Kids Will Love this Summer

10 Simple Pleasures Kids Will Love this Summer

When I think back on my childhood summers, it’s the simple pleasures I remember most. Running barefoot in the grass. Romping with my dog in the backyard. Reading my favorite book in a shady spot u . . .

Help & Information

Be Family Informed – Sign up for our Newsletters below!