SMALL PLANS. BIG LITTLE MEMORIES.
Twelve easy ways to make Thanksgiving and Christmas feel like your family. Pick one you can enjoy—not a whole new to-do list.
12 traditions to explore
THANKSGIVING · 15 MINUTES
Gather: Use the free place cards, a pencil, and one kind thought.
Write a guest’s name on the front and something you appreciate about them inside. Little guests can draw a picture. Put each card at its person’s seat and invite everyone to open them together.
Make it yours: Save this year’s cards in an envelope with the date.
Get the matching free project →THANKSGIVING · AN AFTERNOON
Gather: Print the paper city and gather a runner, crayons, and toy vehicles.
Assemble the buildings the day before. Give each guest a shop to name, park the taxis, and arrange a paper-balloon procession. Adults can add weighted helium-compatible foil balloons for the morning reveal.
Make it yours: Add one new building and one family photo each year.
Get the matching free project →THANKSGIVING · 15 MINUTES
Gather: Bring a favorite recipe and a blank card.
Ask a guest who first made the dish and what they remember about it. Write down the story while another person draws the food. Clip the card to the recipe for next year.
Make it yours: Start a little recipe-and-memory box.
Get the matching free project →THANKSGIVING · 30 MINUTES
Gather: Set out the turkey-crown page, crayons, and age-appropriate supplies.
Color together, then ask each guest to name a kindness they noticed that week. An adult cuts and fits the crowns. Take one gloriously silly group photo before dinner.
Make it yours: Let people join without wearing a crown if they prefer.
Get the matching free project →CHRISTMAS · 15 MINUTES
Gather: Use your family’s elf, the welcome letter, and breakfast you already planned.
Set one special place with the letter and a paper tree. Let the elf introduce a small kindness mission, such as making a card for someone. Keep it simple enough to repeat next year.
Make it yours: Photograph the same breakfast spot each December.
Get the matching free project →CHRISTMAS · 30 MINUTES
Gather: Choose Christmas jammies, a story, a craft, and one keepsake ornament.
Check clothing sizes before wrapping. Add the printable name label, tuck the story under the pajamas, and leave the craft on top. Open the box together early enough to enjoy it before bedtime.
Make it yours: Write the year and a favorite moment on the ornament.
Get the matching free project →CHRISTMAS · 30 MINUTES
Gather: Open the free Santa-letter maker or use paper and a pencil.
Ask about one wish, something they loved this year, and a kind thing they want to do. Let a child dictate, draw, or write. An adult can make a gentle reply for a later surprise.
Make it yours: Save a copy to see how their handwriting and wishes change.
Get the matching free project →CHRISTMAS · 15 MINUTES
Gather: Choose a quiet moment, a grown-up’s phone, and a comfortable seat.
Use our parent-read pretend-call script or explore an external Santa-call provider. Preview any purchased experience first. Let the child listen, wave, or skip the call without pressure.
Make it yours: Write down the funniest question afterward.
Get the matching free project →CHRISTMAS · AN AFTERNOON
Gather: Print the two cottages, gather crayons, tape, and paper trees.
Adults prepare tricky cuts. Everyone decorates a house and writes a wish for the coming year on the back. Arrange the finished houses with battery-powered lights kept safely out of reach.
Make it yours: Save houses flat and grow the village next year.
Get the matching free project →CHRISTMAS · 30 MINUTES
Gather: Choose a familiar book, pajamas, and a soft blanket.
Spread the blanket near the tree, let everyone pick a reading voice, and read the story together. Add a small snack if it suits your family. No new book or matching outfits required.
Make it yours: Use one favorite story every Christmas Eve.
Get the matching free project →CHRISTMAS · 15 MINUTES
Gather: Use the printable kindness cards or cut scrap paper into postcards.
Write a thank-you, draw a picture, or offer a helpful little job. Give the note to someone you know. A grown-up handles any delivery outside the home.
Make it yours: Keep a list of kind moments, without scores or prizes.
Get the matching free project →CHRISTMAS · 30 MINUTES
Gather: Print a wrapping sheet, choose a little gift, and find ribbon or string.
Wrap something handmade: a drawing, a favorite recipe, or a promise of time together. Add a name and a message. Let wonky folds and handmade details be part of the charm.
Make it yours: Take a photo before the wrapping disappears.
Get the matching free project →Try another time or season to see more ideas.
Friday: choose one story and make a tiny plan. Saturday: spend 30 minutes making something together. Sunday: give it, display it, or send a photo to someone you love.
For toddlers, make it a five-minute version and prepare the fiddly pieces yourself. For mixed ages, give everyone a role. For a quieter celebration, offer a cozy seat, a familiar story, and an easy way to opt out.
Let PopPop help with a private craft party ↗