Christmas Countdown for Teens

Our Updated Christmas Countdown for Teens: Adapting a Beloved Tradition for a New Season

For many years, our family has treasured our simple, meaningful Christmas Countdown tradition. If you’ve followed for a while, you may remember our original 37 Ideas for Your Family Christmas Countdown, which is perfect for families with younger children. Those activities served us beautifully for a long time, and many of them still do.

But as our boys have grown—now spanning teens, a pre‑teen, and one newly graduated and working full‑time—we’ve found ourselves adapting the tradition to fit this new season. This year brought a major transition: our oldest graduated high school and stepped into a full‑time job. He still lives at home (and we’re so grateful for that), but he’s gone all day, every day, and we sure do miss him. Naturally, this changed the rhythm of our December.

What hasn’t changed is our desire to stay connected, to emphasize the true Reason for the season, and to make sure our favorite December traditions don’t slip through the cracks of a busy schedule. A Christmas Countdown for Teens has turned out to be the perfect way to do all of that.

Even with our oldest’s new work schedule, we’ve been able to include him in the main activities while still giving his younger brothers—and especially our youngest, age 11—the same traditions they’ve always loved. We didn’t have to stop the countdown just because life shifted. We simply adapted it.

Below is a look at what our Christmas Countdown looks like now that we have teens and pre‑teens. If you still have younger kids, be sure to revisit the original post for age‑appropriate ideas. But if you’re navigating the teen years, this updated Christmas Countdown for Teens might be exactly what your family needs.

Get your free printable list of 89 Christmas Countdown Activities:

Here’s What Our Current Christmas Countdown Looks Like Now That We Have Teens and Pre‑Teens

Get a Tree

We still cut down our live tree at a local tree farm. This year, we went on the Tuesday afternoon after Thanksgiving and practically had the place to ourselves. It was easy for my husband and oldest son to take a few hours off at the end of the workday.

Somehow we’ve also developed a tradition of stopping for burgers afterward at a local award‑winning hole‑in‑the‑wall spot.

Light the Tree

This is now a designated‑day activity because it’s a big job. The weekend after Thanksgiving, our middle son is in charge of finding and testing the lights, which gives us time to pick up more if needed.

Decorate the Tree

Our oldest specifically asked that we plan this for a time when he could be home, so we make sure he’s included for this part. We always crank up the Christmas tunes and sometimes I put out an activity like this one for those with extra energy.

Begin the Jesse Trees

We shifted from reading The Jesus Storybook Bible to reading directly from Scripture for each day’s ornament. We do this daily with the two younger boys while our oldest is at work.

Find out more about our Jesse Tree tradition here.

Christmas PJs

This tradition has evolved into flannel pajama pants. I try to find three different patterns that are wintery but not overly Christmas‑specific so they can be worn year‑round.

Christmas Socks

This has shifted to wool socks—our whole family has become huge fans. I try to source holiday or winter themes, and all three boys still love novelty socks.

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever

We adore this story, and the audiobook narrator is fantastic. At only 1.5 hours long, it fits easily into several car rides. We simply cannot experience December without listening to it.

Get the audio version here, and be sure the narrator is Elaine Stritch.

Christmas Jigsaw Puzzles

Over the years we’ve built a collection of Christmas‑themed puzzles. My oldest has never been very interested, but my younger two—especially our middle son—love them. He collects 300‑piece puzzles from his favorite artist. They’re perfect for completing in one or two sittings, which brings a sense of accomplishment without frustration. I added a new puzzle this year and tucked another away for next year. 

Here’s a 500-piece Christmas puzzle we love.

12 Days of Christmas Puzzles

When I discovered a 12 Days of Christmas puzzle, I knew it would be perfect for our Christmas Countdown. It was such a hit that I immediately bought another version so each boy could complete his own daily segment. This is now our designated activity for December 13, and then they open a small box of pieces each day through the 25th. We even wrote day numbers on the backs of the pieces the first year to keep everything organized for future Decembers.

Brother Shopping

We do this online, one boy at a time, in my bedroom with my computer. We brainstorm ideas, browse options, and make selections. The older boys pay with their debit cards; our youngest pays me back with cash. I try to schedule this early in the month because sometimes it takes a few days to finalize choices.

Shop for Mom and Dad

We follow the same process for shopping for the other parent. My husband used to take the boys out for dinner and in‑person shopping for my gifts, but this eventually shifted to online shopping. We still make it special with a designated evening. I do the same with them to choose gifts for him.

Charlie Brown Christmas

We’ve outgrown The Grinch and Frosty, and while Home Alone somehow became a tradition, the one Christmas movie I truly care to emphasize is A Charlie Brown Christmas. It’s only 30 minutes long, endlessly quotable, and absolutely beloved in our home. I always stock up on Costco’s gluten‑free sweet popcorn for this night.

Christmas Crosswords

We used to rely on a website with great free printables, but after exhausting those, I now use a free crossword generator to create my own puzzles based on Scripture or Christmas hymns. The same crossword generator website also allows you to search for and print the crosswords created by others.

Here’s the free crossword I created from the biblical account.

Christmas Scrapbook

I keep a simple scrapbook of each year’s Christmas card and letter. Since we’ve sent a photo card every year since we got married, this book has become a complete family history in one place. Each December, we all squeeze onto the couch and flip through it together. It’s a favorite tradition.

Prepping Gift Baskets

Each year we exchange gift baskets with one or two families. The boys help prepare homemade items, and over time they’ve developed their own contributions—knitted dishcloths, woven potholders, wood‑burned earrings, illustrated bookmarks, notecards, and more. Sometimes they bake treats to include as well.

We love this tradition so much that I created an Edible Gifts Guide with recipes, instructions, packaging ideas, gift tags, and more.

Baking Christmas Cookies

This tradition never gets old. We finally found the BEST gluten‑free sugar cookie recipe, and we now separate the baking and decorating into two different days to reduce the pressure on Mom and Dad.

Decorating Christmas Cookies

I stock up on healthier food colorings and sprinkles, lay out parchment paper, turn on festive music, and set out bowls, spreaders, and storage containers. It’s always a fun, creative mess.

Look at Christmas Lights

Still a favorite! Now that everyone is older, we can venture farther from home and stay out later. I make homemade organic popcorn drizzled with butter and honey, add mini chocolate chips, and portion it into brown bags—one per person. Sometimes we print Christmas Lights Bingo for extra fun.

Samaritan’s Purse

When the catalog arrives, I tuck it into our Christmas Countdown bin. On the designated night, we pass it around and each choose the items that feel most meaningful. The boys now contribute their own money, and as a homesteading family, we tend to gravitate toward livestock and garden‑related gifts.

Wrap Gifts

Now that the boys are older, they can do most of this themselves—hooray! I provide the paper, tape, and our trusty wrapping‑paper slicer, and they take it from there.

Three New Activities We Added This Year (All Were Big Hits!)

The Bookstore Challenge

There’s an incredible used bookstore about an hour from our home. This year, I turned it into a full‑blown Christmas Countdown activity.

Each boy received $10 and the challenge: Choose a gift for each brother—secretly—and stay within budget. They could bring their own money if they wanted extras. I told my oldest ahead of time because I knew he’d want to take the day off work to join us. He did, and it made the day even more special.

A few highlights:

• Oldest son: Chose his gifts quickly, chipped in his own money, and then wandered next door to Boot Barn.
• Youngest son: Stayed well under budget and chose thoughtful gifts almost entirely on his own. He even bought two books for each brother plus two for himself—and still had money left over.
• Middle son: Spent the longest time deliberating and even picked out a book for his dad (and probably for me, though he kept that part secret).

We stopped for lunch on the way home, and by the end of the day, we all agreed: This is officially a new Christmas tradition.

Hot Cocoa + Christmas Stories

While the boys have outgrown many of our old Christmas picture books, a few timeless stories still hold their attention.

This year, I made homemade marshmallows and bought “healthier” candy canes for stirring into hot cocoa. Each of the younger two boys chose one or two stories for me to read aloud.

• Apple Tree Christmas
• Christmas from Heaven: The True Story of the Berlin Candy Bomber
• Silent Night: The Song and Its Story

We built a fire, sipped cocoa, worked on jigsaw puzzles, and enjoyed an afternoon that felt slow, cozy, and deeply restorative.

Christmas Carol Sing-Along with Friends

Since our piano is now located smack dab in the hub of our home, and since my older boys love to play piano and guitar, we thought it would be fun to invite a bunch of friends over to sing Christmas carols. 

It turned out to be a highlight of our season!  I made a big batch of chili and heated a large pot of hot apple cider, our guests contributed fixings and desserts, and we printed out the lyrics to ten Christmas hymns. For weeks, my older sons and I practiced these ten songs, choosing a key for each piece and learning the chords.  

We all enjoyed this evening so much that we hope to repeat the tradition next year!

Bonus Idea: Lego Christmas Challenge

I planned to do this one but forgot to print the challenge cards ahead of time. Our printer only does black and white, and showing the cards on the computer wasn’t ideal. Next year I’ll have them printed at the shop so we can give this one a proper try.

Other Activities We’ve Enjoyed in Recent Years

Orange pomanders 

Use a citrus zester to carve simple designs into the peel, then press whole cloves into the grooves. Display the finished pomanders in a bowl, hang them on the tree, or tuck them into a garland. As the oranges dry, they release a subtle, natural fragrance and become a beautiful, creative way to add handmade charm to your Christmas décor.

Christmas movie at the theater

We enjoyed I Heard the Bells in the theater. Sometimes theaters even show classic Christmas movies around the holidays, which can be a fun family outing.

Live Christmas concerts and shows

Over the years, our family has enjoyed these live performances:

• The Gettys’ Irish Christmas Sing at the Kennedy Center
• Andrew Peterson’s Behold the Lamb of God at the Ryman in Nashville
• Handel’s Messiah at the Kennedy Center 
• A Christmas Carol, performed at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, DC

Why a Christmas Countdown Still Matters—Even with Teens

A Christmas Countdown for Teens does more than fill the calendar with activities. It gives older kids something to look forward to during a season that can feel rushed and over‑scheduled. It reassures them that their favorite traditions still matter. And it keeps the focus on togetherness, faith, and intentional celebration rather than commercialism or busyness.

Most importantly, it reminds all of us that even as our kids grow and life changes, we can still create meaningful rhythms that anchor our family and point us toward Christ.

Here’s to a season filled with connection, joy, and Christ‑centered celebration—no matter how old your kids are.

Get your free printable list of 89 Christmas Countdown Activities:

Christmas Countdown Resources

• How to Start a Jesse Tree Tradition
• 37 Ideas for Your Family Christmas Countdown -perfect for families with younger children
• Free Christmas activity printables
• Novelty wool socks
• Best Christmas Pageant Ever audiobook
• 500-piece Christmas jigsaw puzzle
• 12 Days of Christmas jigsaw puzzle
• A Charlie Brown Christmas
• Free crossword generator
• Here’s the free crossword I created from the biblical account.
• Edible Gifts Guide
• The BEST gluten‑free sugar cookie recipe
• Christmas Lights Bingo printable
• Samaritan’s Purse Christmas Catalog
• Wrapping paper slicer
• Paleo Hot Cocoa recipe
• Homemade marshmallows recipe
• Healthy-ish candy canes
• Apple Tree Christmas
• Christmas from Heaven: The True Story of the Berlin Candy Bomber
• Silent Night: The Song and Its Story
• Lego Christmas Challenge
• Orange pomander instructions
• Zester carving tool (for orange pomanders)