Do you need something to look forward to this summer? Ready to skip over all this pandemic uncertainty and live in the magic of the holiday season? Maybe it’s time for a new tradition: Christmas in July!

Last year, my family hosted a Christmas in July party and had a great time. I said then that we needed to make it a new family tradition and, with everything happening now, it seems extra important this year to keep this tradition alive.

Christmas in July can be inexpensive and SO MUCH FUN. If you love Christmas and are in need of some extra joy in your life, I highly suggest giving these ideas a try and having your own SMALL Christmas in July.

How to have a WONDERFUL Christmas in July!

DECORATIONS

What is the holiday season without decorations?! The wonderful thing about this tradition is, if you’re like me, you already have all the decorations you need! We simply use a small portion of the Christmas decorations we already own, putting them up in a new way! We put our outdoor lights up around the house and get out our kids’ Christmas tree. It is a small tree we purchased at an after-Christmas sale a few years back that fits perfectly in their tiny playroom. My children had a fantastic time helping me to decorate. Decorating was an activity of its own! As long as you’re having fun and not going for perfection, you’re doing it right.

Throw in a few DIY decorations and art projects with the kids and you’ve got the perfect set up!

We made giant popsicle stick snowflakes using popsicle sticks, hot glue, and paint to decorate the walls. We painted them red and taped them up using masking tape after they dried. (OK, full disclosure, I still have red paint on my wall from last Christmas in July because I was too impatient to wait for the paint to dry – you should wait for the paint to dry.) This DIY craft project really added a lot of life to the walls for not much money at all.

You can also make a blizzard in your home by making snowflakes with inexpensive coffee filters! Think back to preschool. Just fold your coffee filter in half, in half a few more times to make a small triangle. Cut out triangles and other shapes, then open to reveal a beautiful snowflake. (Note: This activity is good for children who are a bit older and ready to use scissors. Please don’t give your young toddler scissors.)

I put up the felt Christmas tree I made when my first-born was a toddler and cut out squares of wrapping paper to put up on the wall as presents under the tree. I then taped bows on the presents to finish the look. Afterward the bows can just go back with the rest of the wrapping items to be used again in December!

Your home is sure to look festive and magical without spending nearly any money!

ACTIVITIES

Snowballs

Looking for a little Christmas fun that can also help you beat the summer heat? Try a snowball fight with white water balloons as your snowballs! This one works best with older kids but is so much fun! You can also make snowballs by stuffing cotton into white tights and tying them off if you want something to reuse year after year. (Disclaimer: balloons are a choking hazard and should not be used with small children. Always practice caution when you use water balloons or anything else made of this material.)

Sensory Bin

If you have younger kids, I suggest buying a couple bags of ice for an outdoor sensory bin and adding a touch of blue and purple food coloring to give it a twist. Bring out some big spoons and plastic containers to fill and dump. Your little ones are sure to love this super simple activity and keep cool on a hot summer day!

“Frozen” Playdough

Use your favorite homemade playdough recipe and color it shades of blue and purple and add silver and blue glitter and you’ve got some beautiful “Frozen” playdough to explore with. If your kids are like mine, they can spend hours engrossed in playdough.

Felt Christmas Tree

When my first child was a toddler, I made a super simple felt Christmas tree that we are still using to this day.

Materials: Green Felt, small sheets of felt for ornaments

How to Create: Simply draw the shape of a tree on the green felt using a sharpie or pen, cut it out using sharp scissors. Trace ornament shapes on small felt sheets for ornaments. (Tip: Use a roll of masking tape to trace for perfect circles.)

Play: Tape the tree to the wall and invite your child to decorate the tree using the felt ornaments! They can put them up and rearrange them as many times as they want.

Send out Christmas Cards

Take silly pictures outside with a Santa hat on and send them out just to family! They’ll love seeing your smiling faces Send out a spark of joy! Your children’s grandparents will thank you.

Christmas Movie

End the day by watching your favorite Christmas movie snuggled on the couch. Every year at Christmas we watch the classic versions of Frosty the Snowman and Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer, so for Christmas in July we do the same thing!

Gifts for Kids

There is no rule when it comes to gifts for Christmas in July! We didn’t do gifts last year. You don’t need gifts to have a great time. This year, however, I’m using it an excuse to add to our art cabinet some paint sticks I’ve had my eye on and to get my daughter a book she’s been wanting: Magic Tree House Survival Guide. If your kids are getting restless staying at home, it might be a good excuse to add a few new tricks to your tool belt for not a ton of money. If you don’t have window crayons or mega blocks it might be a good time to add them to your collection!

Disclaimer: I do use affiliate links on here, meaning that if you purchase anything through my affiliate links I receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. My views and opinions are never swayed because of this. I only recommend products and services that I trust and love!

If you have a special tradition you would like to add, let me know in the comments and post to Big Love Small Moments’ Facebook page. I would love to hear from you!

FOOD

My family loves food! I suggest doing something simple like hamburgers and hot dogs on the grill to go with the summer aspect of the Christmas in July theme or tomato sandwiches to bring in that red color. Something simple and kid-friendly is key, and then jazz it up with these other additions to your menu.

Christmas Tree Watermelon Slices

Use a tree shaped cookie cutter or a paring knife to make watermelon slices look much more festive and fit perfectly into your Christmas in July theme.

Frozen Hot Chocolate

Look up an awesome recipe for Frozen hot chocolate! Throw it into mason jars with some whip cream and Hershey’s syrup and you are sure to have a new family favorite.

Melted Snowman Sugar Cookies

These are so cute and don’t require perfection in terms of decorating skill. Make an icing puddle and then plop a marshmallow on top for the snowman’s head. If you want to color more icing for buttons and scarves and bows, go for it! We used edible marker to make our snowman faces easily. It was fun to let everyone have a turn making faces and the cookies were delicious in the end!

Make a family holiday favorite

If you’re not a fan of sugar cookies, don’t make them! Instead make something else you find delicious and use one of your own family holiday traditions to bring in a bit of joy and fun to your Christmas in July celebration. Every family is unique, so be you and embrace what makes you special as a family!

I know I’m ready for some Christmas magic. However you choose to celebrate, I hope you can find your own way to relieve some stress during these crazy times and make some good memories!

Everyone is dealing with stress and anxiety as we live on the rollercoaster that this pandemic is sending us on. Our children are feeling the stress, too, with loss of routines and not being able to do things they love. They see and feel our stress as we struggle to digest everything while staying up to date on the latest evolving situation of the world. So let’s create a bit of magic together. Have some fun and be a kid for just a little bit. I hope you join me in continuing the nonsensical Christmas in July! You certainly won’t regret it!

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