14 Unique Ways to Celebrate Baby’s First Christmas
As the holiday season draws near, parents get excited to celebrate their baby’s first Christmas. This special occasion calls for some extra festive cheer and warmth! But with so many ways to celebrate baby’s first Christmas, it can be overwhelming to decide on the best ways to celebrate with your new baby.
In this article, we’ll explore some of the most creative and heartwarming ways to make your baby’s first Christmas an unforgettable experience for your family. You’ll find inspiration, ideas, and tips to make this special holiday even more memorable.
Let’s get started!
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Fun Ways to Celebrate Baby’s First Christmas
While your Christmas might look slightly different this year than in previous years, there are still plenty of ways to make it unforgettable! Here are the top 14 ways to celebrate Christmas with your new baby:
1. Get a Festive Outfit
Recommended Age: All Babies
Whether your family prefers dressing up or staying casual for Christmas, getting your baby a fun holiday outfit is essential. And the great thing is that you can get as fancy or simple as you want!
When my babies had their first holidays, I liked to get them outfits like this one. These onesie sets are comfortable and cute, making them a perfect choice for all babies!
2. Make or Buy a Personalized Christmas Stocking
Recommended Age: All Babies
One thing you can’t forget to do for your baby’s first Christmas is get them a stocking to hang next to everyone else’s.
Chances are you already have a theme or aesthetic for your Christmas decor, stockings included. If so, get your baby a stocking that fits in with the rest of them.
Another fun option is to make your baby’s first Christmas stocking. Making stockings allows you to personalize them however you want, making the stocking a treasured keepsake for years to come.
3. Find Baby’s First Christmas Ornament
Recommended Age: All Babies
Another thing I loved doing for my babies was picking out their first Christmas Ornament. I treasure picking out a new ornament for our tree each year, and no ornaments are more special than our kids’ first ornaments.
Photo ornaments like these ones are sweet because you can take a festive picture of your baby on Christmas and add it to the ornament. Then, you can easily look back at their first Christmas picture year after year.
4. Get a Felt Tree for Baby to Decorate
Recommended Age: 9 to 12-Months-Old+
Getting a felt Christmas tree for your baby’s first Christmas is a wonderful idea. A felt tree is soft and interactive, making it perfect for little hands to touch and explore (while supervised). If you’re interested in this option, this felt tree is a great size and comes with 30 felt ornaments to put on!
It is a great way to entertain your little one and add a festive touch to your home.
Additionally, felt Christmas trees are easy to set up and store away, which is beneficial because your child will love playing with it year after year.
5. Have a Photo Shoot
Recommended Age: All Babies
Once you have the perfect outfit for your baby, have a photo shoot! There is nothing better than looking back at all of your baby’s first holidays and how much they have changed between each one.
Remember, you don’t have to have any props or fancy things if you don’t want to! The Christmas decor in your home will make the perfect backdrop for your baby’s photos. To get you started, here are some great pictures to take on your baby’s first Christmas:
Cute Photos to Take on Baby’s First Christmas:
1. Baby sitting in front of the Christmas tree
2. Baby unwrapping presents (or attempting to unwrap)
3. Baby in a Santa hat
4. Baby sitting behind Christmas lights
5. Baby looking at a Christmas book
6. Baby with a plate of cookies and a bottle of milk for Santa
7. Baby sitting in a wrapped present box
8. Baby sitting on Santa’s lap (completely optional!)
9. Baby in a Christmas stocking (or looking into it)
10. Baby with siblings and/or pets
6. Host a Baby Christmas Party
Recommended Age: 3 to 12-Months-Old
Hosting a baby Christmas party can be a fun way to celebrate your baby’s first Christmas. Call up some of your mom-friends or family members who also have babies and have them over for a holiday-themed playdate.
Since this ‘party’ is for the babies, you won’t need much. Even just setting up some simple Christmas or Winter decorations and making a little spot to take cute photos can be enough for a special day!
7. Make a Festive Keepsake
Recommended Age: All Babies
Baby keepsakes are things that you’ll undoubtedly treasure forever. Making a keepsake is something that I have always looked forward to doing with my babies for each holiday!
One great thing about keepsakes is that you can make them as easy or involved as you like! I enjoy making handprint crafts with babies because they are pretty straightforward to put together, and they always turn out so adorable.
When it comes to handprint crafts, one of my favorite options is making salt dough ornaments. If you’ve never created salt dough, check out this easy recipe! Once you finish the ornaments, you can paint them or decorate them however you choose!
8. Read Christmas Books
Recommended Age: All Babies
Our next way to celebrate baby’s first Christmas is though reading. Reading books together is a fun and easy way to celebrate any holiday and a great activity for babies of any age! Here are our top five Christmas books for babies:
1. Moo, Baa, Fa La La La La! – Sandra Boynton’s books are a family favorite.
2. Little Blue Truck’s Christmas – Little Blue Truck’s books always have fun rhyming and pictures!
3. You’re My Little Christmas Cookie – This series has fun rhymes and cutouts for little hands to feel.
4. Santa’s Workshop – A chunky lift-a-flap book to keep little ones engaged.
5. Friendly Little Snowman – Soft finger puppet books are always exciting!
9. Have Plenty of Family Time
Recommended Age: All Babies
Being with family on Christmas makes reflecting on what you cherish even more effortless. Plus, having your new baby spend time with family on Christmas is crucial for bonding and creating memories.
Also, Christmas can be a perfect opportunity to introduce your new baby to relatives you might not have seen in a bit and for them to shower your baby with love and attention.
As a new parent, having the support and assistance of family members during the holidays can also be incredibly helpful and reassuring. From sharing parenting tips to lending a helping hand, having family around can take some stress away and guarantee everyone has a relaxing and fun holiday!
10. Send a Birth Announcement as Your Christmas Card
Recommended Age: Newborn to 3-Months-Old
If you like to send Christmas cards but are still determining what you want to do this year, consider sending a birth announcement as your holiday card!
While this idea is especially great if your baby is around the newborn or three-month-old age, you can use this idea regardless of what age your baby is.
11. Give Your Baby a Special Gift
Recommended Age: All Babies
One fun thing about Christmas is getting out all your decorations each year and remembering the sentimental ones. One fun way to celebrate baby’s first Christmas is to gift them something special you can bring out every year.
For example, this could be a decoration you put in their room each year, like a snow globe that lights up. My son has one like this one that we put on his dresser and turn on once it gets dark out; he has always loved it!
Or maybe you’d like the idea of a special Christmas book you can read on Christmas Eve, like this one. Consider what you think your family would enjoy year after year, and have fun with it!
12. Try Some New Foods
Recommended Age: 6 Months+
Helping your baby try new foods at Christmas can be an exciting and fun experience for the entire family. While some babies might hesitate to try new foods, others dive in and explore the various textures and flavors.
As long as your baby is 6+ months old and you have the okay from your pediatrician, Christmas provides a perfect opportunity for parents to introduce their babies to traditional holiday foods and start expanding their palates.
You’ll find many new food choices for your baby at the Christmas dinner table. Some great foods to start with are turkey, mashed potatoes, cranberries, sweet potatoes, peas, or bread, all cut or mashed into small enough bites for your baby.
And as always, you’ll want to avoid foods that can pose a risk to your baby. Avoid foods like desserts with nuts, casseroles, raw veggies, and stuffing.
Watching your baby experience new flavors and textures can bring joy and laughter to the holiday. With a bit of patience and motivation, Christmas can be a wonderful time for babies to try new foods and flavors around them.
13. Check Out Local Events
Recommended Age: 3 Months+
One fantastic thing about the holiday season is that there are typically some fun, local events that you and your family can go to. Places like museums, zoos, the library, and tree farms often host family-friendly events and activities that you can go to.
Not to mention, there are usually Christmas parades and opportunities to visit Santa!
If you choose to attend activities outside of the home with your baby, ensure you bring a stroller or baby carrier so you don’t tire yourself out. Also, make sure you pack a diaper bag with everything you need so you don’t run into a problem!
14. Choose a New Christmas Tradition to Start
Recommended Age: 3 Months+
As a new parent, starting Christmas traditions with your baby can be one of the most exciting aspects of the holiday and an exciting way to create lasting memories. Consider incorporating your baby into classic traditions, such as listening to Christmas music while decorating the house or doing holiday crafts.
Whatever traditions you choose to do, the key is to make it fun, engaging, and age-appropriate for your baby. For more ideas, check out this article on the best Christmas traditions for families.
Related Articles:
- Exciting Ways to Celebrate Baby’s First New Year’s Eve
- Cute Ways to Celebrate Baby’s First Valentine’s Day
- Adorable Valentine’s Day Traditions for Kids
Tips for Celebrating Baby’s First Christmas
Celebrating your baby’s first Christmas is so much fun, but preparing yourself beforehand is always beneficial. Here are some of the best tips for celebrating baby’s first Christmas:
1. Stay Flexible
When celebrating your baby’s first Christmas, remaining flexible and adaptable with your plans is essential. Even though you may have made plans to do something special, sometimes your baby may not be up for it when the time comes.
Rather than pushing through with your plans and dealing with a fussy and crying baby, it’s better to cancel your plans and stay home respectfully. Remember, there will always be more opportunities to celebrate Christmas in the future!
2. Keep it Comfortable
Dressing your baby in comfortable clothes is crucial to ensure your holiday is enjoyable. As cute as semi-formal attire may be, it could make your baby fussy. Therefore, keeping your baby’s comfort in mind while choosing their outfit is important.
3. Don’t Stress!
When celebrating your baby’s first Christmas, try not to stress too much. It’s understandable to want everything perfect, but your baby won’t remember it anyway. Instead, focus on creating special memories for your family to cherish. Even choosing just one way to celebrate from the list above will be enough!
4. Don’t Skip Nap Time
During the holidays, it’s necessary to maintain consistency in your baby’s nap schedule, even if you have to adjust your schedule. An overtired baby can be challenging to manage and may not sleep well at night. Therefore, try your best to avoid disrupting your baby’s nap routine to ensure they stay well-rested and happy.
5. Wear Your Baby
If you’re worried about passing your baby around at a gathering, here’s a helpful tip: wear them! If your baby is happy in their carrier or even sleeping, people will be less likely to ask to hold them, ensuring you can have a more relaxed time at the party.
6. Bring Your Essentials
When traveling with a baby, figuring out what to bring can be overwhelming, even if it’s just a short trip to the grandparents’ house. However, bringing all the baby essentials can make the journey much smoother and enjoyable.
To ensure your baby feels comfortable and safe in an unfamiliar environment, it’s crucial to pack familiar items such as toys, diapers, wipes, formula, or baby food. These items will help keep your baby well-fed, clean, and content throughout the trip.
In addition to the essentials, bringing items such as a stroller, portable crib or Pack ‘n Play, and baby carrier can make naps and outdoor activities much more manageable and enjoyable for you and your baby.
By taking the time to pack your baby’s essentials, you can make your Christmas holiday stress-free and more enjoyable for everyone.
7. Keep Baby Safe From Decor
If your baby is mobile, you’ll want to think more about where you put Christmas decor this year. For example, put a baby gate around the Christmas tree or put it somewhere your baby can’t access.
Also, ensure any glass or breakable items are out of reach for your baby to minimize any risk of injury.
And there you have it: the best ways to celebrate baby’s first Christmas! From dressing up in adorable outfits to catching those precious moments in photos, this milestone holiday is unique for parents and babies alike.
While this Christmas may look different than in previous years, the joy of celebrating your baby’s first Christmas is one you will treasure forever!
Before you go, check out these related articles:
- The Best Things To Put In Baby’s First Christmas Stocking
- Fun Family-Friendly New Year’s Eve Traditions
- Unique Birthday Traditions To Start With Your Kids
- The Best Toys for 0-6 Month Olds
- Engaging Toys for 6-12 Month Olds
What is one of your favorite ways to celebrate baby’s first Christmas? I would love to know in the comments below!