11 Cute First Christmas Traditions To Do With Your Baby

You know the one. Go grab your favorite Starbucks seasonal drink (I know you need the caffeine) and get a snowman sugar cookie to go along with it. Bite off just the head, lay your baby down on a blanket, and hold the cookie up so that it looks like your baby’s head is at the top of the snowman body. Snap a picture — this might be the only year you’ll get your baby to be still long enough for this Christmas tradition.

Tiny handprints or footprints hanging on your Christmas tree is just the best. There are tons of salt dough recipes out there, but this salt dough recipe from Yummy Toddler Food is my personal favorite. Go ahead and preserve those tiny fingers now in a sweet little ornament to hang on your tree. This tradition can grow with your baby each year if you want — just make a new handprint ornament each year.

I will never forget my first baby’s first Christmas. I took her shopping on Black Friday to look for her first Christmas ornament, and it was one of the happiest moments of my life. Don’t buy online — bundle up your baby and make a day out of going to find their first Christmas ornament.

Again, this may be something you can do every year, but babies are pretty easygoing about using their feet to stamp out a wreath on canvas to give as a gift. There are tons of ideas out there, but the green mistletoes print is such a sweet one to do and a great keepsake of your baby’s first Christmas.

This is your only chance! Buy the My First Christmas romper, the bib, the tiny Santa hat for all of your holiday photoshoots. I know, it feels silly because this is their only first Christmas, but it’s just so fun. You can always save them for future children or pass them along to a loved one.

You need to build your baby’s Christmas library, and you can definitely do that over the years. But a great first Christmas tradition? Taking them shopping for their first Christmas book. What will you choose? A board book version of ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas? Olivia Helps with Christmas? A fun peekaboo Christmas book? There are tons of options, but like taking them to find an ornament, I think you should totally make this into a whole day and head to your favorite bookstore.

Bundle up your baby and get that stroller decked out in some festive decor — it’s time to look at lights. Driving around to see Christmas lights is a great tradition, but tiny babies can’t really see out the window (or have any idea that they should be doing that, honestly) so why not take them on a little walk? Walk through your neighborhood to see lights, drive to a local town with lights up, find a walk-through Christmas light display — anything where there is a nice glow for the whole family to enjoy.

You absolutely have to pick a pair of Christmas jammies for your baby and then you need to take a million pictures of them in it. Put them in front of the tree, hold them by the fireplace, take a picture outside in front of your outdoor decorations — make a whole memory out of those jammies. You can even snuggle up and watch a nice, gentle, cozy Christmas movie.

Look, just do it, OK? Your baby will probably be too big next year to fit in a stocking, so now’s your chance to get that adorable first Christmas photo.

There is something about having a baby at Christmas that gives you some deep spiritual feelings, even if you aren’t religious. So find your favorite version of “Silent Night,” get yourself all cozied up in your rocker or glider, and get that baby in your arms. Remember this moment and just soak it all in. A perfect first Christmas tradition.