5 Christmas traditions that your family can make your own

When you think of Christmas growing up, do you reflect on traditions that everyone does, like unwrapping presents on Christmas morning, or do you reminisce about traditions specific to your family, like letting the youngest put the last ornament on the tree?

The heart of Christmas lies within those special little moments when your family is doing it your own way. Here are ideas about how to turn five 'typical' Christmas traditions on their head by adding a special touch.

Choosing ornaments

Ornaments are one of the easiest ways to make unique Christmas traditions because they are so easy to personalize. You could make it a tradition to commemorate an annual experience for your child, such as picture day or Halloween. For example, to remember Halloween at Christmastime, you could get a new ornament to match that outfit...so if they dressed as Elsa, have them pick out a Frozen ornament to go on the tree that year.

Decking the halls

Is there a "favorite" decoration in your house that the causes the kids to fight about who gets to set it up? Solve that problem and make it a monthlong tradition by letting that decoration sit at a different spot in the house each day. Every morning, a different child gets to pick its new "home" for the day. Everybody wins, and decorating will become one of your kids' favorite holiday traditions.

Baking cookies

Host your very own "cookie swap" without even leaving the house. Have each of your kids pick out one kind of cookie they want to bake, and then take turns baking with each of them. You get quality time with every child, and at the end everyone gets to eat every type of cookie.

Countdown to the big day

Create a large "Christmas countdown" board with a space for every day in December. Give your kids a camera and have them take pictures as they move about their day. Each night, have them pick out their favorite holiday memory from the day, print it out and put it on the board. Instant giant scrapbook!

Unwrapping presents

Your family could sit around in a circle, calmly unwrapping presents - or you could make it the most rambunctious part of Christmas morning, and set your kids giggling by turning it into a game! Have Santa hide each present in various locations around the house, then send your kids on a scavenger hunt to find them on Christmas morning. The child who finds all of theirs first gets to open the first present.

How do you make Christmas traditions extra special? Let us know in the comments.

This post is sponsored by Hallmark Keepsake Ornaments.