Gift-giving is an endearing element of Christmas celebrations, but sometimes, the essence of the tradition is lost on the kids with the revelry focused on the material value of the gifts. While opening piles of presents on Christmas morning gives children immense joy, it’s the holiday traditions with the family that create warm memories that last a lifetime. Give your children the greatest gift of all during the holidays with these sweet and simple holiday traditions:

Create a Family Holiday Fun List

Before the holiday season sets in, gather in the family room after dinner for a brainstorming session. With so many fun things you can do each holiday season, it’s best to get everyone’s suggestions and make a list of 10 activities everyone would love to do together. The kids would surely love to suggest new activities for their parents while the grown-ups could also recommend activities they loved doing as a child. Mixing modern and traditional activities is a great way to learn more about each other as well as bond together during the holidays. You can stick to the list or change one activity each year to add excitement to your holiday celebrations.

Holiday Reading Christmas Countdown

Advent calendars are a wonderful way to get all pumped up for the coming of Christmas day. Add a twist to the Advent calendar tradition by counting down the days with a holiday story. Find copies of favorite Christmas books from the bible story of Christ’s birth to The Polar Express, A Christmas Carol, and How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Stack the books like a tree pyramid on the family room side table and read a book each night as you count down the days. Find shorter versions if you have younger kids, or replace the books with Christmas movies like Home Alone and The Nightmare Before Christmas.

Make Photo Ornaments

Give your home a cozier appeal that everyone will be proud of by decorating it with handcrafted photo ornaments. Let each family member choose a photo that they would like to transform into a holiday bauble. Ornaments can be as simple as placing a photo in a clear, glass Christmas ball then tying a big, glittery bow on it or using photos to make a decoupage Christmas ornament. You can also make a photo collage in the shape of a tree and decorate it with glitter for a unique piece of wall décor. Once all the ornaments are ready, call everyone for a tree-trimming party!

Write Letters to Santa

Make the first day of December Santa letter-writing day. Buy stationery and write letters to Santa Claus together. Place the letters in envelopes, address to Santa at the North Pole, and drop them off at the local post!

Give Love on Christmas Day

Sharing and giving are among the best values parents can instill in their children during the holiday season and all year round. Have a more meaningful Christmas by starting each season with a family donation drive. Look through closets, toy buckets, and kitchen cabinets for stuff that can be donated. Wrap the toys and hold a family gift-giving activity for kids at a local shelter. Donate the used clothes and other items to the Salvation Army or a charity group.

Give Homemade Christmas Cards

Spread holiday cheer to family and friends by spending a weekend making Christmas cards with the kids. Choose a theme for each year’s set of cards so that your loved ones can look forward to receiving their cards every Christmas. Make nature-inspired cards designed with dried leaves and flowers one year then draw holiday symbols the next.

Go Caroling

Whether it’s just around the neighborhood or at a nursing home, form a family choir and bring joy to others with Christmas songs. Spend some time practicing at home and bring along simple instruments like a tambourine or a guitar to make the carols more enjoyable for you and your listeners.

Have a White Elephant Gift Exchange

Instead of going on a shopping spree to buy gifts for everyone, have a white elephant gift event. This is a great way to show your kids that the value of presents is truly in the giving. Besides, this kind of gift-giving entails hours of amusement.

Stroll Around the Neighborhood

Choose a night when it’s not too cold to walk around the neighborhood after dinner or go for a drive. Simply marvel at your neighbors’ different decorations or gaze at the starry Christmas sky for a serene moment with the family.

Dress up on Christmas Eve

This doesn’t necessarily mean wearing the same old red sweaters. Set a theme — whether it’s glittery gold or red and green — and let everyone dress up with on Christmas Eve. This tradition makes for great family holiday photos!

Start these simple holiday traditions that you and your kids will treasure for years.

Jennifer Lutz is the home décor expert at www.christmastreemarket.com. Jennifer often blogs about home décor and holiday topics. You can read her recent post on recycling old Christmas décor here: http://blog.christmastreemarket.com/2013/10/christmas-decorating-ideas/.