Free holiday fun

Whoever said the best things in life are free was not peering at the cheese counter at my local gourmet deli, or looking over my nephew's wish list (where everything starts with i- or mac-).  But before you drop your credit card on the counter, here are seven ways to have fun over the holidays without spending.

Take a midnight hike

One thing about modern life: It's rare to experience stillness.  Get everyone bundled up on a clear night for a walk through a local park or along a local path under the stars and enjoy the sights and sounds and well, peace on earth. Other variations on this theme include a family ski afternoon, sledding, or a drive around the neighbourhood to look at all the lights.  You could also build a snow fort in the back and have a snowball fight.

Use the electronics

The holidays are also about enjoying what we have. I think sometimes nostalgia leads us to believe that when we really focus on gratitude we have to ignore the shiny new toys. You don't have to! Last year's gifts can be this year's way of doing something together. Challenge everyone to create the definitive playlist for your present opening soundtrack, dust off the Rock Band instruments or sit down together to catch all those shows you saved on the DVR. You could even invite your kids to get you hooked on their favourite games (if you aren't already). And if you're a talented sort of family, make a series of videos and upload them to YouTube.

Create a tournament

Rather than expressing your competitive drive by trying to ensure your gifts are the best under everyone's trees, start a family Scrabble or euchre tournament. As long as you write the scores in green and red, you're good. (Glitter helps rub in that you're ahead.) You can even use online game sites (look for free ones) to play against far-flung family. And consider this: It's all just material for next year's family newsletter.

Play secret Santa - with words

Rather than gifting each other with small items over the holidays as many traditional secret Santa games do, leave mysterious notes of appreciation for each other in strange places. Or, if your family's a little too cynical to go for that, leave jokes instead. Whoever discovers his or her secret Santa last has to do the dishes.

Read out loud

You can break out the Dickens or collection of poetry, go Canadian with Alistair MacLeod's delightful To Every Thing There Is a Season: A Cape Breton Christmas Story (warning: this story does get into who actually stuffs the stockings) or just take another family favourite off the shelf. Bonus points if you dole out roles to each other or actually get up and act a little.

The gift of free time

Don't pack the schedule so full people don't get time to decompress. At my house Boxing Day pretty much stands for sloth; irregular meals, a stack of videos, and staying in pjs all day wins over fighting the crowds at the mall. Other people who are more productive than I set aside time to pursue hobbies. For your teens, free time may actually be permission to disperse to hang out with friends - and that can actually be an okay tradition as well.

Volunteer

Yes, you've heard it before but you really can get in touch with the giving spirit by finding a cause and donating your time. One suggestion: Rather than actually doing the volunteer work during the holidays, take the time instead to talk together to choose a family volunteer event or placement for the year ahead.  It's kind of the gift that keeps on giving. 

Make the most of the holiday season: Check out the More.ca gift guide, enter our gift guide giveaway, and get tips on trimming holiday spending!

This article is original content on More.ca