15 Allergy-Friendly Holiday Activities to Make Every Season Joyful

Many of our favorite holidays have one thing in common– FOOD. As an allergy mom and holiday magic maker, shifting attention away from food centered activities has helped lessen my anxiety. As much as I love a festive dinner and holiday treats, having a schedule of non-food related fun not only eases anxiety, it helps to make the entire season more JOYFUL. To help, I’ve compiled a list of 15 Allergy-Friendly Holiday Activities to Make Every Season Joyful.

One of our favorite family traditions is looking at holiday decorations. For us, this starts at the beginning of October when many neighbors begin to decorate for Halloween. Our brisk evening walks quickly turn into winter night drives. We love to crank up the holiday tunes and check out twinkling light displays. 

It’s a busy time of year, so I find it helpful to get the calendar out at the beginning of each month and pencil in a few activities. Many of these ideas can extend beyond the winter months and be used any time of year. 

Here is my list of 15 Allergy-Friendly Holiday Activities to Make Every Season Joyful:

1. Walk or drive around to look at holiday decorations. Whether it’s a walk or drive through your neighborhood, or finding a festival of lights– this activity is a crowd pleaser and something to look forward to every year. 
2. Watch holiday shows and movies. What better way to spend a fall or winter night than cozied up as a family while watching your favorite show or movie. 
3. Wear holiday pajamas. I’m a sucker for a matching set. My boys look forward to their new pajamas each holiday season. One cost saving tip is to be on the look out for postseason sales– buy a size or two larger for your growing kids and save them for next year!
4. Decorate your home for the holiday. Creating a space that welcomes each holiday season sparks joy for everyone. 
5. Holiday themed crafts. From pumpkin carving to ornament making, the possibilities for this are endless. 
6. Create a holiday countdown. We love opening a non-candy advent calendar each December 1. 
7. Read holiday themed books. Build your home library with festive books, or reserve holiday themed books through your local library.
8. Play holiday music throughout the day. This is one of my favorite things to do!
9. Make a holiday bucket list. Include the whole family in making a list of seasonal bucket list activities. 
10. Check for festive events in your community. We love holiday activities at our local zoo!
11. Donate to a local charity. Each year our family donates gently used toys to our local shelter. It’s a great way to encourage giving AND declutter!  We also give to FARE.
12. Plan to volunteer at your child’s school. Chances are your child has a classroom party during the holiday season. Find out the date and details early and plan to help out during the festivities. As a former teacher, I always appreciated parent help during holiday fun. 
13. Family game night. Holiday trivia or charades are a hoot!
14. Get in touch with a far-away family member. Whether through a phone call, facetime, a hand written card– get in touch with family members you might see regularly.
15. Give a gift to a teacher or cherished friend. Encourage generosity by enlisting your little one to either make or buy a gift for someone else. Bonus: Have them wrap it too!

My hope is that you find a few allergy-friendly activities to help make your season bright. There is so much magic to be celebrated and managing food allergies doesn’t need to dull the sparkle of the holiday season. What are your favorite allergy-friendly holiday activities? Share them in the comments!