15 Ways to Spend Quality Time with Your Young Adult Children During the Holidays

My three kids are spread out all over, but I can almost always count on the holiday season being a time when we can all be together, if only just for a day or two. It's important to make the most of the time we do have with our young adult children. It's important to remember that we worked hard as parents to launch our kids and it's important to remember that they are busy creating lives and traditions of their own, but it's still important to make the most of the time we have together. Here are 15 creative and meaningful ways parents can spend quality time with their young adult children during the holidays.

15 Ways to Spend Quality Time with Your Young Adult Children During the Holidays

1. Family Movie Night

This is a fun throwback to when you used to have family movie nights when the kids were little. The movie selection might be a little different now, but you'll still have a chance to gather around, and enjoy something together. Maybe you want to break out the classics {this is my pick!} or maybe your kids will introduce you to something you might have missed. Regardless, create a cozy atmosphere with blankets, popcorn and snacks and enjoy the time together.

2. Cooking and Baking

I'm finding that my young adult children are teaching ME a thing or two about cooking and baking! It's easy for me to default to mom makes all the things, but your young adults can help in the kitchen and you'll likely be impressed {surprised?!} at the skills they've picked up living on their own. 
You could even have a bake off {I've bought this village before and had the kids compete for prizes}, or host a cookie exchange with some of their friends who are also home visiting their parents. Or, let your kids try a new recipe for the holiday meal and work in the kitchen together. You might learn a thing or two from your kids, and it might also be an opportunity to help your young adults brush up on some valuable cooking skills too!

3. DIY Craft Projects

I started out as a craft blogger, and I know I will hear moans when I mention DIY craft projects, but hear me out, not all crafts have to look like a preschooler made them! Working together on a craft project could be a lot of fun and inspire creativity and teamwork. Consider making holiday decorations, custom gifts, or handmade candles.

Here's a whole post of DIY Handmade Gifts That Don't Suck

4. Game Night

We are BIG fans of family game nights. Not only does it provide hours of entertainment, but it's also a great way to bond and create a lot of laughs. Lately, we've been loving Table Topics. It's not really a game, but more of a get-to-know-you series of questions that always provides insight into some things you never really think to ask. There are a bunch of different varieties, and they provide really great conversation starters, especially around the dinner table. 

Here is a list of the 20 Best Family Board Games Our Family Loves

5. Leave a Puzzle Out

I've found that when you leave a puzzle out on a table, people are drawn to it like a moth to a flame! It doesn't take long before one person and than another sits down and starts putting pieces in and they are chatting away. Even if they are self-professed puzzle haters! We've found that 300-500 piece puzzles are kind of the sweet spot for our family. 

6. Get Outside

Take advantage of the holiday season's charm by getting outdoors to enjoy some activities together. Depending on where you live, you can take advantage of pop up ice skating locations, sledding hills, snowshoeing paths or simply just a walk around the neighborhood to look at Christmas lights.

7. Volunteer Together

The holiday season is a time for giving, and volunteering as a family can be an incredibly rewarding experience. Find a local charity or organization that aligns with your interests, and spend a day giving back.

8. Plan a Getaway

Consider taking a short vacation as a family, whether it's a weekend road trip to a nearby town or a more extended holiday to a different destination. Traveling together can create lasting memories and unique bonding opportunities. And young adults will likely enjoy the break and many often have time off of work.

9. Learn Something New Together

There are lots of fun little pop up skills classes during the holiday season, why not enroll in something together? Maybe it's a fun little class at the local gym where you all learn the real actual rules of pickleball, or you take part in a local cooking class and learn some new skills together.

10. Get Some Tickets

Get tickets to a local sporting event, play, or holiday concert. There are lots of community activities your family can take part in and they don't have to cost a lot of money.

11. Schedule a Family Photo Session

I didn't realize how infrequently all of my kids would be together in one place. Anytime we are together, I try to make the most of it by setting up a tripod {this is the one I have that works with my phone and my apple watch as a timer}, and snapping a few family photos. 
Last year, my oldest son and his wife actually booked a professional photographer for a photo session and it was such a memorable and meaningful experience. I cherish family photos, and your kids will too the older they get.

12. Have a Cocktail Party

Now that our kids are "of age", we started a fun mocktail/cocktail competition as a family. We rank the top three drinks and they are judged on their name, the taste and the presentation. It's a lot of fun working to create something new to bring to the competition and watching the creativity come into play as new ideas are brought to the table.

13. Plan Some Healthy Competition

Our family has been pickleball fans since before pickleball got popular! Most of the time our family will get together to play a family pickleball game. It's a great way for everyone of all ages and skill levels to participate. Ask me how I know! For years, we were that family that ran a 5k and hosted our own family turkey trot. Whatever you do, creating the opportunity for some healthy family competition is a lot of fun!

14. Get Out the Old Movies and Photos

This group of young adults likely had scrapbooks and snapfish albums made of them to document many a life event. Simply laying out a stack of old photos or even playing the old vhs will get your young adults talking and sharing memories with one another.

15. Take What You Can Get!

Gone are the days when we have full control over our kids schedules. I've learned to take what I can get, and to be ready to drop everything if I'm invited into their life. It's funny how quickly my plans can change if my kids ask me to do something. So be prepared to be flexible and take what you can get!

The holiday season is such a great time to connect with loved ones. Spending quality time with your young adult children during this time can be a rewarding and memorable experience. It's the perfect time to start forming new holiday traditions and taking the time to just be present in each other's lives. This holiday season, make an effort to connect with your young adults in a new way and you'll find that the time you spend together will be a real treasure.



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