With less than 12 school days till winter break, here are some fun holiday activities to make the most of this holiday season!

• Make Gingerbread Houses – I did this last year from a Gingerbread House kit from Trader Joe’s, and it was super fun to decorate and try to make the house look pretty!

• Go downtown – All the Christmas decorations especially the train display inside Belmond Charleston Place hotel lobby make this an excellent idea for the holidays! While you’re there you might as well buy gifts for others too.

• Christmas Parade – Located at Coleman Boulevard in Mount Pleasant, there are plenty of fun vehicles and activities to watch. It happens on December 14, 2025 , at 5:30-8:00pm so make sure to be there but definitely dress for the weather!

• Make holiday cookies – Either from scratch or a mix, these are a great activity to do with friends or loved ones to get you into the holiday spirit! After they bake, you can decorate them.

• Watch holiday movies – National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, Elf, The Grinch, The Polar Express, Home Alone, It’s a Wonderful Life, Miracle on 34th Street, and Love Actually are just a few of the holiday favorites.

• Ski or snowboard – Although we don’t have any snowy mountains nearby, a quick trip to North Carolina or other snowy places gives the opportunity to ski or snowboard! Some say skiing is easier to learn but harder to become a pro at, and snowboarding is the opposite.

• Create a wish-list – If your friends and family celebrate Christmas or do gift-giving during this season, making a wish-list is a fun way to celebrate. 

• Decorate your room – Whether you are religious or not, decorating your room for the holiday season is enjoyable especially when you have your favorite music playing.

• Make a Yule Log – If you have a lot of time on your hands, making a Yule Log is a fun way to make the hours pass by. It is a bit more challenging than the average chocolate chip cookie or cupcake, but the results are so worth it and delicious!

• Do Holiday crafts – Look at Pinterest for inspiration and then craft whatever your heart’s desire is! You can invite friends and family for a crafting day and maybe even use your creations as Holiday decorations.

• Have a self-care day – With all the midterms (and a final exam for some seniors), it is important to get a break from all that studying! Some ideas are taking a bath with a bath on, lighting a candle, putting on a face mask and your favorite show, cleaning your room, doing a hobby or craft, and just relaxing overall!

• Bonfire/campfire – As it is getting colder, what is a better way to stay warm than huddle around a fire with your loved ones? While you are there, you might as well make s’mores!

• Go ice skating – Charleston Ice Palace, in my opinion, is the best place to ice skate in Charleston. There’s food and music as well.

• See Christmas Lights – Drive to the Holiday Festival of Lights at James Island County Park to look at the amazing light decorations with your friends or family.

• Volunteer at Toys for Tots – I did this before and it’s fun to pick out gifts for children in need and help them have the best Christmas experience as well. You are assigned a gender and age and you go around the local chapter to choose gifts for them (you don’t have to buy the gifts either, although you can donate). Here is the link to sign up: https://charleston-sc.toysfortots.org/local-coordinator-sites/lco-sites/local-volunteer-form.aspx

I hope these gave you some ideas for this holiday season!