Holiday activities all around Chicagoland are spreading cheer this Christmas season. Maybe you want to plan a few special outings with your family, or perhaps you plan to fit in as many as your merry little heart can handle.
Our Christmas Bucket List has mostly free and a few paid suggestions for each day in December to keep your season jolly! We have ideas for holiday fun every day of the Advent season.
Also, be sure to watch out for our Best Christmas Lights in Chicagoland article, which will come out near the end of November with tons of destinations to see spectacular holiday lights displays.
Christmas Bucket List for December 2024
Sunday, December 1: Go See Santa or Visit a Live Nativity
Fashion Outlets of Chicago in Rosemont has a wonderful Santa on Level One, near the food court. Visits with him are always free and they have photo packages available for purchase. Our guide for Where to See Santa has more information on these visits as well as pet visits with Santa.
Faith United Presbyterian Church in Tinley Park is hosting Journey to Bethlehem, which is a free live walk-through nativity with complimentary snacks and a small petting zoo.
Monday, December 2: Judge the Holiday Windows
Downtown Downers Grove hosts a holiday window contest every Christmas season. Last year, visitors found colorfully crafted gingerbread houses are displayed in 40+ windows. We can’t wait to see what the theme is this year. Take a stroll through downtown and pick your favorites together!
Tuesday, December 3: Admire a New Walk-Through Light Display
Lisle Park District is flipping the switch on their new walk-through light display called Peppermint Path at Lisle Community Park on December 1 and we can’t wait to check it out.
Wednesday, December 4: Head to a Winter Festival
Winterfest in North Riverside or Westchester’s Winter Wonderland Walk are lighting up the night with live music, a tree lighting, refreshments, and, of course, Santa Claus.
There’s also a Sensory-Friendly Night at ZooLights in Lincoln Park on December 4.
Thursday, December 5: Attend a Tree Lighting
Elmhurst’s annual Tree Lighting in Wilder Park includes a visit with Santa or the Grinch, holiday music and games, and other family-friendly activities.
Friday, December 6: Enjoy a Horse-Drawn Carriage Ride
While many places charge a fee for holiday carriage rides, the Holly Days festivities in Warrenville will offer free rides, along with Santa visits, entertainment, and a tree lighting ceremony.
Saturday, December 7: Celebrate with Santa
Homer For The Holidays in Homer Glen will kick off with holiday crafts, hot cocoa, a Santa meet and greet, costumed characters, a Letters to Santa box for wish lists, and more. The lights display will also turn on in Heritage Park. If you can’t make the lighting, this is still a great free lights display to visit throughout the season.
Take your photo with Santa, Grinch and even Mickey at Villa Park’s Joyful Traditions. Stroll along side the Prairie Path while checking out the petting zoo, pony rides, decorated Christmas trees, and more! Grab dinner at one of the food trucks and do not forget to stop at the S’mores Station! Be sure to hop on the Trolley! Trolley will be operating to the library and Historical Society
Sunday, December 8: Give Back at the Toys for Tots Toy Drive with Characters
Visit all your favorite superheroes and princesses for photo opportunities at the Glen Ellyn’s Toys for Tots Toy Drive with Characters. The cost: new and unwrapped toys to donate. This is just one of the many great Toy Drives and Donation Opportunities that help spread joy this holiday season.
Monday, December 9: Head to the city for Lincoln Park Zoo’s ZooLights
Celebrate the 30th anniversary of Lincoln Park Zoo’s holiday display. Regular admission to see ZooLights is $7-10 depending on the day, but on Mondays, it’s free! Tickets must be reserved in advance, and become available at 11:00am one week ahead of time.
Tuesday, December 10: Sip Hot Cocoa
The Holiday Tree Lighting in La Grange, hosted at Waiola Park, is an annual event filled with live entertainment, cookies and hot cocoa.
Wednesday, December 11: Take a Nightly Stroll in Naperville
Take a walking tour of Christmas lights at Naperville’s Naper Lights. Grab some dinner or maybe a special treat in downtown before enjoying the lights, colors and sounds strolling down the Riverwalk. Make sure to stop and grab your 3D glasses as well!
Thursday, December 12: Volunteer with your Family
It is easy to get lost in the hustle and bustle of the holiday season. Volunteering with your kids is a win-win, you spend quality time together while helping your community. St. Cletus Food Pantry accepts help on Thursday evenings, Feed My Starving Children locations have daily packing sessions, and our volunteering guide has additional ideas for giving back, too.
Friday, December 13: Sing along to Christmas Carols
Head to the city for a night of singing at the Millennium Park Holiday Sing-Alongs. Bundle up as you sing with local choral groups from around the Chicago area.
Saturday, December 14: Enjoy Holiday Fun at a Winter Frostival
Arlington Heights Historical Museum’s Winter Frostival is home to strolling carolers, live animals, cookies, cocoa, Ice Princess and Ice Queen, and of course, visits with Santa.
Sunday, December 15: Visit the Christmas in the Commons
New Lenox’s Christmas in the Commons is an annual lights display filled with additional family-friendly activities on Saturdays and Sundays throughout the holiday season. Guests will find horse-drawn wagon rides, visits with Santa, and much more. Even though it’s not in the western suburbs, we couldn’t resist giving a shoutout to this popular spot.
Monday, December 16: Watch a Christmas Movie
While not technically free, the Paramount Theater in Aurora offers $1 Movie Mondays, and is hosting Christmas movies in December. Family-favorites include Home Alone on December 16, and Polar Express on the morning of December 23.
Tuesday, December 17: See the Holiday Lights in Lombard’s Lilacia Park
The Holiday Lights in Lilacia Park are a local favorite annual holiday lights display with light shows, tree decorations, gingerbread houses, and more. If you’d like to make the outing extra special, you could make it a train trip on the Metra UP-West Line. The Lombard Metra Station is right across the tracks from Lilacia Park, and there are plenty of downtown restaurants nearby, too.
Wednesday, December 18: Free Holiday Crafts for Kids
Feeling like staying inside? Try one of Annie’s favorite Christmas crafts: paper snowflakes made from coffee filters. Fold the filters in half, and then in half again. Have fun cutting all sorts of shapes, then open to see your unique creation. If you want to take it a step further, color your coffee filter snowflakes with markers and spray with a water bottle. The end result looks tie-dyed!
Thursday, December 19: Take a Tour of Neighborhood Lights Displays
Go on your own personal lights tour to see the amazing displays that our neighbors create. We make it easy in our list of the Best Christmas Lights Displays in Chicagoland with photographs, descriptions, and a map so you can plan your route. Bringing some Christmas cookies or warm cider in the car can help make the trip extra-special, too!
Residential lights displays usually start the day after Thanksgiving; our updated guide comes out around the same time.
Friday, December 20: Visit a Live Nativity
Live Nativity and Christmas Story, hosted by Elmhurst Christian Reformed Church, brings the Christmas story to life with live actors and family-friendly elements. For more information on other live nativities throughout the area this season, check out our complete guide to live nativities hosted by Chicagoland churches.
Saturday, December 21: Find Santa for Last-Minute Wish List Updates
Santa and Mrs. Claus will be at Wheaton’s “W Tent” (located at South Main Street and West Liberty Drive in Wheaton) to take photos and visit with children. If your kids have a last-minute wish list update, this is a great spot to find Santa right before Christmas!
While you’re downtown, you can stroll over to the library, which Kidlist readers picked as one of the Top 10 Libraries in Chicago’s West Suburbs for 2024.
Sunday, December 22: Have a Gift-Wrapping Party Together
Round up your crew, play some carols, and break out the gift wrap to get this chore done together. Wrapping presents is often fun for kids. Small children especially love getting to use tools like scissors, tape, ribbon, and bows. Writing tags, tying ribbons, affixing bows: it’s basically a giant crafting session!
If you are looking for a fun idea this year, one of my favorite wrapping ideas is to wrap with plain white paper (or even leftover brown bags) and give the kiddos some crayons and makers to crate their own magical holiday wrapping paper.
You can talk about who the gifts are for and why you chose them to help encourage thoughtfulness. Kids might want to wrap in their rooms and sneak presents for family members down beneath the tree, too.
Monday, December 23: Skate in the Park
Each winter, Parkway Bank Park in Rosemont is home to Skating in the Park. Guests receive free admission to skate under the twinkling lights. Ice skate rentals are available for $8.
Tuesday, December 24 : Skate in the Park
NCG Cinemas in Yorkville is showing Polar Express for free every day December 20-24 at 11am, however you need to reserve seats in advance and we’re guessing it’s going to sell out.
Here’s a tip for the Kidlist calendar: Every event listed on our website has a link directly to more information from the venue’s website. Look under DETAILS and click through, especially for events that require tickets even if they are free.
Wednesday, December 25: Take a Christmas Day Hike Through The Morton Arboretum
The Morton Arboretum is free to visit every Christmas Day! (The buildings and Children’s Garden are closed, so plan accordingly.) Go after all of the present-opening hubbub. It’s a glorious counterbalance to all the hustle and bustle of the holiday season.
Printable Christmas Bucket List
We made a printable too! Click the image below to open the holiday bucket list in a new window and print the high quality version so you can mark off the ones you have done.
We love when you tag us on social! Be a Kidlist friend and tag @kidlist #sharekidlist when you try something you see on the site. And for more holiday inspiration, bookmark the Kidlist Holiday Guide for Winter 2024
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Brookfield zoo is open Christmas Day.