2025 Christmas Bucket List for the Best December Yet

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 2025

Monday, December 1: Visit with the Grinch

Kick off the holiday season at a photo opportunity with everyone’s favorite Christmas villain. Warrenville Park District is hosting a Grinch Photo Pop-Up, but don’t forget your toy donation.

Tuesday, 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. Take a stroll through downtown and pick your favorites together! They also host a holiday scavenger hunt in businesses throughout downtown Downers Grove.

Wednesday, December 3: 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.

Thursday, December 4: Admire a Walk-Through Light Display

Stroll through the many walk-through holiday light displays. Get outside and stretch your legs before the temperatures drop even more. The Lisle Park District’s Peppermint Path was new last year, as was Geneva Park District’s Winter Wonder Lights.

Friday, December 5: Attend a Tree Lighting

There are quite a few tree lighting ceremonies happening on Friday night throughout the west and northwest suburbs. Carol Stream’s annual Holiday Tree Lighting includes a visit with Santa, holiday music and games, and other family-friendly activities, and Geneva’s Christmas Walk includes strolling carolers and roasted chestnuts.

Saturday, December 6: 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 7: 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 8: Explore a Winter Wonderland

Wonder Works Children’s Museum’s Winter Wonderland is packed with festive fun includes a human-sized snowglobe, instant snow sensory play, indoor snowball fight, and more. While not technically free, all the extra excitement is included in general admission fees.

Tuesday, December 9: 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 10: 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.

Thursday, December 11: Drive Through Aurora’s Festival of Lights

Found in the heart of Phillips Park, Aurora’s Festival of Lights is in its 19th year, and a free drive-through lights display throughout the Chicago area. We love to pack hot chocolate and cookies, enjoy the lights, and then stop by a few of the Best Christmas Lights displays nearby on our Aurora route.

Friday, December 12: 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 13: 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 14: Visit a Live Nativity

Live Nativity and Christmas Story, hosted by the Compass Church in Naperville, 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.

Monday, December 15: 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 16: 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 17: Take In a Holiday Performance

Our 2025 Holiday Theater guide is filled with holiday shows and special performances of The Nutcracker. If you’re not up for visiting the city, there are quite a few performances throughout the west and northwest suburbs. Jondra also included tips to help families decide which performances are best for them.

Thursday, December 18: Enjoy a Family Game Night

With one week to go, the Christmas excitement is palpable. Take a night for some low-key fun and host a family game night. We’ve rounded up some of our favorites, and hope our list inspires a few ideas for gifts to place under your Christmas tree.

Friday, December 19: 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.

Saturday, December 20: Take a FREE Photo with Santa

This Saturday, Santa’s House in St. Charles and Downtown Downers Grove’s Complimentary Visits with Santa are just two of the budget-friendly photo opportunities this December.

Sunday, December 21: 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 22: 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 22, and Polar Express earlier that morning.

NCG Cinemas in Yorkville is showing Polar Express for free every day December 19-24 at 11am, however you need to reserve seats in advance and we’re guessing it’s going to sell out. They also have earlier showings in December for other holiday movies if you’re interested!

Tuesday, December 23: 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!

Wednesday, December 24: 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.

Thursday, 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 couple printables 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