As the mother of one grown (and busy) daughter, one almost-grown (also busy) daughter, two tween girls who bounce between little kid and big kid by the minute, an 8-year-old son who’s essentially a 50-pound wrecking ball, and a Nana to a smaller wrecking ball who just wants to be like his uncle — intentional family time doesn’t exactly happen by accident.

A few years ago, my husband and I took inspiration from days gone by, when families gathered on Sundays to sit at the table and actually be present with one another. Right then and there, we instituted Sunday Family Dinner, and it’s still going strong. After all, Momma always said, “If you cook it, they will come.”

Okay, she didn’t actually say that — my mom hates to cook — but the idea holds true. The fastest way to get everyone in the same room is to promise good food. What my mom did teach me was how to be a little extra, so I started adding themes to our family dinners — themed food, plus a simple craft to keep the younger kids busy and a little less… wrecking-ball-ish.

If you’re reading this thinking, “That sounds like a lot of work,” you’re right. I spend a borderline ridiculous amount of time planning these dinners. But food is my love language (I’m not a hugger), so it’s worth it to me. However, you get to benefit from all the hours I’ve already spent online gathering ideas and turning them into easy-to-execute plans.

Each month, I’ll share a couple family dinner plans, complete with shopping lists and links. I’ll rate them low effort, medium effort, and queen of extra effort, so you can choose what fits your family and your schedule.

Bringing the Magic Back

Several years ago — somewhere between kids #3, #4, and #5 — Christmas started feeling less magical and more… chaotic. I was running around managing all the holly (with very little jolly), my husband was working to pay for all the jolly, and the older kids were losing their excitement while the younger ones were miserable because no one had time for them.

That’s when I realized something simple: with a little planning, we could bring the magic back.

Now, starting on the last day of school, each December day has its own theme centered around a Christmas movie or story. There are themed activities and printables to keep little hands busy, and the day usually ends with dinner and the whole family watching the movie together. The routine brings a calmness and order to our home that I truly love. A couple of hours of planning frees me up to enjoy the rest of the season — holly and jolly.

This week, I’m sharing two medium-effort plans that deliver a big dose of fun. Enjoy!

Happy Birthday, Jesus!

I’ve done this dinner for several years, usually a few days before Christmas. When the kids were little, it was simple — cake and nativity coloring pages. As they’ve grown, I’ve added more intentional reverence. This year, I hosted my daughters’ Bible study group Christmas party, which required activities that could keep a group of very lively girls engaged.

Craft

I kept it simple — something to keep hands busy while everyone arrived. “Stained glass” ornament kits from Amazon were perfect and work for all ages. In past years, we’ve also used DIY coloring mugs.

Shepherds’ Dinner

This is such a sweet way for kids to imagine the world Jesus was born into. The idea is to recreate a shepherd’s setting — a simple meal, eaten by candlelight, on the floor. While the girls ate, another mom read Luke 2:1–20. We passed around frankincense and myrrh, then gifted gold cross necklaces.

Food

Charcuterie (Well, we call it charcuterie, the Sheppards probably just called it dinner.): Dried figs, grapes, meats, and warm naan — foods that would’ve been available and portable in 0 AD (or year 1… Bible scholars, weigh in).
Lentil Stew: I trusted a Pioneer Woman recipe, and it paid off. The girls loved it so much the other moms asked for the recipe.

Set the Mood

Wooden bowls, wicker plate holders, a blanket on the floor, and lots of candles. When the lights went out, the room went quiet-ish — a minor miracle among 9- and 10-year-old girls. I bought a small bottle of frankincense and myrrh on Amazon, but I think most essential oil retailers carry those as well. (Try Nature's Market for a local supplier.)

Extras

We finished with a traditional birthday cake at the table. Store-bought worked just fine. Amazon has plenty of “Happy Birthday Jesus” decorations — cake toppers and banners make it feel festive with minimal effort.

Polar Express Party

Cookie-baking day is one of our busiest Christmas traditions. We bake and deliver a variety of cookies to our neighbors and friends. Over the years, my older girls have come to love this day and learn a few kitchen skills to boot. The younger kids, however, were all up in the middle of us and constantly getting into mischief, so I had to find a way to keep them occupied for a few hours that didn’t require a lot of adult help. Thus was born, Polar Express Day.

Now I usually print some word searches and such, but the big activity of the day is constructing and customizing their “train cars” out of large cardboard boxes and craft supplies. After the cookies are delivered, the kids eat dinner and drink hot chocolate in their train car, and watch the movie.

(For the record, I 100% agree with the people on the internet that think “The Polar Express” is actually a horror film because it’s terrifying, but my kids haven’t caught on yet, and they look forward to this day starting November 1st.)

Craft

Our train car customization has evolved a lot over the years. When the kids were little, they scribbled on the side and glued on wheels cut out of black paper. Now they take it super seriously and use multiple boxes and a TON of construction and craft paper to do all sorts of crazy stuff. If you’re like me and you want to “help” them make their crafts look good…walk away, sister. Let their imaginations run wild, and those hands will stay busy for a long time. After they’re finished, tell them they forgot to do the inside of the car. (wink wink)

Food

Hot Chocolate: Crockpot hot chocolate is a must — thick, rich, and topped with all the things.
Pizza Rolls: Easy, dippable, and perfect for train-car dining. Homemade makes it feel less junky.
Popcorn & Cookies: Ok, look. We aren’t going for nutrition here; the objective is fun. If you want to up the wow factor, I recommend grabbing a bag of Big Poppa Corn, a local company. I’m not being paid to advertise for them, I’m just a really big fan! As far as cookies, it doesn’t matter if you make/scoop and bake/ pick up a box, just have cookies present.

Extras

The beauty of this theme is that the kids do most of the work. Make sure they have lots of supplies and let them go to town. Just watch the movie with them at the end of the day and BAM!...you’ve made Christmas magic happen. Good for you!

And that’s a wrap — two days full of holly and jolly with a manageable amount of effort. I hope your holiday season is joyful, memorable, and mostly chaos-free. I’ll be back soon with ideas for a family New Year’s Eve party!