Christmas in July Ideas

These fun Christmas in July ideas give you an excuse to throw in some holiday spirit during the middle of summer. It is one of my FAVORITE summer fun traditions!

You may be thinking to yourself, “What the heck is Christmas in July?”. I get it, most people don’t do this fun tradition, but I reeeeeally think more people should because it is so fun!

It doesn’t need to be overcomplicated. Just choose a few of your favorite holiday traditions (that if you are like me, can’t wait 12 months between enjoyment) to mash up in one awesome day.

Why you should have Christmas in July

• It a great way to have holiday cheer throughout the whole year!
• It puts a fun twist on a typical summer party.
• Why not have the most wonderful time of the year more than once?
• This party is one of the best ways to break up the summer months.

We include everything from our favorite December foods and treats, like these darling decorated sugar cookies and other gluten free Christmas desserts to little activities and just a bit of decor.

Of course, a great Christmas music playlist is a must as well. We have shared some fun ideas about Christmas in July before, but here we are sharing even more great ideas.

We decided on Santa in his swimming suit, a coconut drink, and holiday-lit flamingos to surprise the kids with when they woke up to the Christmas in July celebration. They did not disappoint!

So how does it work?

I have always loved the Christmas season. Waiting 365 days before I get to celebrate it from year to year is just too much for me. That is when I knew we must create this unofficial holiday and celebrate Christmas throughout the year!

There is no official date for these Christmas in July activities, so pick one night in July (after the kids go to bed) to put out a couple of Christmas decorations for the kids to wake up to. They will love the surprise when they wake up.

I like using our giant Santa because he is so easy to put out and makes a big statement. A simple tablecloth and a wreath work great also. If you want to really amp up the Christmas cheer, put up some Christmas lights around the living room.

A fun way to get the kids in the Christmas spirit when they wake up is by letting them help decorate a pineapple with mini bulbs and decorations. Some sunglasses with complete the look.

Christmas Playlist

Set the tone for the perfect Christmas in July with your holiday music playlist. From the moment you wake up until bedtime, Christmas music should be playing…or as long as you can handle it!

Here are a few of my favorite holiday top hits you do not want to miss out on. You can also make it simple and ask Alexa to play Christmas Classics or Holiday Favorites.

• Jingle Bells
• White Christmas
• Holly Jolly Christmas
• The Christmas Song
• Silent Night
• Here Comes Santa Claus
• Frosty the Snowman
• I’ll Be Home for Christmas
• All I Want for Christmas is You
• Baby It’s Cold Outside
• Santa Claus is Coming to Town

Christmas Pajamas

Once you set the tone of your home with the awesome holiday decorations they can wake up to, and you have got the playlist ready, next up is to make sure everyone is in their Christmas pajamas.

One of our family traditions is to get a new pair each year; this is another fun time to wear them. If you do not have Christmas pjs, another great option is to get everyone to wear red and green for the day.

Wear an ugly Christmas sweater if you do not want to wear pajamas! There are sweater vests out there, so you do not have to wear a toasty sweater in the hot month of July.

Christmas Breakfast

We start our Christmas in July morning with a themed breakfast like these reindeer pancakes. You can also make gingerbread pancakes or our eggnog cake, which totally passes as breakfast in my opinion.

If you are like us, we love gluten-free cinnamon rolls on Christmas morning. They are more work but are so fun to enjoy in July. These Christmas pancakes are also a perfectly delicious option.

A family tradition of ours is making ebelskivers (small Danish pancakes). They are popular around Christmastime, but honestly, we make them year-round.

You can make your breakfast even more special with a cup of hot cocoa for everyone. Or go all out with themed food and make our easy gingerbread martini mocktail or one of our 15+ Christmas mocktails.

Non alcoholic mulled wine and our non-alcoholic white Russian mocktail are more fantastic Christmas beverages your guests will enjoy. Crockpot apple cider is another classic beverage to serve up for this “holiday.”

Serve everything up on Christmas plates that you can get for a dollar each at Target. I also like to use my table as a place I set up just a few holiday decor items like a themed tablecloth and some pipe cleaner trees.

Once breakfast is cleaned up, it is time for some fun games. Why not whip up a batch of fake snow? It could not be easier, and the kids will love this interactive activity.

To make the play snow, simply mix 3 cups of baking soda with 1/2 cup of conditioner. If you use coconut conditioner, you will have a summery smelling snow.

Our kids like grabbing small toys to play with in the snow, especially their toy cars. They think playing with monster trucks in the snow is so fun.

We love to have an indoor snowball fight with these soft cotton snowballs. They are so fun! Plus, there is absolutely no clean up except for picking them up and putting them away.

We keep with the snow theme for snacks and have little gluten-free donuts made into powdered balls. You can add some red and green sprinkles on top for an even more holiday look to them.

A melted snowman (water) drink is festive too! Just put a black hat on the top of the water container, a black scarf around the bottom, and a big carrot nose next to it. Our kids think this is so funny.

You can put this melted snowman drink at a drink station filled with other beverages like our mocktails. Another idea is to have a frozen hot chocolate bar. Depending on where you live, you may not want to sip on hot chocolate in July.

For a savory snack, put together a Christmas charcuterie board (we call it a charcuterwreath). We used rosemary as the branches in between pepperoni, salami, and olives. The wreath shape is super festive and gorgeous.

The afternoon is another perfect time to get in the kitchen and roll out some delicious peanut butter reindeer cookies. The kids will have a blast making them and even more fun decorating them.

These gluten-free ginger molasses cookies, Grinch cookies, and red velvet cake mix cookies are huge hits as well. And of course, you can try out the Christmas classic: gluten-free gingerbread cookies.

Get out those Christmas coloring books and books for an easy-themed quiet time. you can even print off Christmas coloring sheets online if you do not have a book of your own.

You could also have your kids write up a little Christmas wish list during this time. That way, you can be on the lookout between now and December just in case something that they really want goes on sale.

When it gets just too hot to handle, pull out the frozen ice block treasure you created days before just for today. I like this tutorial on how to make ice block treasures. This is a great idea to beat that summer heat.

Give your kids spoons and let them chip away trying to get their toys back out. Make sure they wear sunglasses or goggles to protect their cute little eyeballs.

For your evening activity, choosing your favorite Christmas movie that you need to enjoy more than once a year is only fitting. You can also find a cute movie on the Hallmark channel.

A movie marathon is also really fun if you have your Christmas in July party over the weekend. Right before bed, be sure to read a few Christmas stories. This will create one last beautiful memory of the day.

 Tips & Tricks

• Plan ahead – Have a Christmas in July tote easily accessible when packing up Christmas decorations so you do not have to dig through all of your holiday decor in July.
• Have mini Christmas – Have a small Secret Santa gift exchange so you are still exchanging gifts, but on a minor scale.
• Crafts – Find a cute Christmas craft online and put them together as a family! Make reindeer wear swimsuits and sunglasses and color pictures of elves on the beach!

So, what are you waiting for? Pull out the Christmas decorations and have the best Christmas in July ever.

*This post was originally posted on July 11, 2017, but has since been updated with new photos and festive ideas on June 21, 2023.