One of the most important aspects of family life is establishing regular traditions and celebrating the holidays. The holidays can often be chaotic and stressful times in our lives, and the fun little things tend to get lost. No matter what holidays you choose to celebrate or what traditions you decide to have, it’s important to have this sense of regularity and togetherness. This gives the family something to look forward to and creates memories that will last a lifetime. Here are some of our tips that you can choose to set up in your home.

• For Valentine’s Day, have each family member decorate a Valentine’s sack. Each family member can put small gifts inside each other’s bag and on Valentine’s Day you can open your bag. Having a special family dinner. You and your spouse can opt for a more romantic evening the weekend after the vacation; if you’re lucky, get a babysitter.
• For President’s Day, pick a few presidents and come up with a list of fun facts about them. Elect a new president each year. Have a presidential-themed dinner, choosing meals or desserts that were favorites of the president-elect.
• For St. Patrick’s Day, put up some fun decorations and have a green-themed meal.
• For Easter, color and decorate the eggs together. Have a big meal with the extended family and have a big egg hunt for all the kids. You can put money, candy, or small trinkets in plastic eggs or use a wax crayon or marker to write on decorated hard-boiled eggs as prizes. You can have a contest for him to get the most eggs, etc.
• Celebrate Arbor Day and plant a tree. If you don’t have a garden, plant a houseplant. It will be fun to watch him grow over the years.
• Celebrate Earth Day by supporting a cause you care about. You can choose to adopt a wild animal, switch to green cleaning products, visit a health food store or a recycling center.
• In May, celebrate Cinco de Mayo by learning how to cook a Mexican meal as a family. You can even make fun mocktails that the kids will enjoy.
• Memorial Day is the time to pay tribute to our ancestors who gave their lives for the freedoms we cherish today. You can celebrate this often overlooked holiday by visiting a cemetery and decorating graves with flowers or flags. You may fly a United States flag (recommended only at half mast until noon). Attend parades, fireworks displays, or memorial shows in your area, or visit memorials.
• Celebrate the beginning of summer in June. Choose the longest night of the year to have a festive meal, visit a local pool or the beach. Start stargazing in your backyard. You can consult books and discover the constellations and learn more about space exploration.
• For the 4th of July, go see a community fireworks display.
• Go to your local state or county fair each year.
• Labor Day is set aside each year to honor the American worker. Make this a family day and enjoy the togetherness. It also symbolizes the waning days of summer. Spend it with your family by going to a local pool or lake, go camping, or just hang out in your backyard. Making homemade ice cream in an old-fashioned ice cream maker is a fun tradition that kids will love.
• Plan Halloween costumes weeks in advance. Halloween is a fun holiday to decorate your home. Have the older kids help you set up a haunted graveyard on your front lawn to welcome trick-or-treaters. Make candied apples or popcorn balls together. Visit a pumpkin patch. Take a hayride at a local farm.
• During Thanksgiving, get the kids involved. This can be a boring holiday for many children, but it is often overlooked and little celebrated. Make time inside your food to go around and each say a few things you are thankful for. Let the children help prepare the food. Visit or receive family and friends. Volunteer to help a less fortunate person or charity during this time. Adopt a family and give them special gifts or items to make a dinner.
• For Christmas, make homemade sweets/cookies together. Make your own Christmas cards and send them to family and friends. Visit community events like zoo lights, community centers, and recreation departments often sponsor fun events. Go for a sleigh ride. Have fun thinking of gift ideas for each member of the family. Decorate your tree together. Make a Christmas village and try to buy a new piece each year. Turn around and look at the light displays. Decorate your own house. Make cider, eggnog, or hot chocolate.
• For the first snowfall, make it a family tradition to go sledding. When you’re done, grab some homemade hot chocolate—the prepackaged stuff you get from the grocery store is never that good. Cook up a hearty pot of chili or homemade soup in your slow cooker and make fresh bread in the bread maker.