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Listening to your favorite Christmas song for the first time each year.
Hanging the first decoration up on the tree.
Baking Christmas goodies with your family or friends.
Flipping the switch on your lights à-la Clark Griswold.
Whatever kicks off the holiday season in your household likely has special meaning and sentimental memories tied to it.
There are many things you can do to help your family foster those festive feelings.
If you're looking for some inspiration, here are the top 12 things to get your family into the Christmas Spirit this year.
1. Count down the days to Christmas with an advent calendar
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Gemstone Advent Calendar by National Geographic
Geology Rocks
This is an advent calendar that features 24 different gemstones for your little one to uncover each day leading up to Christmas. The set includes a collector's pouch to protect the precious, polished gems, which include agate, green aventurine, hematite, sodalite, turquenite, tiger's eye, blue calcite, and more. It also includes five jewelry settings so kids can create their own special jewelry with their new gemstones!
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Dinosaur Advent Calendar by National Geographic
Excavate an Advent-osaurus
If dinosaurs are more your toddlers' speed, this advent calendar with 24 different dinos will be right up their alley(saurus...pun intended). During the daily countdown, your children will discover a stegosaurus, a velociraptor, a tyrannosaurus-rex, and more. On the final day, they'll even unearth a triceratops from a dig brick, just like a paleontologist would do.
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Christmas Cheer Chocolate Advent Calendar
Sweets for Your Sweeties
If chocolate's more on your toddlers' radar, you can't go wrong with a classic calendar that counts down the days leading up to Christmas with a sweet treat for your little sweetie pies.
2. Get your kiddos to unleash their creativity by decorating a tree that's all their own
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Wall-Hanging Felt Christmas Tree for Kids to Decorate by Onekka
Time to Decorate
This is a felt Christmas tree that you can hang on your wall, so your twins have their very own tree to call their own. It's 40 inches tall and 27 inches wide, so it's the perfect height for little ones to decorate. It comes with 32 Velcro ornaments that your toddlers can place on the tree over and over again. It also comes with a string of lights you can add to the tree once they're old enough that they won't feel compelled to pull them down and drag them around the house.
3. Craft up some festive fun
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Christmas Crafts by Ready 2 Learn
Get Crafty
This is a set of holiday-themed crafts by Ready 2 Learn. It comes with four magnets that double as tree decorations, so you can do your crafts with your kiddos and then hang them up on the Christmas tree once they're complete.
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Never Touch a Grumpy Elf! Sticker Activity Book
Seriously, Don't Touch the Elf
This is the Never Touch a Grumpy Elf! Sticker Activity Book by Rosie Greening. It's jam-packed with things to keep your toddlers busy, like card press-outs to create and over 100 big stickers to use in the book or on Christmas cards for loved ones or important letters to Santa!
4. Write a letter to Santa with your wishlist
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Letter To Santa Kit by KOFECIT
Dear Santa...
This is a set of five-by-seven-inch fill-in-the-blank cards for your little ones to write their very important letters to Santa. It comes with eight sets of festive cards with room for the highly coveted items on their wish list, red envelopes, stickers, seals, and address labels.
5. Climb aboard your sleighs and go for a walk to see the Christmas lights around your neighborhood
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Traditional Double Up Sleigh with Plaid Pads by Streamridge
Giddy-Up
This is the Traditional Double Up Sleigh with Plaid Pads by Streamridge. It's hand-crafted from Ontario ash hardwood, is assembled with durable screws, and has a tough protective finish to make sure this sleigh lasts until long after your toddlers outgrow it. The plaid pads on each seat adds comfort and a festive flair.
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Grizzly Dual Sleigh with Bootie Pads
Riding in a Wonderland of Snow
Or, if you like a side-by-side sled option, so your twins can peek over at each other while out on their sleighride, try the Grizzly Dual Sleigh with Bootie Pads by Steamridge. This sleigh, which is also hand-crafted from Ontario ash hardwood, features a braided pull rope and classic curled runners with a red, metal c-clip to protect the runners and help retain their shape. Metal wear bars under the wooden runners help extend the life of the sleigh. Plaid seat pads ensure a comfortable ride, and the hand-quilted bootie pads wrap around your precious cargo like a blanket to keep them cozy and warm on their outing.
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JBL Go 3 Portable Mini Bluetooth Speaker
Crank the Carols
Take your Christmas lights tour a step further by cranking up some Christmas tunes while on-the-go with the JBL Go 3 Portable Mini Bluetooth Speaker. This speaker is waterproof and dustproof and has five hours of playtime, in case you find yourself on an epic adventure.
6. Throw on a cute and cozy pair of Christmas jammies
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Simple Joys Baby Three-Piece Snug-Fit Cotton Holiday Pajama Set by Carter's
Seasonal Sleepwear
This is a three-piece pajama set that will get your little ones excited about the holiday season. It's made of quick-drying fabric and has two long-sleeve tops and a pair of pants with ribbed cuffs.
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Christmas Two-Piece Snug-Fit Cotton Pajamas by Carter's
Santa + Milk + Cookies
These cute Christmas jammies feature ol' St. Nick and his favorite go-to snack on Christmas Eve: milk and cookies. This two-piece cotton set is designed to have a snug fit, so your twins will be snug in their beds when Santa Claus comes to town.
7. Put on your favorite festive slippers to keep your tootsies toasty
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Child & Toddler Slip-Resistant Slippers by Gymboree
Add a Bounce to Your Step
These are the perfect slippers for your toddlers for Christmastime. They're non-slip, so you don't have to worry about them wiping out after they put a major bounce in their everyday steps around the house. Plus they're cute…not as cute as your little ones, of course, but close.
8. Don a cozy, classic cap
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Plush Red Santa Hats, Four-Pack by Joyin
The Name is Baby...Santa Baby
This is a four-pack of plush, red Santa Hats by JOYIN. These soft and fluffy hats are made of 100 percent polyester and will add a splash of holiday cheer to any ensemble.
9. Have a hot chocolate party with special mugs for the ho-ho-holidays
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Snowman Magic Color-Changing Mug
Mug for Merriment
This color-changing ceramic mug is microwave-safe and break-resistant. It has a 12-ounce capacity and will have your little one staring in awe as their hot chocolate warms up the mug. They'll experience the magic of the season as the cup heats up and changes to reveal a snowman.
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White Candy Cane Hot Chocolate by Gourmet du Village
White Christmas, White Chocolate
This is a packet of candy cane white hot chocolate mix by Gourmet du Village. The festive flavor will warm you up from the inside out.
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Hot Chocolate Bomb With Miniature Marshmallows by Hershey's
Must Have Marshmallows
This hot chocolate bomb by Hershey's is so fun for kids to watch as it melts into their mug of warmed milk. They can help stir it up to create a delicious drink that's topped with miniature marshmallows. These are great to enjoy leading up to Christmas, but they also make a great stocking stuffer.
10. Throw on a Christmas classic and snuggle up with the fam
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Original Christmas Specials DVD Collection by Rankin & Bass
A Classic Collection
This is a deluxe, five-movie collection featuring classic Christmas film favorites from Rankin/Bass. With Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Santa Claus Is Coming to Town, The Little Drummer Boy, Frosty the Snowman, and Cricket on the Hearth, your little ones will have plenty of heart-warming movies to choose from to get them feeling festive.
11. Bake some holiday cookies
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Large Christmas Cookie Cutters Set by Fostudork
Bake with Your Babes
This is a six-piece set of stainless steel Christmas cookie cutters. The shapes of cookie molds include a Christmas tree, a snowman, a gingerbread man, a snowflake, a candy cane, and Santa.
12. Create a treat board for Santa and his reindeer
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Personalized Treat Serving Board for Santa
Snacky Santy-Claus
This is a wooden tray that you can customize to include your children's names, so they can leave cookies and milk out for Santa on Christmas Eve and be sure to score some last-minute points toward securing their spot on The Nice List. There's also an area on the platter to include a snack for the reindeer, which is a nice touch, since they need to have enough energy to get Santa around the world in one night.
Embrace the magic of the season
However you choose to officially kick off the holiday season, be sure to embrace the magic of the season.
Do fun things together, soak up the special moments, and make lifelong memories with your loved ones.
What do you do to start the holidays in your household? Do you have any traditions with your family that must take place or it just doesn't feel like Christmastime? Let us know in the Comments section below.
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