Our Christmas Morning Routine With Young Kids

Christmas morning with little kids can be sweet or completely chaotic, sometimes both in the same ten minutes. Having a loose routine helps keep things from turning into a sugar-fueled free-for-all where nobody even remembers what they opened.

Our routine isn’t fancy, but it gives the day a rhythm that feels fun and calm at the same time.

Starting Before They Wake Up

We try to get up a little bit earlier to turn on the tree, start coffee, and tidy any last-minute things. Stockings are set, trash bags are nearby, scissors and batteries are where we can reach them.

Taking ten quiet minutes to breathe and look around the living room before little feet hit the floor makes a big difference in how the morning feels.

Letting the Kids Ease Into It

When the kids wake up, we don’t rush them straight to the tree. They usually come snuggle for a minute, talk about how excited they are, and then we all walk out together. It sounds small, but it slows the start just enough to make it feel special.

We let them look for a minute, shake a stocking, and soak it in before we start tearing into anything.

Stockings and a Simple Breakfast First

We usually start with stockings because they’re quick and fun. After that, we pause for breakfast—nothing complicated, just something planned so we’re not scrambling. Cinnamon rolls, eggs, and fruit show up a lot.

Eating together in the middle of all the excitement keeps everyone from crashing at 9 a.m.

Opening Gifts One at a Time

We take turns opening gifts instead of everybody attacking everything at once. One person opens, we all look and react, then the next person goes. It stretches out the morning and helps the kids pay attention to what they got.

There’s no perfect system—kids still get excited and talk over each other—but this slows it down enough that it doesn’t feel like a blur.

Building in Time to Actually Play

After gifts, we don’t rush into “okay, now let’s go somewhere” if we can help it. The kids play with a new toy, we help build or set up the bigger things, and everyone has space to enjoy what they opened.

If we have somewhere to be later, we still try to carve out an hour or two in between to stay home and let the morning breathe.

Ending with a Quiet Anchor

At some point—naptime or bedtime—we do something quiet: read a short story, talk about our favorite part of the day, or say what we’re thankful for.

It doesn’t have to be long. Ending with a calm moment pulls the focus back to the whole day, not just the pile under the tree.