New Holiday Traditions to Start on the Road

The beauty of travel during the holidays is that it opens the door for new traditions. Think about it: the rituals we hold dearest all had to start somewhere. Maybe it was your grandmother’s gingerbread recipe or your dad’s habit of reading the same holiday story every year. Traveling gives families a chance to plant the seeds for tomorrow’s traditions.

If you’re celebrating in a hotel, visiting extended family, or exploring a new city, here are some fun, travel-friendly traditions to start this year:

Creative ideas for travel traditions 🎄:

• Hotel Holiday Movie Night. Everyone gets in PJs, orders hot chocolate, and enjoys a holiday film marathon. If parents want a night out, sitters can host the movie night for the kids — complete with popcorn and crafts.
• Holiday Scrapbook or Memory Jar. Each child adds a drawing, note, or photo about the trip. Collect them each year to create a family travel tradition that grows with your kids.
• Acts of Kindness on the Road. Encourage kids to donate a toy, write a thank-you note for hotel staff, or hand out candy canes to strangers. It shows that giving travels with you.
• A “First Gift” in a New Place. Let kids open one present under a palm tree, by a hotel fireplace, or even in an airport terminal during a layover. The memory of the setting will outlast the gift itself.
• Crafting Wherever You Are. Destination Sitters caregivers can lead kids in making handmade ornaments, holiday cards, or memory keepsakes that turn downtime into creative fun.

Travel traditions are powerful because they remind kids that the magic of the holidays doesn’t live in a single house — it follows them wherever family gathers. Someday, they’ll tell stories about the time they opened presents under twinkling lights in a hotel lobby or made ornaments with a sitter who brought a bag full of craft supplies.

👉 Wherever the holidays take you, Destination Sitters is here to give parents peace of mind^®.