Last Updated on October 10, 2024 by The Smetz Files
If you’re looking for a simple and family friendly way to celebrate Christmas, read more about our annual event.
Regardless of what stage of life you’re in, December is invariably a hectic time. Work parties. School parties. Friend parties. Church services. Holiday travel.
It can seem like a never ending list of events to plan for, RSVP, travel to, and shop for.
So, when our kids were young we opted to host Pancakes and PJs.
What began as a simple morning with six preschoolers and their families grew to be a time honored, annual event. Prior to the pandemic, the final Saturday morning before Christmas, our house was filled with love, laughter, and light.
If you’re looking for a family friendly way to celebrate the holidays, consider hosting a pancakes and PJs event. Any reason to don plaid and be festive and fun with our families sounds good to me! Here are a few things I did to make our Pancakes and PJs morning memorable for our friends and family.
Food
Clearly you’re hosting a kid friendly event, so food is a must! Opening your home the Saturday before Christmas was a potential gamble, but here are a few food staples we shared with our friends and families.
Since our kids were younger, I opted to have mini pancakes as the main entree. My father in law worked the griddle and kept a steady stream of silver dollar sized pancakes warmed for tiny hands to grab and add to their plates. Bonus he rocks a white beard, a la Santa to keep the little ones guessing!
Beyond mini pancakes here’s a list of items on our breakfast buffet:
- Bacon
- Fruit – blueberries, bananas, strawberries
- Sausage balls
- Yogurt and granola
- Dry cereal
- Muffins
I tended to keep the adults happy with a coffee bar with options for tea, coffee, and assorted creamers. And I opted to include a mimosa bar or Bloody Mary bar each year. I kept these simple, but I’ve seen some super cool options on Pinterest if you’re more adventurous with your hostessing!
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Festive fun
Once little ones eat, we had some festive games to keep them occupied while their parents enjoyed some last minute fun time with friends before setting off on their holiday travels.
Art stations
nI used butcher paper to cover our coffee table and make table runners for the dining tables and scattered these little organizers stocked with crayons to keep little hands busy.
As our kiddos got a little older, I downloaded and printed holiday themed word searches, puzzles, and coloring sheets to add to the fun.
Reindeer games
If kids weren’t busy coloring, they could play some reindeer games I had spread around the house. These inflatable options provided lots of laughs and were easy to store year to year without taking up precious space.
I set photo props around for guests to take selfies and share silly poses and cheer. These were lots of fun with kids and parents alike!
Guest appearance
Our pancakes and PJs invitation included some last minute lap time with the jolly guy before he headed north for his big night. I rented a classic Santa suit and convinced my brother to change at the neighbor’s house and make a surprise appearance towards the end of brunch. Each year when the doorbell rang, the kids all scampered downstairs to see Santa to make their final wishes known…always fun to see the look of surprise on some parent’s faces when they heard what their kids asked Santa for!
For the common good
We try to impress with our kids to whom much is given, much is expected. Each year we asked guests to bring something to contribute to a local organization for those with less. We requested school supplies one year to support a local ministry and socks, winter hats, and gloves another year to give to a local agency that provided for the unhoused. In the season of giving, it was important that we shared with others, so we had a large wrapped box for families to drop their gifts in when they arrived. Our kids delivered the collection in the new year to keep the giving going.
So, if you’re looking for a simple way to celebrate Christmas that is kid friendly and family centric, throw together a Pancakes and PJs party!
