Holiday & Winter Season Memorial Activities
The holiday and winter season is a time for reflection, remembrance, and togetherness, often bringing a mix of joy and bittersweet memories—especially for grieving youth and families. With a range of activities designed to bring comfort, connection, and remembrance, this resource provides ideas for creating meaningful tributes, whether through personal rituals, family conversations, or community events. These activities help keep the spirit of your person alive, bringing warmth and solace to the winter season.
Grief Talk
Navigating and discussing grief during the holidays is difficult. To support these conversations, we invite you to use the prompts on “Grief Talk – Winter Edition” to reflect & share together as a family. This can be done in one sitting or over a few weeks, choosing a few questions at a time.
Good Cheer Hearts
Create and decorate clay hearts or smooth stones. Write messages of hope, joy, and encouragement. Leave these affirmations around your house, in your neighborhood, or out and about to spread good cheer this season. Keep one in your pocket as a reminder that though gone, they will never be forgotten.
Gratitude Jar
Find a jar and leave it out throughout the season. Encourage family members, and visitors, to think about and write down “gifts” they received from the person who died. Reminder: gifts can also be things we learned or felt. Example: She taught me how to make the best homemade cookies.
Tribute Candles
Vellum, a battery candle, sharpies, and tape can be used to create tribute candles. Consider writing your person’s name or a message to them on the vellum. Connect the two ends together to form a tube and tape it together. Place the battery-operated candle inside and use this to create a space to remember together.
Pay It Forward
Volunteer your time or talent to support a cause that was meaningful to the person who died. Create a foundation or scholarship in their name. Or consider finding new meaning and purpose in your grief by sharing your experiences with others in the midst of grief.
Memories Box
Find an empty tissue box and wrap it up in holiday paper or decorated craft paper. Keep a stack of small papers nearby and encourage family members and visitors to write down special memories of your person who died. Choose a time to read through the shared memories & reminisce as a family.
Memory Chain
Cut thin strips of construction paper. Write special memories on each strip and form them into interlocking loops creating a chain that can be used as decoration. Continue adding memory strips throughout the season as a way of acknowledging your person’s ongoing presence and impact on your life.
Dedication Donation
Consider dedicating a donation to a charity or cause in honor of the person who died. Consider choosing an organization that was particularly special to them or one that has been meaningful to you in the midst of your grief. Even small contributions make a big impact.
Candlelight Ceremony
Find a candlelight ceremony or vigil to attend in remembrance of the person who died. Take a moment to consider that every person gathered together is remembering a significant person in their lives and genuinely understands grief and the heaviness it brings to this season. Remember, you are not alone.
Download Printable Activity Pages
