One day, your kids will be grown, sitting around the table, laughing about how you always burned the pancakes on Saturday mornings—or how every road trip started with the same cringey dad joke.
Funny thing is, you might not even remember those details. But your kids will.
The traditions that stick aren’t usually the big, elaborate ones. They’re the small, everyday routines that feel almost too ordinary to matter:
- The same bedtime story on repeat
- The sip of coffee you let them try, even though they always hated it
- The rule that whoever spots the first firefly of summer gets to pick dessert
These are the moments that make childhood feel like home. And the truth is, you’re already creating them without even realizing it. But if you’re ready to be more intentional, here are some simple family traditions your kids will carry with them forever.
Daily Traditions: The Little Things That Become Big Memories
The way you say “I love you, be safe” before they leave the house.The silly voice you use when reading bedtime stories.The cleanup song you made up that always gets stuck in their heads.
To you, these things feel like routine. But to your kids, they feel like home.
One day, they’ll be making a peanut butter sandwich and instinctively cut it into triangles—because that’s how Mom did it.
You’re already doing an amazing job. These rituals don’t need to be fancy or Instagram-worthy—they just need to be yours.
In our home each child has their own unique bedtime routine. These routines grow and change as they do, but each fits what that child needs from us as parents in this particular season.
Weekly Traditions: Anchors in Their Week
Some families have pizza night. Others have Saturday morning cartoons in pajamas. Maybe yours has Taco Tuesday (even if it’s just frozen burritos).
These weekly traditions are the anchors in your kids’ schedule—the little reminders that no matter how hectic life gets, some things stay the same.
In our home, every Sunday afternoon is dedicated to taking turns baking with Dad. It is something that they each look forward to and the entire family looks forward to the treats!
Monthly Traditions: The Anticipation Builders
Monthly traditions give your kids something to look forward to. It could be:
- A family game night where everyone gets way too competitive
- The first-Saturday-of-the-month pancake breakfast
- A monthly trip to the library for new books
They’re not grand events, but they build consistency and comfort—something your kids will remember long after they’ve outgrown their favorite toy.
One monthly tradition in our family is the “family date night”. Once a month, we take the kids out to a restaurant for dinner. Each month we rotate who gets to choose where we eat. It is an evening that everyone in the family looks forward to!
Annual Traditions: Nostalgia in the Making
It’s funny—sometimes the traditions kids roll their eyes at in the moment become their most treasured memories.
- Matching Christmas pajamas
- The annual backyard campout (where someone always sneaks inside)
- Measuring height on the pantry door each year
These rituals don’t need to be elaborate. What makes them powerful is that they happen every single year. That’s what builds nostalgia.
In our home we have a variety of annual traditions. Many are centered around religious holidays and traditions. Some are centered on our family history– for example we celebrate Norwegian Independence day as a family and we eat taffy on Christmas Even in honor of our Welsh family history. Many traditions are centered around food! We eat the same hawaiian themed waffles every Christmas morning and we have a “Jerusalem Dinner” to celebrate the Easter Season. Each tradition has become a central part of our identity as a family.
10 Simple Family Traditions to Start Today
If you want to intentionally add new traditions, here are some fun, easy ones:
- The Secret Handshake – A handshake only your family knows.
- Pajama Pancake Breakfast – One Saturday a month in pajamas.
- The Ugly Birthday Candle – The same, melted candle reused every birthday.
- Rainy Day Movies – Every rainy day = movie + homemade popcorn.
- Sunday Walk & Talk – Share weekly highs and lows on a family walk.
- Annual Photo in the Same Spot – Watch your family grow, year after year.
- First Day of Summer Ice Cream – Kick off summer with a sweet tradition.
- First Snow = Hot Cocoa – No exceptions.
- Surprise Lunchbox Notes – Add joy to their school day.
- New Ornament Every Christmas – A growing collection of memories.
Why Family Traditions Matter
The best family traditions aren’t forced or fancy. They’re the little things that make your family your family.
So keep telling the same corny joke.Keep making grilled cheese the “right” way.Keep singing that ridiculous cleanup song.
Because while it feels ordinary now, these are the memories your kids will hold onto forever.
Capture Your Family Traditions with Photography
As a Salt Lake City family photographer, I love documenting these little routines—the Saturday pancakes, the bedtime stories, the messy moments that feel like home. One day, your kids will look back and see not just what you did, but how it felt to grow up in your family.
👉 Click here to see my Salt Lake City family photography sessions and book yours today.
