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When the calendar flips to November, parents everywhere start thinking about how to keep their children occupied during school breaks. What if those same breaks became opportunities for your kids to learn about entrepreneurship while earning their own spending money?
Starting a seasonal business isn’t just about making money—it teaches kids responsibility, financial literacy, and creativity. These skills will serve them long after the decorations come down and the New Year begins.
I’ve put together a list of holiday business ideas that kids can start with minimal investment. These businesses can be launched quickly, operated during school breaks, and potentially become yearly traditions that grow alongside your children.
Seasonal Business Ideas for Young Entrepreneurs
1. Personalized Holiday Cards and Tags
Many families still love sending physical holiday cards, but store-bought ones lack a personal touch. Kids with artistic skills can create handmade cards and gift tags to sell to neighbors, family friends, or at local craft fairs.
The process can be as simple or complex as the child’s age and abilities allow. Younger children might use stamp sets and stickers, while older kids could experiment with watercolors, calligraphy, or digital designs printed on quality cardstock. Adding personal touches like hand-drawn illustrations or family names makes each piece unique and more valuable to buyers.
Parents can help set up an order form where customers choose their preferred design, quantity, and personalization options. This teaches children about managing customer expectations and delivering consistent quality—valuable business skills at any age.
2. Gift Wrapping Service
During the holiday rush, many people dread wrapping presents. A gift-wrapping service requires minimal startup costs—just purchase some paper, ribbons, tags, and boxes.
Kids can create different package tiers: a basic wrap with paper and tape, a premium option with ribbon and bows, and a deluxe package with custom tags and specialty papers. They should practice on different shaped items before accepting orders to ensure professional-looking results. Creating sample wraps to display their skills can help attract customers.
This business teaches precision and attention to detail. Children can set up at home, accepting drop-offs during specific hours, or offer mobile services where they travel to customers’ homes. Some local businesses might even welcome a weekend gift-wrapping station, especially if a portion of proceeds goes to charity.
3. Holiday Pet Treats
Pet owners love including their furry family members in holiday celebrations. Kids can bake and package homemade pet treats with festive shapes and pet-safe ingredients.
Research is essential for this business to ensure all ingredients are safe for animals. Simple recipes using pumpkin, peanut butter, oats, and other pet-friendly ingredients can be shaped using holiday cookie cutters. Each package should include a complete ingredient list and storage instructions.
The presentation makes these treats special—small cellophane bags tied with seasonal ribbon, decorated kraft paper boxes, or mason jars with fabric toppers all work beautifully. Children can take orders at local dog parks, through parents’ social media, or by partnering with neighborhood pet stores who might sell on consignment.
4. Snow Removal Services
In snowy regions, this seasonal business is perfect for energetic kids. They can offer to shovel driveways and sidewalks after snowfalls.
Organization is important for this venture. Kids should create a neighborhood map marking clients’ addresses and specific areas needing clearing. They should prepare a simple contract outlining what’s included: just the driveway, or also walkways and steps? Will they salt or sand afterward?
This business teaches weather monitoring, time management, and physical endurance. Kids can offer one-time service after major storms or weekly packages throughout winter. An innovative approach might include “snow day specials” where they prioritize working parents who need to leave early on school cancellation days.
5. Homemade Ornaments
Handcrafted ornaments sell exceptionally well during the holiday season. Kids can create ornaments from various materials—clay, wood slices, fabric, or upcycled items.
The most successful ornament businesses focus on a specific style or material rather than trying to make everything. Salt dough ornaments are inexpensive to produce and can be personalized with names and dates. Wood slice ornaments with burned or painted designs offer rustic charm. Glass balls filled with tiny decorative elements provide elegant options.
Children should experiment with different techniques before deciding on their specialty. Taking quality photographs of finished products helps with marketing on community bulletin boards or local social media groups. Selling at school holiday shops, craft fairs, or neighborhood open houses provides direct customer interaction and immediate feedback.
6. Holiday Plant Care
Many people travel during the holidays, leaving their Christmas trees, poinsettias, and other plants unattended. Kids can offer plant-watering services, checking in on Christmas trees to ensure they don’t dry out.
Before starting this business, children should research proper care for various holiday plants. Christmas trees need consistent watering, poinsettias require indirect light, and amaryllis needs specific care to keep blooming. Creating a care checklist for each client ensures nothing is missed during visits.
This service builds responsibility and trust. Kids should create a simple business form with emergency contacts, entry instructions, and specific care notes for each plant. They can expand their service to include mail collection, light adjusting, and basic home monitoring, providing peace of mind to traveling families.
7. Tech Support for New Gadgets
Tech-savvy teenagers can offer setup and troubleshooting services for new electronics received as gifts. Many adults struggle with configuring new devices and understanding all their features.
This business requires strong communication skills along with technical knowledge. Teens should create a list of devices they’re comfortable setting up and clearly explain what their service includes. They might offer in-home appointments or host “tech clinics” where customers bring their devices to a central location.
Creating simple, clear instruction sheets that customers can reference later adds value to this service. Teens can charge by the hour or create package deals for multiple devices. This business builds patience and problem-solving skills while providing a genuinely helpful service during a time when many receive new technology.
8. Digital Memory Books
Children with digital skills can create holiday memory books for families. They can gather photos from customers and arrange them in attractive layouts with captions and design elements.
This business requires basic proficiency with design software like Canva or more advanced programs like Photoshop. Kids should create sample layouts showing different styles: traditional, modern, minimalist, or playful. They’ll need to develop a system for collecting and organizing client photos, whether through shared online folders or by scanning physical photographs.
The final product can be delivered as digital files for customers to print themselves or as professionally printed books ordered through online services. This business teaches organization, design principles, and client communication—asking the right questions to capture the stories behind the photos makes these memory books truly special.
9. Homemade Holiday Treats
Baking and candy-making businesses are perfect for kids who love the kitchen. They can create signature items like decorated cookies, fudge, or chocolate-dipped treats.
Food businesses require attention to cleanliness and ingredient quality. Children should research local regulations about home-baked sales, as some areas have “cottage food laws” allowing limited homemade food businesses. Creating an appealing menu with 3-5 signature items is better than offering too many options.
Packaging elevates these treats from homemade to giftable. Clear bags with custom labels, festive boxes, or reusable containers add value. Taking orders in advance helps manage inventory and reduces waste. Children can create sample platters for parents’ workplaces or neighborhood gatherings to generate interest and orders.
10. Holiday Home Helpers
Between decorating, cleaning for guests, and preparing for parties, many families need extra hands during the holiday season. Kids can offer services like putting up lights, decorating trees, or general cleaning assistance.
This business model works well for children who are detail-oriented and enjoy bringing holiday cheer to others. They should create a menu of services with clear pricing: tree decorating, light hanging (with adult supervision for safety), mantel arranging, or special event setup and cleanup.
The flexibility of this business makes it ideal for school breaks. Children can work in teams for larger jobs, bringing different skills together. Creating before-and-after photos of spaces they’ve decorated (with client permission) builds a portfolio to show potential customers what they can do.
11. Custom Holiday Playlists
Music-loving teens can create personalized holiday playlists for parties, family gatherings, or businesses. They can curate unique collections based on customers’ preferences.
This business combines musical knowledge with customer service. Teens should create a questionnaire asking about preferred genres, specific artists to include or avoid, appropriate length, and the event’s mood—from elegant dinner parties to high-energy gift exchanges.
The final product can be delivered through streaming service links or as downloadable files with custom digital “album covers.” Teens can offer different packages: a basic playlist, a premium version with smooth transitions between songs, or a deluxe option with custom voice introductions between song groups. This business teaches curation skills, attention to client needs, and digital delivery methods.
12. Holiday Photography
Teens with photography skills and decent equipment can offer holiday portrait sessions. These can be simple setups in front of Christmas trees, with holiday lights, or at outdoor winter locations.
Before launching this business, teens should practice with family and friends to perfect their technical skills and develop a signature style. They should create a simple photography contract outlining what customers receive: how many digital images, whether printing rights are included, and expected delivery timelines.
Setting up mini-session days where multiple families book shorter appointments at the same location maximizes efficiency. Teens can offer basic editing services or partner with adults who have more advanced editing skills. This business builds artistic vision, client management skills, and technical expertise with equipment.
Making Holiday Magic While Learning Business Skills
These seasonal businesses give kids more than just spending money—they provide real-world education in customer service, money management, and marketing. As your children develop these enterprises, they’ll build confidence and possibly discover passions that shape their future careers.
The holiday season offers a unique chance for children to experience entrepreneurship in a supportive environment, with built-in customers who are already in a giving spirit. Whether they launch one of these ideas or combine several into their own unique business, the experience will be invaluable—and might just become a cherished family tradition.