5 great Chromecast with Google TV experiences you and your family can enjoy this Christmas

It’s the most wonderful time of the- well, I suppose that depends on who you ask. For many, Christmas is a season that brings about warm, fuzzy feelings, and even for those of us Floridians who don’t get snow and probably never will, it’s a time of heightened happiness.

Hey, we get a little cold air here, you know. Besides, Christmas lights, decorations, and holiday events remind me that everything from the previous year is about to be wiped away for a fresh start. Today, I want to give you a bit of joy by showing you five of my favorite Chromecast with Google TV experiences so that you and your family can enjoy them on the living room TV this holiday season.

Free Christmas Movies

first and foremost, you can’t let December pass without watching a few Christmas movies! I mean, it would technically be blasphemy, right? Did you know that Google TV features a ton of completely free movies for you to enjoy? By pressing and holding the Chromecast with Google TV Assistant button and speaking “Show me free Christmas Movies”, you’ll be presented with a wall of great and admittedly sometimes corny rom-com holiday movies to pick from.

Unfortunately, “Christmas Plus” is not available on Google TV, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t still plenty to indulge yourself with. While an obvious first recommendation, I think we sometimes forget the power in the simplicity of Google’s living room experience. Be sure to put on Illumination’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas for the kiddos, and adults can watch “A Merry Friggin’ Christmas” featuring the beloved Robin Williams or Seth Rogen’s “The Night Before” after the little ones go to sleep.

Christmas tunes on YouTube Music

I generally forget to play music on my television, but not because I don’t want to. I usually go to the big screen to watch things, not to listen to them. However, when the tree is twinkling and the gifts are being opened, setting the mood with some big, beautiful Mariah Carey cover art on your TV while she belts out her annual “Christmas Queen” goodness (hopefully not on repeat), can be a great way to make it feel like Christmas even if you suffer from no snow as I do.

10-hour fireplace on YouTube

Here’s my absolute favorite – press and hold the remote’s Assistant button to ask for a 10-hour fireplace on YouTube. Even if, and especially if you don’t have a real fireplace to roast marshmallows on this year, you can emulate the warm, crackling emotion the real deal gives you. Searching for the 10-hour fireplace video in 4K ensures total immersion and keeps you from having to restart it or fiddle with the remote as you prepare the turkey.

“Hey Google, call Santa”

One for the children – calling Santa! Yes, I know this is something you can do on any Assistant-enabled device, including the Nest Hub or your phone, but doing it on the big screen ensures that they’re more captivated and enthralled by the many activities the big guy brings from the North Pole. Your kids can help Santa prepare for the big night, they can ask where he’s currently at (I have it on authority that he’s training in the gym right now) or even get the North Pole News Cast from the elves.

Christmas Karaoke

You probably didn’t expect me to suggest karaoke, did you? I didn’t either, to be honest, but I was exploring the possibilities and what apps exist around the Christmas theme in preparation for sharing with you all when I stumbled upon something called “Christmas Songs Karaoke – Lear”. While it will cost you $2.49 USD, it gives you a variety of tracks, places the lyrics on the screen, and even auto-scrolls them so you can read them in real time. Do you have any Christmas traditions in your household? Do they involve specific Google services, or do you avoid all technology to focus on family? I’d love to know in the comments. Merry Christmas!

Feature Photo source by Mel Poole on Unsplash