Jennifer Garner, a renowned actress, and her family are avid enthusiasts of the holiday season. In an exclusive chat with PEOPLE, she shares how she and her three children - Violet, 18, Seraphina, 15, and Samuel, 12 - celebrate the end-of-year festivities.

Discover Jennifer Garner's Holiday Traditions and Gift Picks

Thanksgiving in the Garner Household

During Thanksgiving, Garner's kids have reached an age where they can each prepare their own dishes for the family meal. One child specializes in mashed potatoes, another in making an apple pie, and the third's specialty remains a mystery. As for Garner herself, she makes a 10-grain bread from The Bread Bible by Rose Levy Beranbaum. This recipe has become a staple in her family's Thanksgiving menu, and everyone eagerly awaits it. "I don't know how it got so ingrained, but it's a beloved part of our celebration," she explains with a smile.

Christmas Eagerness and Traditions

Thanksgiving is significant in the Garner family, but one of her kids was eager to skip ahead to Christmas. Garner recalls coming home from work one night to find her son playing Christmas music at full volume throughout the house and wearing an apron as he made ginger snaps. "That's the energy I want to see in our house right now," she says. This year, they plan to attend The Nutcracker together, a tradition that holds great importance for both Garner and her children. "Thank goodness I've instilled it in them," she adds.

Holiday Gift-Giving with KitchenAid

When it comes to gift-giving this holiday season, Garner will be using items from her KitchenAid gift guide. She has been giving these gifts throughout the year for birthdays and various occasions because they are true winners. This year, the featured items include the KitchenAid KF8 Fully-Automatic Espresso Machine, the 2024 Design Series Evergreen Stand Mixer, the Grain & Rice Cooker, and the KitchenAid Go Kitchen Vacuum. Garner is confident that others will love these gifts as much as she would on Christmas morning. "If I opened these under the tree as a mom, I'd be over the moon," she tells PEOPLE.