As Christmas is sorted for a lot of us can we think of fun weekend ideas throughout December!

[Sheeparefluffy]

Thanks to reastie, isaac and everyone on the Christmas thread I am now sorted and would like to preplan weekend ideas with the DCs throughout December.

Here's some I have already planned..
Longleat just before Christmas,
Play area with an ice ring- local to us and tickets were very cheap on groupon,
Christmas party with the NAS,
December 1st hamper will included Christmas cookie cutters and chocolate moulds to do on rainy days and Xmas eve (bought from dunelm)

Please included your ideas or outings, I feel this is our reward for getting Christmas sorted early!

[Rosvita]

Hi.we have planned:
-Christmas at Longleat
-panto
-Empire juniors cinema (£1.50 a ticket) one weekend in December
-visit to local street to see the christmas lights
Also got school fair and carol service
And a couple of christmas craft kits for the kids to do

[LovelyWeatherForDucks]

We are going on the local steam railway, they have Father Christmas on board, mince pies,mulled wine! Quite excited :)

[MARGUERITE18]

Winter Wonderland Manchester
Jungle book show
Carol Concert
Build a bears :)

[MARGUERITE18]

ps- winter wonderland mcr looks brill, its £17.50 each for a christmas circus, unlimited ride wristbands and the sooty and sweep show.

we might go to winter wonderland chester too with reindeer, live music and story telling :)

[Guitargirl]

We have planned:

Christmas at Kew
Harrods Santa
Lapland UK
Boing! at Sadlers Wells
Covent Garden Nutcracker

May brave Hyde Park but may not bother this year.

One evening sitting at the top of a bus on Oxford Street to see the lights.

Getting our usual conveyer belt of card making going on the kitchen table which is supposed to be Christmassy and festive but usually ends in glitter everywhere and me needing a restorative Baileys.

[pregnantpause]

We are going to a local reindeer parade, Cardiff winter Wonderland, we will spend a day out with a winter picnic looking for jack frost, who we will leave a cake for, we are going to see the nutcracker, and will go to the mideval Christmas market in caerphilly castle to buy our new bauble (we buy a new bauble each year to go on the tree, when the DC move out I will give them all the baubles they chose over the years and buy them their first Christmas tree) that's if it's dry each weekend. Wet plans are build a ginger bread house and fill with food gifts for special Christmas hampers, go to the local nativity play, make paper decorations, or a wreath from previously collected pine cones, make snowmen if snowy.

[fuzzpig]

I really wanted to go to a carol service on dec 7th (my bday) at st Martin in the fields but I'm working :(

Last year I took DD (was 5.6, and her first time) to the cinema with my DSDs and then to Pizza Hut just before Xmas. This year DH and DS (now old enough to sit through a film) will be joining us but I think we are going to do that between Xmas and new year this time.

Hoping my parents will take the DCs out for a little while as we need to put together a present (making a den underneath DD's cabin bed so can't do it too far in advance)

There's a llama park who have reindeer (we went earlier this year and they'd just been born!) so that might be a possibility.

I don't tend to do much stuff in town as I hate crowds.

[olibeansmummy]

Manchester Christmas markets
Garden centre with Christmas displays
Seeing Santa and his reindeer at local farm
Sunday school nativity service
Carol service
Visiting family
Pantomime
Cinema
Zoo near us is free every year between Nov and Feb so we always go near Christmas, my favourite time was when it was snowing :)

< off to google manchester winter wonderland >

[BaconAndAvocado]

Great minds think alike!

So far we've planned:
Lapland UK (eek!)
Disney on Ice
Panto
School Xmas Fayre
Harry Potter Tours

Luckily, I save over the year so we won't be too in the red!

[BaconAndAvocado]

Ooh, and Frozen, the new Disney Princess film.

[2kidsintow]

We will be aiming for one thing each weekend in Dec on the run up to Christmas.

Cinema for the Christmas animated film (whatever this year's version of Arthur Christmas etc is)

Winter wonderland in Chester as we go every year.

Go to the local garden centre for DD2 to see Father Christmas and for them to choose a decoration for their tree.

Go to a local craft place for them to paint a plate each to use on Christmas day.

Panto is booked for January. :)

[2kidsintow]

That's the one, frozen. Thanks. DD2 wants to see that one. :)

[fuzzpig]

Frozen is the one we'll be seeing :) it's only released on the 20th so barely any time to see it before xmas - that was why we've agreed to go after instead, but I think it will become a regular thing to have it after as it'll be much calmer than the end of term craziness before xmas and also will be something to look forward to!

I'm going to a pottery painting party with work people in early dec. It's basically adults only so not taking my young DCs, but I am taking my teen DSDs and getting them an item each to paint so that'll be nice. :)

[wishywashywanda]

Ooh love the ideas in here, will keep my eye out to see if similar things happening near me
So far I have planned
Disney in ice
Breakfast with Santa
Charity panto - cinderella
Main panto at theatre - jack and the beanstalk
Garden center has lovely Christmas displays and real reindeers.
Hopefully the coca cola truck will be coming to town again.

[70isaLimitNotaTarget]

We have stretched out over Nov/Dec...

Young Driver for DD and DS - and I can go shopping after.

The Nutcracker ballet for DD and I

Cinema on Christmas Eve

Kew Gardens walk by lights on the weekend before Christmas


And fuzzpig you share my PFB DS birthday - though I have no idea what he wants to do


I didn't like Hyde Park Winter Wonderlan last year (we've been twice previously) so I won't do that again. Too busy, too muddy, ages to queue.

DD and I will go to Westfields White City sometime.
DH and I go shopping at the end of November (he carries everything ) in exchange for having lunch bought.

And even my shopping hating DS will have to mosey round the shops (it's the LAW )

[Sheeparefluffy]

Wow! So many brilliant ideas.

I'm definitely adding a cinema trip to see frozen on the list.

pregnantpause we are near-ish Cardiff and wondering where the reindeer parade is? The one near us is ok awful The Christmas market in Caerphilly sounds lovely!

Going to see a show is a lovely idea too...might have a look to see if there's anything near.

We tend to go for quieter activities or first thing before the crowds as DD hates too much noise.

[pregnantpause]

The caerphilly market is on the 7th and 8th Dec. I'm in the Rhondda, the reindeer parade is held in my town an a few others every year (treorchy, tonypandy, Aberdare I think- small towns). As the main road closes for the reindeer and father Christmas to travel down it (behind a marching band) we always go as the alternative is sitting inside getting annoyed at the noise outside and the fact that I have to walk home from work because the road is closed. I certainly wouldn't travel to any of the towns its in just to see it- it lasts moments and is crowded, as the local children get let home early from school for it and there's an overpriced fair in the town car park.

[MARGUERITE18]

I need to go and see frozen and the new hobbit and new hungergames..... NEED

[pregnantpause]

Sheep- cineworld in Cardiff and Newport do childrens showings for 1.50 on Saturday mornings sometimes- look out for it in December.

The community farm in Cwmbran is worth a visit at Christmas- the animals and tractor ride are nice, and they have Father Christmas and Christmas crafts on. It's small and not popular- I've never seen it crowded and we've been a few times.

There's a church in Cardiff that do a free nativity play every two hours the weekend before Christmas- it's very low budget but charming, it's also usually empty in there but Cardiff will be manic outside. It's the one just opposite the new st Davids, opposite the Jamie Italian (which if you haven't eaten.in-don't it's awful) they've done it the last two years so I presume it'll be there this year.

[TheHouseonHauntedHill]

guitar

I love your list.
I am gutted at not getting to Nutcracker this year.

What is Christmas at Kew?

Agree on WW went two years ago and it was unpleasantly heaving.

[Guitargirl]

TheHouseonHauntedHill - it's a walk around twinkly lights - see here

Last year we did something similar in Syon Park which was good, the DCs loved it.

[Sheeparefluffy]

pregnantpause the nativity play sounds lovely, we go down to Cardiff just before Christmas every year, we arrive there about 4ish and by 6 all the shops are very quiet so combining them both would be great. We normally go on the 23rd and last year all the Christmas stuff in John Lewis was half price! Love it. Will also have a look at the community farm, sounds really nice.

guitar Christmas at kew looks brilliant! wish it was near me!

[dementedma]

I think the Nutcracker is coming to Edinburgh so might go to that. Also the Edinburgh Christmas market although I think it has become a complete rip off.
Will have a walk in the woods to collect pine cones for glittering.
Will also try and find a carol concert somewhere.