Ideas for a little christmas eve box/hamper

[CloserLook]

Never done anything for christmas eve before as we didn't when I was a kid (just the mince pie/carrot etc.) but I'd start some christmas family traditions while my ds5 is still young enough.

I've seen the christmas eve box/hamper idea on various threads and I've got ds some festive pyjamas and slipper socks and planning on putting in some hot chocolate and marshmallows etc for all of us (from the elves, obviously) and maybe something for a nice relaxing bath for ds but a bit stuck now. Any ideas or tips?

[bundaberg]

a book for bedtime story. the night before christmas is good if you don't already have it

[jester68]

I do one for my 2 daughters.

I put them in new pyjamas, bubble bath, story book (night before christmas), a DVD for us to watch- actually have 2 this year which are the polar express and the snowman. Bath crayons.

Some hot chocolate mixes and some sweet nibbles

[notanyanymore]

How about getting hold of the Gruffalo/Gruffalo's Child/Snowman/Snowman and Snowdog(?) to watch? Mine love those and they're very soothing pre-bedtime type programs and not too long.

[WaitingForMe]

I'm doing one for the first time and have glow sticks. Fun to play with then I have a vague idea of them being used as markers to help Santa find the stockings in the dark.

[CloserLook]

The book and dvd are great ideas thanks. Might get finally manage to get ds into the snowman this year!

Love the lighting the way for santa idea WaitingForMe. I think I might use that one!

[CloserLook]

Ordered the night before christmas book. Great idea thanks!

[ladyrainy]

something to put on the tree or a xmas ornament

[bundaberg]

oh and how about some reindeer food to sprinkle outside?

[bundaberg]

just remember to go and sweep it up before morning.

had ds2 in tears one year becasue the reindeer hadn't eaten it. oops

[CloserLook]

Ooh I like that one ladyrainy! A special decoration from santa's elves. I'm getting into this now!

[ladyrainy]

lol bundaberg...I forgot to wrap the bloody presents one year! Was frantically wrapping them in the early hours and hoping my very bad sleeper wouldn't appear in the doorway!

[Draculasbride]

I'm doing this for this year too! I've ordered Christmas pj's from tesco the night before Christmas book & cd from amazon, the grinch is our DVD of choice as ds 7 is into dr Seuss and I think it will also entertain dd 2 ... But in case not I'll be including popcorn and hot chocolate sachets

[Draculasbride]

I've made the reindeer food boo boo too ladyrainy

[bundaberg]

ladyrainy that made me laugh

[ladyrainy]

I started one last year (even though my dc's are far too old to believe in FC!). They still liked it though.

This year I'm putting in a xmas ornament (lovely little glass christmas tree I bought on holiday), candy canes for the tree, need to get PJ's yet but will put them in too, nice warm socks - maybe totes toasties, might get some of the nano block xmas things as they look cute, bath bombs, christmas sweets/mince pies...still on the lookout for stuff.

[Sieveoooplay]

We have a magic key for santa to get in the house as we dont have a chimney.

[pumpkinsweetie]

Really love this idea, first got the idea on an American FB last week and i'm now really wanting to do similar for each of my 4 dc.
Thinking of a fluffy pair of pjs, slippers, new xmas mug, hot chocolate sachets, a bag of marshmellows, micro popcorn, dvd, little blanket, and a mini hot water bottle.

[maillotjaune]

This sounds lovely, have never heard of it before. When do you give it to them? Morning of Christmas Eve?

[wonderingsoul]

i normally do pjs. hot choc stuff an hout before bed.

but this year i found a gourgouse piriates treasure trunk made out of really thick cardboard at tkmax for a tenner, its quite big too. so im planning on putting. dvd, pjs. puzzle book. sweets.. cookie cutters and packet of cookie mix in that. hiding it some where then giving them a treasure map for them to find it with. prob about 10ish christmas morning.

[CloserLook]

We're planning on it 'appearing' late afternoon/early evening as it's mainly going to be stuff to help wind him down before he goes to bed. I only just decided to do it this morning so not completely thought through yet!

I'm quite excited about because we don't really have any christmas eve traditions in our house yet.

I was considering the ingredients for christmas cookies or something but that might get him too excited and would mean I'd have to give it earlier in the day so think I'll leave that.

[bundaberg]

we give ours an earlyish bath and then they come down to find new pj's and book and stuff all ready to wind down for the evening

[Ilikevino]

How about adding a teddy for the little ones to cuddle up to?

[fuzzpig]

I have somehow managed to go totally OTT with this year's.

Onesie for DD
Jammies for DS
A ceramic tree decoration each (I'm painting them)
Dr Seuss Grinch book
Lush robot bath bomb
Room on the Broom DVD
Possibly some funky marshmallows or sprinkles for hot chocolate.
Possibly a cuddly each as well...

This year it's all going to be hidden in the back of DD's cabin bed which we are secretly converting into a cosy den. We might leave a treasure map to help them find it.

So they'll find it, get in the bath, get new jammies on, have hot chocolate, have the grinch story (as well as night before Xmas which we already have) and go to bed with cuddlies.

[fuzzpig]

Oh and I'm also getting a book about the nativity and picked up some really gorgeous little nativity decorations, but might do them on a different day - possibly when we put up the tree

[70isaLimitNotaTarget]

My DS will be 14, DD will be 11.6 (so way too old to believe but we still do The Hamper)

Ours will 'miraculously' appear in the sitting room, round about the time we go out for a walk and I "just go and check the back door is locked"

PJs
A dressing gown for DS (his fleecy one is getting a bit scruffy now)
A Lush bathbomb (but this is put outside the hamper as it will make everything taste of bathbomb)
A jar of sweets each
An annual
A new mug (not Christmassy ones this year though)
A sachet of Cadburys instant hot chocolate or a Tassimmo thing
A small box of mini biscuits (tiny gingerbread men this year)


We have lunch, a walk, the Hamper, bath, late night snack, then bed for the DC.
Last year DH was working so I took them to the cinema. Might do that this year again, in the morning.

Then DH and I watch a scary film (I'm going to try The Woman in Black again Chickened out after 15 minutes)