What to put in a Christmas Eve Box?

[AnchorPyjamas]

This year will be the first Christmas with a DC and I'm trying to think of traditions to begin that we can keep doing over the years as DC grows up.

I like the idea of a Christmas Eve box with a few things in it but I'm just not sure what. I thought I could put nice new PJs in it each year but I'm not sure what else. I'm reluctant to do too much in it because I'd like most of the festivities to be on Christmas Day itself. Any thoughts or suggestions?

[cookiefiend]

My mum didn't do a box exactly, but each year we bought a Video (so old!) and hot chocolate and squirts cream. The children are old enough to do something like this this year so I will gather some bits.

[VioletBam]

I have followed the "Present from the Elves" thing which I heard about on here. It's a bit of a faff but I do love it really...the Elves leave my DC a present on Christmas Eve.

They tend to knock on the door and run away...and then when the DC answer the door, there's a little Christmas bag each with pyjamas and usually a Christmas mug and some little toy to keep them happy in those last few exciting hours.

The elves tend to visit at about 5.00pm...so they can play with the little present and then change into the new pjs and have a hot chocolate in the mug.

I keep it to those items or it would get too much to fill that up plus a stocking for the morning!

They love it.

Now they're 12 and 8 I have to be a bit clever about how the elves deliver it...I'm sure the eldest at least knows....but she loves the whole surprise of it all.

One year the elves left the bags tied to a tree in the garden!

[OSETmum]

DS gets new PJs ( I bought them today actually, gorgeous fleecy ones from Primark for only £7!) a bath bomb from Lush and some sweets. It's not a box though, just a gift bag and its from us not Santa/ elves.

[Tillyscoutsmum]

Mine get a Christmas Eve box from the elves (who are down doing a last minute check to report back to Santa 😉). They have pj's, a Xmas mug, sachet of hot choc, box of festive biscuits, a Xmas dvd and a little bag of magic "dust" for them to sprinkle on the drive to guide the reindeer 😉 The last couple of years, I've tried to time the delivery of the box with the ISS fly over so the dc's can "see" the sleigh heading back to the North Pole after dropping the gift from the elves

I think it's one of my favourite parts tbh

[NoCapes]

We have

• New pj's (xmassy ones)
  
• Xmas dvd
  
• Xmas bath bomb
  
• The night before Christmas book
  
• Xmas mug with a little sachet of hot chocolate & marshmallows in
  
• A plastic popcorn box with a bag of popcorn in
  
• Santas magic key
  
• Reindeer dust

[Amalfimamma]

For the nieces and nephews I put

New pj's
Selection box
A few dvd's

For DC I put
New pj's
Few dvds
Reindeer food
New slippers
Letter from santa reminding them that hes coming

[NoCapes]

Oh and the plate for Santas milk & rudolfs carrot, I knew there was something else!

[MummyBtothree]

What lovely ideas! :)

[ChickyDuck]

You have to have a new toothbrush on Christmas Eve! That would be a cute addition.

[Shelleymoon]

Booooring

[AmyAmoeba]

Christmas decoration that represents each child's year in some way to hang on the tree
Christmas book to read at bed time
Reindeer food (oats, edible glitter, with a poem)
Snowman soup (hot choc mix in a bag with a poem)
Snugly festive fleece blankets to snuggle under while wearing pjs, watching DVDs and munching popcorn

[anyoldname76]

we dont do a Christmas eve box, but my dc do have new christmassy pj's, we sprinkle reindeer food, put out a Christmas plate with a mince pie, baileys (i dont drink sherry ) and a carrot, and we always have the night before Christmas story

[AnchorPyjamas]

Thanks for the ideas everyone! Except Shelleymoon obviously

[OvO]

DVD
Board game
Pyjamas
Popcorn
Hot choc
Marshmallows (for the hot chocolate)
Sweets (jelly babies or similar)
Toothbrush
Bubble bath
Blankets
Book
Those tiny cans of fizzy pop

Ours is from our DS2 (stillborn, had a Christmas Day due date) and he brings it to his brothers by asking Santa to borrow some of his magic.

[Shelleymoon]

Sorry Anchor
Enjoy your first Christmas as a dm

[Strokethefurrywall]

Pretty much everything that NoCapes has, plus new toothbrushes and a bottle of baileys for Santa obviously.

[LifeIsGoodish]

We don't do a Xmas Eve box, but our tradition is this:

The dc will have baked mince pies with dh in the last day or two before Xmas (I usually make the pastry and the mincemeat, then I bow out and leave them to it), so, on Xmas Eve, when they lay out the mince pies and a drink for FC, and put their stockings out, they put in each stocking a small bag of mince pies tied up with a ribbon, together with one of their own toys. These are for FC to take to the children who do not have parents cook with them or to give them presents. The toy has, of course, to be in good condition!

[WhoKnowsWhereTheTimeG0es]

We just do the carrots for the reindeer and mince pie/drink for Santa on Christmas Eve itself. Plus walk around after dark looking at everyone's house lit up.

We get a new Christmas DVD at the beginning of December so we get a few watches out of it, also get out Christmas mugs, teatowels, jumpers etc then. A new decoration each when we go to a garden centre or similar. Go to a farm where you choose your tree and they cut it down for you. My DCs rarely wear pjs now, and are old enough tgat they last several years so we don't do new PJs, although DD usually gets a onesie as a present.

[LottieL]

When I was young we used to get new PJs on Christmas Eve which I thought was fab! I will be carrying that on with my own little one when born!

[Buttercupsandaisies]

We do a family Xmas eve box off the elves

For kids-
New pjs
Lush bath bomb
Xmas socks
Sweets and fizzy drinks
Xmas style cup or mug

For me and DH
Prosecco
Fancy chocolates/nibbles

For us all-
New Xmas themed dvd
Reindeer food

[Tiggles]

Mine get new PJs and a book on Christmas Eve - then they can read if they can't sleep .

[BrollySmolly]

I just do pjs and hot chocolate and it gets the kids all over-excited before bed!!

[Haudyerwheesht]

My dc get a box delivered (sneaked into the living room under the tree by me) when we're at christingle or out for a walk.

The elf leaves it.

In it I usually put

Santa key (from each year)
Christmas book
Christmas DVD
Pyjamas each (not usually Christmassy ones tbh)
A keepsake Christmas tree decoration
Christmas cookies
Santa plate (from each year)
Reindeer dust

[Haudyerwheesht]

oVo that's lovely 💐

[JasperDamerel]

We have:

Pyjamas
Stockings to hang up
Hot chocolate
A goodbye letter from the elf
A bath bomb
Thank-you letter stationery.