Pre-Christmas activities with the kids

[Greenbutterlfy566]

Pre-Christmas activities with the kids.

What is everyone doing? And what have you already done?

Bump

Putting up decorations.

This weekend I plan to do some Christmas baking with them & watch a Christmas film.

We've got a trip to Santa booked, a couple of catch up with friends (mine & the kids)

Christingle

Christmas Eve service at church (sing a few caroles)

Mooch

Not much yet. We are doing the tree this weekend. Cinema next weekend to see Abominable. A visit to Santa and our local Christmas market at some point, then the panto and Christmas eve boxes on the 24th.

Oh DS is also doing a carol service with Beavers in a couple of weeks.

Write letter to Santa
Write cards to friends and family
Make paper chains
Gingerbread biscuits
Go to a carol service
Decorate a paper plate on which to leave Santa’s mince pie and reindeer’s carrot
Choose a new game to play as a family between Christmas and New Year
Take a bag of old toys to the charity shop or some food to the local food bank.
For the last couple years, we’ve gone driving to look at Christmas lights late at night. It’s awesome! Take popcorn and hot chocolate in travel mugs, and have Christmas music playing in the car. It’s basically free entertainment for the kids, and it’s nice quiet family time where everyone is strapped down.

The only thing we've done so far is watch the Xmas lights switch on but as struggled to come with the noise and crowds so we only stayed 5 minutes.

We're going to see Santa on Sunday (a free one in town; we can't afford to do a Santa experience thing), we're going to the garden centre to see the decorations, we're hopefully going to go to a Christmas market at some point and we're going to an English Heritage place where they light it up and make it look all magical. We'll put the tree up in a few weeks too.

Nice

Saw FC last weekend, he was great. €3 for a chat with a lovely FC, a toy, a bag of sweets and an activity book! DS was rather overwhelmed, very sweet.

Decorations up this weekend.

I have to take DS out to buy husband gift, then vice versa. DS is quite excited! Although I know he'll want to buy some tat from Flying Tiger

His Christmas show at school is on the 18th at 3pm, luckily I'll be able to go.

We have a box of good quality toys ready to give to charity, we'll drop them off Friday and then have hot chocolate and churros.

DS will make the centrepiece for the Christmas table (we've had 3D reindeer, looroll FC with googly eyes, wonky trees) great tradition.

We've made Christmas cards already (about 10, mostly to family abroad).

That's about it. We're in the UK this year and bring treated to panto I cannot wait! Although I googled it and have never heard of any of the people...

Happy times!

Everyone got their tree?

Tree goes up tomorrow (holiday here). I've got thick Spanish hot chocolate and a mini panettone for breakfast, then it's full volume Christmas tunes and reminisce about each bauble. I can barely sleep!

We have a lot planned as a family (I try and make up for the long hours I work during the week). Last weekend, we visited Edinburgh Christmas Market. This weekend, as well as buying the tree and decorating the house, we're driving to a castle for story time with Santa and are then taking a walk around a woods that has been lit up. Next weekend, we are taking in a light parade at a local park and are travelling to an English heritage property which has a themed night on. Additionally, we are taking the children to York for the night. Lastly, we're going to see an orchestra play alongside a screening of The Snowman.

We have already;

Been to the Christmas tree farm to select a tree.
Gone through the 'ChrisMaze' (like a maize maze only made out of smallish Christmas trees)
Put tree up and decorated it
Put other decorations up around the house
Gone to an advent carol service
Been to a panto on ice

We will also;
Go to sing carols at an old people's home
Go to a wreath making class to make a wreath for the front door
Make paperchains to decorate the house with out of the leftover bits of last year's wrapping paper
Go shopping for cheese footballs and lots of cheese and more cheese footballs
Go for a walk around our village to see the Christmas lights (in particular to two houses which really go all out and do tours of their gardens too in aid of a local charity)
Make lots of toffee pecan chocolates to give to our friends and neighbours (my DS is 12 and a keen cook, wouldn't allow small children to make edible gifts)
Visit the Christmas market near us for a peruse, a hog roast, some hot chocolate/mulled wine etc.

We may go ice skating, possibly outdoors but not yet planned.

Put tree up last weekend
Went to local panto
Went to theatre show
Went to local Christmas fair (with free Santa grotto)

Other stuff booked:
Christmas movie at a pop-up cinema
Ride a bus to see the Christmas lights
Santa's Grotto at a museum
Christmas family classical music concert
Family broadway concert
Another theatre show
Immersive/sensory theatre show
Visiting grandparents
Winter Wonderland

Also plan to take a cheesy family photo wearing our Christmas T shirts and print a card to send to grandparents abroad.

Been to the panto, going on a Santa steam train on Saturday. Watched a Xmas Peppa Pig episode and dug out the Xmas DVDs. Put up the tree but not decorated it yet. School Xmas disco.

Will make cards and he can practice writing his name in them, also ginger bread men, paper chains, salt dough decorations.

Salt dough Christmas decorations
Gingerbread house decoration
Drive around and look at the lights (I can’t drive but my mum does)
Make Christmas cards