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Best Xmas things to do with the dc before they grow up?

18 replies

Whatdoyoumeanwinter · 09/11/2024 18:00

Best xmas things to do with the dc before they grow up?

Ie Lapland, days out, holidays etc.

OP posts:
TwigTheWonderKid · 09/11/2024 18:03

Proper Finnish Lapland. Utterly magical!

But I also think it's often the little things, be that choosing a new decoration, making a gingerbread house, whatever you like that are the the things that make you feel warm and fuzzy.

Hoppinggreen · 09/11/2024 18:18

I get your point but you can still do nice stuff
16 year old DS went pumpkin picking with me recently and we are going to the markets and a light trail with DD as well and shes 19!
You just have to promise food and alcohol on the way round things

Whatdoyoumeanwinter · 09/11/2024 18:35

Twig- where did you go?

hopping- that’s great

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legalseagull · 09/11/2024 19:08

Agreed - Lapland. We went to Yllas. It was magical. I cried several times seeing the wonder in the kids eyes. It'll stay with me forever.

That said - it's VERY expensive, so closer to home the normal - the magic of putting out your mince pies on Christmas Eve. I set up a camera in their room when they were 3 and 4 and have the most heartwarming video of them discovering their stockings and shouting "thank you" up the chimney.

Powderblue1 · 09/11/2024 19:17

I think you can overthink things but I think you can't go wrong with the good old traditional stuff. We love baking, crafts and Xmas books in our house. Each year we do the panto, national trust illuminations, Santa visit (only one Santa each year).

BoilingHotand50something · 09/11/2024 19:28

We have never done any of the grand things. We have just added little traditions along the way, adapting them as the kids have got older. similar to @Powderblue1 They are still super excited about Christmas as teens.

Fireworknight · 09/11/2024 19:47

Family traditions

Dweebie · 09/11/2024 19:51

We are well off but will never forget going to Lapland when kids were 8 and 5. We went to saariselka with Canterbury Travel. Absolutely magical and probably responsible for the fact that our kids still believed in FC for an embarrassingly long time afterwards.

Dweebie · 09/11/2024 19:51

We are not well off I meant to say!

ohtowinthelottery · 09/11/2024 19:55

Why does the fun have to stop once they grow up?
Last year, DS took a day off work. We went to town for a couple of drinks and an early meal then on to the outdoor carol concert hosted by the local radio station. We all had a good old sing song and it was memorable and fun.
Christmas traditions and memories can still happen beyond childhood.

Whatdoyoumeanwinter · 09/11/2024 19:56

it seems Lapland is the ultimate thing to do.

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Floralnomad · 09/11/2024 20:04

We always did Disney Paris the week before Christmas when ours were in school as well as the usual light trails etc . Ours are now adult but my daughter is disabled so we go out and about a lot together and we have a list of things we do in the run up to Christmas such as Longleat , our favourite NT places , a show ( Pirates of Penzance in Bath this year ) , a day in Disney etc .

TwigTheWonderKid · 09/11/2024 20:08

Dweebie · 09/11/2024 19:51

We are well off but will never forget going to Lapland when kids were 8 and 5. We went to saariselka with Canterbury Travel. Absolutely magical and probably responsible for the fact that our kids still believed in FC for an embarrassingly long time afterwards.

Yes, we had the same! I knew over a year in advance we'd be going so I arranged for Santa to "accidentally" take our bottle opener with him when he helped himself to a drink when he delivered their presents.

The next year I took the bottle opener with us and gave it to our rep who passed it on the big man himself. When they had their private audience and he returned it, the children were a absolutely beside themselves with wonder, also aided by the fact he had a real beard and they got to give it a tug to make sure!

caringcarer · 09/11/2024 20:58

Every year I take DGC now to paint a Xmas baubles. It gets fired in the kiln and I collect 2 weeks later. By the time DGC leave home they will each have a lovely set of Xmas baubles.

Whatdoyoumeanwinter · 09/11/2024 21:26

Twig- thanks for the link

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CuteCillian · 09/11/2024 21:30

TwigTheWonderKid that is an amazing idea- thanks.

OlderGlaswegianLivingInDevon · 09/11/2024 21:56

Every year on the last day of term at Primary school, school finished at lunchtime and that was always the day we went and chose our Christmas tree at a local farm shop type place.
As the farm shop also had a cafe/coffee shop we had lunch too, so that was the majority of the afternoon taken up.
we would let the tree ' rest ' over night

and thus we decorated the tree on the first full day of the school Xmas holidays.

in South Devon there is a children's attraction ' Pennywell Farm ' and they have visit Santa and a Nativity - and some of the children actually get to join in ! not every child there but around 6/8 are chosen at random to take part.
We went every year on the Sunday before Xmas.

One of the local National Trust type places also held a Saturday morning ' make your own Christmas Wreath ' can't remember which one but that became a tradition too.

The 5pm Christingle service in a local Church , it became a tradition to have a Xmas Eve roast so it would be in the oven so that was ready-ish by the time we got home, after a quick pop into the local Co-op which is opposite the Church for ' treats ' / snacks to eat during the dvd that would have been in dd's Xmas Eve box along with a book.

Pantomime on Boxing day, we are fortunate enough to have 2 theatres in the area so always went to one.

and yes we have been to Lapland too, I believe dd was 6 at the time.

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