What Christmas things can I do ?

[christmastimefun]

Christmas markets - full of over-priced tatt, very expensive food & drink and over crowded
Ideal home Christmas show - as above for Christmas markets
Not interested in any national trust light shows
Not interested in going ice skating
Going away is not an option (eg Lapland)
DC way too old for panto/santa visits/walking around the local area looking at peoples home decor/lights displays
Not religious, so no church/carols etc

I have got an afternoon Christmas tea booked, with carols
I am going to a wreath-making workshop
I plan to do some baking

What else can I do ?

Do any of these appeal? Not knowing kids' ages makes it tricky.
Home-made cards or decorations
Ask your kids what they would like to do
Friends of mine have a family competition to make the best gingerbread house - would that appeal?
Film session with home-made popcorn or home-made ice cream
Some sort of treasure hunt

Good luck

Depending on the kids ages?

• Go to a park with them and collect pinecones. At home, decorate with spray glitter, ribbons etc and use as decorations
• Plain baubles which you each decorate
• Kids write out Christmas cards- my elderly relatives love receiving them

DC are 15-18

Ours kids are 16 and 20. We have booked Panto for the 22nd dec. it's about the atmosphere and the family fun. They don't need to be little to enjoy panto and we are all looking forward to it!

Go and see the Xmas lights in a nearby city that you've not been to. Get a nice festive coffee or lunch.

Christmas windows. Get chalk pens or other pens suitable for writing on glass and design and draw Christmas designs on them. It cleans off afterwards. It can be as simple as an all-white design or colourful. You can draw the design on cheap lining paper and use masking tape to stick to the outside of the windows then follow the lines inside. If you do any lettering think about whether you want it to read correctly from inside or outside.

You can also use glass and ceramic paints and pens to decorate cheap plain glasses and white crockery with Christmas designs or just use Christmassy colours. It can look very effective. You bake the glasses and crockery to make the designs permanent. Some of them are even dishwasher proof. The hard part is deciding on the design. Make decorations using the LED lights on fine wires and glass containers.

Could you take them to winter wonderland? Pretty sure they're in most major cities? Or if that's a bit costly which it would be, are there any Christmassy movies at the cinema you could go and see together? Out for a nice dinner and Christmas jumpers or something? I imagine at those ages it does get a lot harder

Going to the theatre to see 'A Christmas Carol' or to the ballet or any other theatre production? Out for nice festive meals? Wintery walk in a forest followed by hot chocolate in a cafe or mulled wine in the pub?

It's difficult at that age, do you have to do something Christmassy ?

When mine got older we just went out for nice lunches or dinners a couple of drinks walk around the shops.

Depending on where you are, visit Blackpool Illuminations. Personally I hate Blackpool, but apparently the lights are great.

Mine would have been out with their mates at that age.

At that age the Christmas activities my parents were able to tempt us to join in with were Christmas shopping and seeing the lights in London with a west end show.

Some ideas:

Cinema to see a Christmassy film (my local one has special showings of the classics)

Go to the super market and buy a load of Christmas snacks together to try

Buy a good house keeping/ similar magazine and ask him if he’d like to pick out a couple to try with you

All of the above could appeal a lot more if he has friends/cousins you could invite to join in!

volunteer at a shelter or food bank

Do you need to do anything? Do your children actually want to do anything?

You have a couple of activities booked and you've said that you are not interested in anything either over commercial or religious, I'm not sure what you are looking for.

Is there a national trust property near you that will be decorated traditionally and serving Christmassy food?

I like going to see the Nutcracker - suitable for all ages, but would very much depend on your teens.

A country winters walk and then lunch in a traditional pub with mulled wine?

Christmas shopping in a traditional market town, rather than a shopping mall?

Do you want ideas for you or things to do as a family? Are your DC boys or girls?

Hot chocolate (with a shot for adults) and toasted marshmallows around an open fire, fire pit, barbecue whatever you have

Raclette or fondue for dinner

Dinner or drinks at a pub or cafe that has an open fire or terrace with heaters and blankets

Manicure or beauty treatment the weekend before Christmas

Carol service or concert

Have you checked all the local listings for things going on at museums, tourist attractions, shopping centres to see what they have on? There is a pop up curling place, a silent Christmas disco and bar at a museum late night opening, open air live music events with street food here.

Last year we went to something called nighT if lights and it was quite a long walk through the woods filled with beautifl
lighys and light displays, all
throught rhe grounds of a country house and then at the end you could hire a beautifully decorated Christmas hut and order bbq food and drinks it was so lovely. It was in Northampton which is probably no where near you, but it was lovely and I'm sure something like that would be enjoyable for anyone

Wow my spelling here is atrocious 😂 my daughter was bumping me on the head with a storage basket while I wrote that, apologies! Hope it makes some sort of sense

Do they want to do more than you’ve got planned ?
I think what you have already planned is lovely - if they have any suggestions then fine but wouldn’t be worrying about doing more if they aren’t pushing

I have 3 teens age 14-17.

We are doing:

Getting a real xmas tree from a local farm where you choose them and they cut them down for you.
cinema to watch Red One
christmas themed escape room
curling
ice skating and Ice bar
Light trail around cardiff bute park
National trust - dyrham park as they are decorating rooms as different xmas periods through the ages.
Christmas film night with xmas hot chocolate bar
decorate gingerbread houses

Our cinema show older Christmas films for less ££ so that might be a good idea to look in to. I think it’s so nice you’re actively looking for stuff to do with them, most kids just hang out with their friends. Computer games as a family? A big present wrapping night. Christmas themed Cocktail/mocktail making night. Go to a dunelm and take part in their secret Santa for someone in need. Learn to make fudge and package it up for gifts.

Can 15yr olds volunteer in a shelter???
I tried signing up a few years ago at several food banks and shelters. 1 place wanted a CV, interview and a commitment of at least 6 mths. Another would only take people with a specialty job- vet, podiatrist, hair dresser etc.
I understand they might get people only help for a few weeks, but it was far more hassle than I expected.

I already have a full DBS, food handling certificate and a skill in demand, but did
think 'What if I don't pass the interview!' 😬

I have kids of a similar age. We are going to do the following-

• A trip to our local city christmas market for a hot choc/desert/hot dog. The food is over priced but we quite enjoy a wander around the stalls and the atmosphere and the kids really like the jumbo hot dogs and a doughnut.
• A craft day
• a baking day
• hot chocolate station and christmas film evening.
• Mcflurry and a drive around to look at houses that are lit up - this is a weird tradition that they really look forward to.
• we also aren't religious but our local church puts on some lovely christmas things that really get you in the mood. The carol services are lovely and they are very welcoming even though we don't normally go and seem to remember us from previous years.
• Craft fair in our village hall, lots of little local makers with sweet christmas gifts.
• Garden centres are also a firm fave at this time of year and free!

At that age not a lot lol.. mine was and still is off with his mates.. unless it involves food or maybe shopping then might be able to lure them.. just my experience with a teen boy..just concentrate on doing some Christmas things you would like to do.