What to do with tweens at Christmas

[rockymimosa]

Ds is 11 and still very much into Christmas. But too old to be sitting on Santa's knee now! I wondered what sort of things you do with your older kids over the festive period? He'll still want to do Christmassy themed stuff so I thought maybe a festive film at the cinema, Christmas market somewhere, card making perhaps? But he's too old for a lot of the grottos and organised events at farm parks and the like that we used to go to. It's actually making me quite sad this year as we're very much in between.

Hmmm just thinking out loud here but light shows, ginger-bread house making, live nativity, christmas cookie baking, long walk (somewhere with deer?) with hot chocolate at the end, covent garden, ice skating?

Ice skating
Pantomime
Making & building gingerbread house
Wreath making
Sledging/snowball fights (go snow hunting or use nerf guns if no snow near you)
Walk around and find the best decorated house

I have a tween and teens, the last few years we have booked experiences that Santa's is not a huge part of. These have been places like Cadbury World (santa is a show), the black country museum, light shows at garden centres and a canal Trust 'panto'. There are actually loads of none santa visits out there. Lots of national trust properties offer santa free events.

Try to mix the fun stuff up with DD 12 helping me and her realising that Christmas doesnt magically happen on its own:

• Walks with the dog in new places that have a cafe + hot chocolate + cake
• local light shows
• Lakeland gingerbread house
• wreath making
• panto
• Feed merchant to stock up for horse + dog
• Food + booze shop
• schlepping cards + presents to neighbours around the village
• picking up pheasants from gamekeeper

I have tweens and teens and we love Christmas and we have made new family traditions.

We try to do every year, carol concert and the local church, pantomime. Go to one of the places that has a Christmas walk ( lights all over the forest), we try to go to the village near us that has a lovely Christmas market day, and try and fit in a walk to a local national trust house that is decorated for Christmas.

I am taking mine ice skating, to a light trail and making a gingerbread house.
I'm taking the younger ones to the theatre.

I'm taking my 13 and 9yo to the panto , wonka at the cinema and for Xmas afternoon.

Afternoon tea!

We have been to theme parks in the past but it gets pretty cold and dc have said not this year.

We looked at Phantom Peak in London but it is £££ and we think dd2 is a bit young (8yo). We also looked at a light trail but we left it a bit late to book!

The week before xmas DH is going to take them to a big town they don't often visit, go to the cinema and then take them to buy presents for me / grandparents. They're going to my parents house to help my Mum decorate her tree. And I hope they are all going to discover the true meaning of Xmas by cleaning the house top to bottom 😅

Light trail, pantomime, Christmas Market, gingerbread house and cinema. I miss the days of taking them to see Father Christmas.

I know what you mean about getting sad, I was sad that my 10yr old was too old for Father Christmas and then I remembered she never really liked the experience anyway - prob more me 🤣.

Another vote here for one or all of the following ice-skating,panto and a festive light trail. Also we will drive around the neighbourhood and see all the lights - a good freebie. Then there's decorating some gingerbread biscuits. I also wanted my DD to help me gather holly etc on a walk to make a wreath - that was a no(!) but your DS might want to do this.

DS just turned 9 but since he doesn't believe in Santa, a lot of the little kid stuff is ruled out.

He's doing:
Ice skating (rink holding a kids Christmas disco)
Pantomime
Elf Cadet Training (RAF museum)
WiFi Wars Christmas Bash at the Royal Institution
Christmas sleepover at cubs

I am forcing him to go to a carol service too but that's for me not him

DS is 11. No ‘organised fun’. He adores Christmas but is far too sophisticated. We went to his school ‘winter fair’, he goes carol-singing with school, we all went to get a Christmas tree together and the farmer let him go through the thing that wraps the tree in mesh and get wrapped, which has been his favourite Christmas thing this year. Other than his advent calendar? We’ll probably go to the pantomime.

Church? you don’t have to be a rabid bible basher to appreciate one of the worlds great religions.

I have a 12 yr old (also a 7 yr old). Successful Christmas things this year & last have been: light trail, ice skating, Christmas market (for snacks rather than shopping), pantomime, he also still enjoys a big well decorated garden centre, especially if we stop for hot chocolate & cake. I think he’d also love a winter wonderland funfair type place.