Shall we talk about Christmas Eve hampers?

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Thought I'd write a list of ideas and then others can too so I can steal my favourite ones.

DVD (Xmas themed or a new one that's just out)
Book (Xmas themed again)
Santa colouring book
Felt tips/crayons for the colouring book

Popcorn
Sweets
Hot chocolate
Marshmallows (for the hot chocolate)
Pringles (my DC seem to think Pringles are a treat so always put some in now)

Santa mug
Santa plate

Board game to be played that day

Pyjamas
Slippers
Dressing gown
Santa socks

Toothbrush
Character bubble bath
Fun soap (I like the play-doh style soap from Lush)
Flannels

This year I was thinking of buying one of those big teddy bear throws from Dunelm and putting everything in it and trying it with ribbon like a big Santa sack. Might get 2 small throws and put them in it so they can cuddle up under one each when we watch the DVD.

Pretty please share what you do and how you 'package' it and deliver it. It's one of my favourite parts of Christmas.

That all sounds great I use a wicker basket for ours. It has :

Pj's
dvd xmassy or new depending on what's available
mini marshmallows
squirty cream
hot chocolate stirrers
chocolate gift tag with name on from thorntons
santa sack to put outside bedroom door for prezzies

My dc are teens now but still like it as tradition.

I use a little FC box for ours. It contains:
New pyjamas
Christmas book - Santa Claus loves underpants this year
DVD (not decided yet)
Hot chocolate
Marshmallows
Gingerbread men (either ready done JL ones or some to ice)
Sticker / colouring book.

Usually arrives on the doorstep at about 4.30. We watch prep and landing in the morning, so once the box arrives, they know they've been done and the house is ready for FC. Then it's hot chocolate, a bit of tv, bath and bed. Then the hard work starts....

We use baskets from home bargains for ours, lined with red material. We put in...
PJs
Slippers if needed
Character toothbrushes
Snowman soup
Christmas book
Character bubble bath
Santa key
Reindeer food
Santa plate
Christmas biscuits

Thinking of annuals this year

will be looking for more ideas

In my 4 and 7 year old boys Xmas Eve box this year will be:

Matching Pyjamas
Christmas Socks
New Stocking each
Santa Shower Gel
New Personalised Christmas tree Ornament
Santa is Coming to my House Colouring Book
Felt Tip Pens
DVD-This year its Guardians of the Galaxy
Musical Santa/Snowman Straw
Christmas Print Plastic Tumbler
Reindeer Food
Popcorn
Pringles
Marshmallows
Christmas Books x 2 (Alfies Christmas and The Dinosaur that pooped Christmas)
Asda build your own Rocky Road House Kit

I have bought a set of plain boxes off ebay,I will put it all together and wrap the box with a message from Santa on it.
The will open it Xmas eve afernoon so we can make the Rocky Road House, then watch the film whilst eating our goodies, they will then get a shower change into their new pyjamas, hang their new stockings and we will then put them to bed and read the books (thats what I am hoping for any way!

I'm doing one for the first time this year, so will watch this thread with interest.
So far I've planned:
New pyjamas for all
Christmas book for Ds's story
DVD - postman pat film?
Popcorn
Ds's new dressing gown

DD will only be 14 months so she can share the story and doesn't need a new dressing gown. She'll have no idea anyway! DS will be 3.

I'm also doing this for the first time this year

Dc will be nearly 7, 5 years and 20 months

I'm on the look out for a nice big wicker basket

Ours is a festive storage box that just about fits everything. It only comes out after dinner, lighting ChristmS candle, setting out stocking and snack for Santa. So really just before bedtime.

It contains new pjs for us all (DH, DD and I), a bath bomb each for DD and I, hot choc (lump of choc on a wooden spoon type, naice!) for us all, and our old copy of 'Twas the night before Christmas, for bedtime story.

It helps dd get organised to go have a relaxing bath and go to bed without too much fuss. I might get to use my bomb a few days later, I think I once got it on the Eve!

Mine have a red pillowcase. I try and keep the Xmas eve hamper fairly low key, though.

They get
New pjs
Toothbrush
Magic reindeer food
Santa key
Chocolate Santa
Xmas activity book

Can I ask, what is a Christmas Eve hamper

This sounds lovely... What a wonderful thing to do on Christmas Eve. DS is only 11 months but can't wait to introduce this next year...!

Ours is usually waiting on the doorstep when we come back from a walk, just before supper. It has:
A letter from our elf
Pyjamas for everyone
Christmas stockings
A DVD if there is nothing suitable on television
A bath bomb
Thank you cards
Hot chocolate and candy canes
A copy of The Night Before Christmas and The Grinch who Stole Christmas.

It's really a lit to make going to bed more fun. So they come in from their walk, open the hamper, eat supper, have a bath and change into pyjamas, write a letter to Father Christmas, watch The Snowman it something similar with hot chocolate, leave out snacks and letter for F.C. and the reindeer, brush teeth, hand stockings, listen to stories, lullaby, lights out.

My DS are 11&8 and I've done this for several years. Started with xmas themed mr men books and PJs for all and now includes edible goodies, snowman soup, reindeer dust, annuals and a funny film we can all watch. I love the ritual ands juggling down with a new book seems a good way for them to wind down the over excitement.

DH was always sceptical but it is now a really special ritual and if we have grannie overnight it includes new PJs and hot water bottle for her. I have a soak in the bath and the DSs lay the table for breakfast with whatever themed napkins, tumblers etc I have picked up.

I include a mini bottle of fizz for me, hot water bottles (primark have great Scandi knitted covers) and a 1,000 piece Xmas jigsaw. Elf, home alone and national lampoons have all been good funny films and I am wondering already about this year's choice.

I have always done 2 hampers...one for start of December and one for Christmas Eve. They can use their Santa pencils, socks etc thought December rather than just the day before.

Hamper/1st December
Zhu zhu advent calendars
Zhu zhu DVD
Blanket
Elf
Elf DVD
Santa pencils
Tolkien Santa book
hair chalks
Letters from Santa
Santa chocolate
Santa socks

Hamper/Christmas Eve
PJs
toothbrushes
Personalised Coke bottle
Annuals
Movie clip board
Expanding Flannels
Reindeer food (hen food)

Retro Popcorn boxes
Posh Straws
Bath bombs

I like the idea of a Dec 1st Advent hamper.

sizzle it's all the things I would buy anyway but split into two piles rather than everything on Christmas Eve.

Definitely going to start this Christmas tradition this year, my ds will be 2 and 1 this year so it can be a tradition that grows with them !

I used to do Xmas eve hamper , new pj's dressing gown, 2x dvds (cause I have younger child and teens) fizzy, choc, popcorn.

This year I have my youngest aged 11 and my grandson so want to do a hamper to keep them busy Xmas eve day from the elves, but keep there pj's one from me as youngest is used to it being that way , or tempted to just get elves to write letter saying they will do the Xmas eve hamper this year x

We tried it once and it didn't really work out, my two are unlikely to agree on watching a film chosen by me, one doesn't like hot choc or pyjamas, they opt to not have a bath as their treat for Christmas Eve and no way was I going to pretend it was elves, I find the FC pretence hard enough to maintain. We go to church, do snacks for FC and the reindeer, and watch telly together.

We do have an advent hamper though, gets the season started nicely. Advent calender, Christmas bedding goes on, hamper contains the Christmas mugs, teatowels, jigsaw and books, maybe a new DVD or book, Christmas music goes on Ipods.

We have an advent hamper, too. It has the advent calendar, Lumi the elf, and Christmas books.

We have

New PJ's
New slippers
bubble bath
new Christmas story
something nice to eat
reindeer food

Seems to go down quite well

We keep the Christmas eve hamper simple. This year dd will discover it in her den (DH converted our old shed into a den for him and dd this summer) after breakfast (and after DH has collected the m&s food).

It will contain: Christmas jumpers for us all, cookie making kit to bake cookies for santa, carrots for reindeer, new pj's, dvd, Christmas book, magic key and panto tickets for the afternoon pantomime. Last year I put hot chocolate, colouring books etc and we didn't really use them because we were too busy/forgot. This year the plan is dd can watch the dvd in the morning after we have baked cookies, wear the jumpers to the panto and then out for dinner in the evening with ils, after dinner we will set up the magic key, cookies and carrots, get into new pj's and read a bedtime story before dd goes to bed and DH and I play santa. I'm so looking forward to it!

I came on to say that I do a December 1st hamper and see somebody else does it too.

we put a christmas story, christmas dvd, christmas hairclips and bobbles, their advent calendars, christmas jumper, tickets for Christmas day out/weekend away, new pjs, felts and a Christmas colouring book, ingredients to make something christmas themed - we did snowman cupcakes last year.

Wow, just reading this makes my head spin. I love the idea but the sheer amount of stuff you'd end up accumulating over the Christmas period and then storing during the year (Christmas bedding? ) puts me off.

I have a lovely hamper already so think I might do the Christmas dvd, cozy socks and non Christmassy pjs but keep everything else Christmas themed consumable. I love the fizz for me idea!!

Sorry if that's a bit bah humbug for the Christmas topic

Oops sorry, posted too soon. Just wanted to say that we do it on Dec 1st so that they can have a month wearing their xmas stuff and watching dvds/reading books but appreciate the idea that a christmas eve hamper allows parents to help them wind down before the big day. On Christmas eve we usually have family ovet or are out visiting so no need for a big hamper for us. Having said that we do have a tradition of sprinkling 'reindeer food' inthe garden, lleaving carrot and water for rudloph and a mince pie and milk for santa then we all bath, get into pjs and sit down with a hot choc to watch Christmas tv. My fave is the snowman or the snowman and snowdog. Nice and short and relaxing beforw the dcs bed. They have a christmas story and all tucked up ready for the next day :)

How much do people end up spending on these hampers!?