What do you do between Christmas and new year?

[Ladymoods]

I adore the run up to Christmas and make so many plans but the week after Christmas always seems a bit flat and we end up not really doing a lot. I have to dc (6 & 5) and I'm a lone parent, exh is nc. I don't have a huge extended family to visit so would like some ideas of some fun but still festive things we can do. Any thoughts?

*two dc that should say.

Panto?

Should've said, the in laws are taking them to the panto on Boxing Day so that is already ticked off the list...!

I hit the museums with a packed lunch & my dc as they have lots of family friendly things to do. A lot of it is free but some charge a few pounds if its a workshop type activity. We usually call friends with kids and invite them to join us.

• A bus ride down high street to see the lights.
• A walk in the woods with a picnic and hot choc.
• Could you host a little tea party for friends / extended family after xmas day. Get everyone to bring a dish.
• Cinema trip - Odeon children viewings are 1 on selected days

Hit the sales.
Take the decorations down.

Watch the films and eat the sweets.

we just chill out, eat too many chocs, nibble on the leftovers, watch films and the kids play with their new stuff.

I agree it does seem flat.

We normally panto on boxing day which helps, to get ready for something and dressed up etc.

Most local little theatres do panto for much more cheaply than the proper town theatres....and if smaller you will always get a good seat.

cinema

depending where you are is there anywhere you could visit with tescoe vouchers....somwhere that will be doing xmas things and be all dressed up like hampton court, kensington palace, warwick castle...are you NT memeber as some ot their houses are also dressed up and have trails round gardens, if not maybe check out NT place near you..

Ice skating somewhere?

We always do a walk. Wrap up and go somewhere with trees and just walk. This year we will also go the the cinema and I'm hoping to arrange play dates.

As little as possible.
Watch tv in pjs, eat leftovers, play with new stuff, drink baileys for breakfast. I love it. My favourite time of year. Total guilt free doing nothing.

Get outdoors in daylight as we are off work. Walk in the woods, on the beach, bike ride.
We try to dose up on enough vit D to last through January!

The last few years we have booked a premier inn and gone away for a couple of nights, this year is Portsmouth so we can visit the historical dockyard and spinnaker tower again, last year was North Norfolk coast ant the previous year Brighton.
It is always a really enjoyable couple of days.

Watch worlds strongest man and eat our weight in chocolates/biscuits . We do go shopping one of the days, usually the 28th or 29th but don't really buy much of anything. We spend the majority of it vegging out in pjs tbh. Watch a few films too, play board games. DC are still wildly taken by their toys at this point too so they're entertained.

MsAspreyDiamonds

Brilliant suggestions.

In fact I think we might do a couple of those ourselves.

I love the lazing/relaxing inbetween

Poolomoomon has hit the nail on the head - with the addition of Boxing Day being taken over by football.

Worlds Strongest Man is traditional in our house too, along with doing as little as possible.

Play all the board games and watch all the DVDs that have arrived for Xmas! (We collect both so there are always a few of each)

Cinema to watch the latest animated film - have already put clubcard vouchers aside for this - followed by Pizza Hut buffet. An annual tradition.

Now we have freeview we should be able to watch the Xmas lectures depending what channel they're on. Always used to watch them with my dad (the one thing he would always do with me!) and I reckon the DCs are old enough this year!

Some nice suggestions there, thank you. I'm sure we'll have a few days of film watching and face stuffing, but I'd like to have a couple of things planned. Ice skating is a great idea although I haven't been for many years so could be embarrassing interesting. I like the idea of a little tea party maybe with some of their school friends that we won't see otherwise.

Cinema and Pizza Hut sounds great actually, I can probably only afford to do that once a year anyway so may as well make it a Christmas tradition

I need to hit the sales one day, we need new sheets.

We will got to th eNational Gallery one afternoon for their workshops.

We might go to the national museum as well, they have a few new trails to follow.

Cinema and lunch out a re almost a certainty.

A walk on the beach one day, especially if there is any wild weather.

Another day we will go up the park on the hill, get a hot choc in the coffee shop near the base to bring as we walk, cimb to the top and look out over the city, and then spend a half hour freezing ourselves at the bottom while dd plays in the playground.

Taking PILs to the races one day.

And probably a few quiet afternoons at home, DH practising sports skills on the green with, having a few board games, doing some bakin together, and just enjoying some time together to hang out.

Be warned with ice sakting its not so much fun if children cant do it....I bked dh and dd in last year and he spent ages just lumping her round as she couldnt stand....