any ideas to make Christmas day afternoon special?

[stottiecake]

love love love Christmas eve, Christmas day morning, lunchtime, but then it always feels a bit 'over' after lunch. I want more magic!! last year my brother nipped to the loo after lunch and phoned my young sons and told them he was father Christmas and he was very sorry he had found a couple of left over pressies in the bottom of his sleigh and he had popped back and left them on the bed upstairs along with a couple of sleigh bells as an apology. that was fun but I think I fancy more of an activity or event. perhaps not drinking 'til after lunch might give me something to look forward to

We always save our main gifts to after lunch , so we start opening about 4 with champagne cocktails. Depending on age range could you play a board game/charades or similar or if you can venture outside one of my friends does a Christmas Day bbq followed by kite flying ... Pone year they did balloons instead.

ooh if only we could count on a bit of snow!! my boys are 3 and 6 so a bit young for trivial pursuit but actually maybe we could get a game to unwrap after lunch like operation or mouse trap. will look into family games suitable for 3 and up

We have an extra surprise present from fc arrive under the tree during lunch when I nip to the loo . It is to the whole family and is a game to play.

We also go for a walk in the woods together with the dog. We walk the dog twice a day, obviously, but rarely all together, so it seems special.

My boys always liked Kerplunk and Jenga, and the adults would be happy to join in with those. Would work for 3 & 6 year old.

Definitely some fresh air - BeaLola's idea of kites sounds great. Remote control cars/helicopters are good outside, or aeroplane kits to make and then fly.

If you have a garden which is useable in winter, swingball is good fun.

thank you - great ideas!! a trip outdoors for an hour would be good. Will have a think about something to do while we're out!

This year I'm looking forward to a lovely post lunch walk with the dog, if there is snow even better

Not over planning it! Spontaneous fun is what makes magic memories imo, not trying too hard

Don't get Mousetrap - it comes with loads of plastic bits which are joined together on a sheet.Working out what is what and assembling it is fiddly and takes ages; exasperating enough for an adult, horrendous for a child to have to wait.

great - will avoid!! thank you I think we need something otherwise it falls flat... we have a piano in the dining room - we could always have a sing song I suppose

Recommend the game "Whatever Next" - got it as a present for mine last year - then aged 3 and 5 1/2. They loved it then and still do.... as do I!! You have to pick up cards depending on what colour square you land on, and either have to do a "thing" like hop around the room, clap your hands above your back 5 times, say something in a really deep voice etc, or pretend to be/do something eg start and drive a car, be a rock star, build a snowman, clean your teeth....

The kids find it funny doing the things, and even funnier watching grown ups doing them . Unlike so many kids games, it doesn't bore me to tears, I enjoy it too!

For the love of God do NOT get Mousetrap. Unless you want miserable children and divorce proceedings. It will take most of the afternoon to set up by which time nobody will be speaking to each other and the dc will be crying. The sound of the fucking silver ball hitting the laminate floor millions of times is enough to send me into a blind fury. The rules are far too complicated and at least 50% of the traps will break within 2 minutes.

Just. Don't. Do. It.

Have a lovely walk instead. I used to have a competition with my dad to see who could be the first to spot a brand new bike on it's first outing. Winner got bugger all but I loved it.

But please don't buy fucking Mousetrap.

I posted about the morning between Santa madness and going to get my mum seeming flat - still not sure how to fix it!

I'm going to try and save some presents for after lunch. The problem is DPs family arrive and literally hand your present straight to you / the kids so last year I was opening mine in the kitchen in the middle of cooking. Am going to try and enforce an 'after lunch' rule this year to no avail probably.

Surely the kids (and ideally everyone else) will get a present that needs "doing", whether it's a book to read, a computer game, some Lego/meccano/Knex/Zoobs or playmobil..... I know kids can get into a bit if an unwrapping frenzy, moving on to the next present before they've properly looked at the first, but surely the afternoon is the time to go back and actually play with what they've been given? :)

I would do lunch, then while clearing up is being done kids fiddle with Lego/whatever then out for a walk. As long as possible. Then back for a movie with chocs/mince pies/whatever. Is that boring? That is what I did as a child and have lovely memories.

I like to make more of the dinner hence starters main etc ( like most!) but also hand round a present between courses, and rather than rush through it make a big long event of it. having said that, with toddler probably go out window this year.

We've decided to put lunch back this year for this very reason. So stockings, showers, breakfast, presents then start preparing lunch. Hoping it just spreads the day out a bit more. Maybe a film after we've had dinner which we're doing about 4.

its only our 2nd Christmas at home and last year we had family over late afternoon so lunch was early. hoping this keeps the day busy.

can't wait

lovely ideas thank you! Will take heed of the mousetrap warning - the 'action game' sounds brilliant! the boys tend to do lots of building and playing between breakfast (early) and lunch (late) so we are ready for a bit of exercise! think lunch, walk, game or film then tea and wine and relaxation :D we don't usually plan anything but its nice to have a plan sometimes.

How about a Christmas Day treasure hunt outside?

You could show the boys photographs and they have to find the things- acorn, a fir cone, a branch in the shape of a y etc

they would love that we have a lovely park/ gardens over the road - perfect (will distract them from the swings perhaps )

We felt a bit like that last year (we all got a bit "meh" between noon and Christmas dinner at 5) so we're doing Christmas dinner early this year, about 1.30pm ish then we're heading to the beach for the afternoon & evening taking any leftovers and snacky bits with us.

But it's summer here so a bit easier for us to do that.

I love the idea of a treasure hunt in the park, you could get some contact paper and when you get back from the park have the dc make collages with all the nature they have found whilst drinking hot chocolates (with baileys for the adults )

When I was growing up we opened gifts from mum and dad/santa in the morning and then we went to my grandparent's house and had lunch and didn't open presents from them until after the queen's speech. This year my ILs coming for lunch and I am going to ask them that we save their gifts until after lunch too.