Best Xmas Eve Book and film for 3yo and 1 yo

[Up2nogood]

We didn't really have any christmas traditions so to speak when i was a child. So i want to build my own. DS are 3 and 1 and on xmas eve i like the idea of an xmas book and film to watch.

is the night before xmas the best xmas eve book? Any others for the run up? DS was 3 in Nov. I bought a Santa does loud trumps (or something along those lines) last year and hate it. He was also bought the perfect xmas tree - squirrel, fox and bunny pick a tree, which has been read to death all year!!!

And films? What are the best for a 3yo?

Personally the night before Xmas makes my heart sink! I didn't get it as a child and thought a number of the rhymes were lame even then!

I have one called 'Harvey Schlumfenberger's Christmas Present' which DD started to love at 3 and still loves at 4. 'The Magic Sleigh Bell' would make the top of my list for a family tradition though.

Films...The Snowman? Some of the Disneys were quite scary for my DD at 3 so we stopped watching them for a while.

How about some carols or Christmas songs? I couldn't get enough of them (sung by a good children's choir) when I was 3.

Alfie's Christmas is a nostalgic book about a Christmas we can all relate to, by Shirley Hughes.

What about the snowman short film? My three year old loved it, not too long for a 1yo too and can be repeated every year without getting old.

Books: The Jolly Christmas Postman, Stick Man

Films: The Snowman & Father Christmas!

Or the Gruffalo's Child is lovely

My 2 year old DS loves Stick Man.

Ormally i'll have to try and look your suggestions up. TBH I haven't read the night before xmas for years and cannot remember....it just seems to be the favourite. And i rarely (never) get to a book shop alone with time to browse.

I've just bought a new christmas cd as our old one was all scratched. BUT ds is a bit of a misery when it comes to songs

Its funny you say that about the films we bought home the lion king for his birthday as he does actually like singing hakuna matata, but we fast-forwarded lots due to the violence. (possibly over protective parenting!)

I bet the snowman will be on the TV i could sky record it. I did record it last year but lost it.

ProveMe I do love Alfies shoes which we have so like the idea of Alfies christmas

Stick Man! Love it, and wish they would do a tv film of it like they have thw Gruffalo.

stick man....is that about christmas...?

We have the gruffalos child, i think it scares him...?!!!

The night before Christmas every time here!

As for films- we're trying out Arthur Christmas for our 4 yr old. Our 1 yr old doesn't really do films!

A scratch and a scrape and a flurry of soot. A wriggle, a jiggle, and out pokes a foot. A shove and a nudge. A hop and a jump and Santa falls into the room with a thump...

Stick Man is christmassy at the end. Both my nearly-2 and 4 year old boys love it. I can recite it in the dark now We went to see it in London a couple of weeks ago. It was brilliant.

On the back of this thread I have just ordered Alfies Christmas.

Any maybe a book with an elf in it.....i've seen an elf door i LOVE and i like the idea of the magic behind it but i don't want elf on the shelf becuase i'm too tight to pay £35 i not into using santa and gifts as bribes for good behaviour yet

The original animated Grinch is what I watched as a kid and is still what's put on at this house. That and Santa Claus is Comin to Town (1970) - an oldie but a goodie.

Film wise it has to be Polar Express here!

Can't beat the night before christmas on Christmas Eve either, we have the Robert Sabuda pop up one which makes it all the more magical. There are quite a lot of wonderful Christmas Eve books though, the Grinch is good, the sweet smell of Christmas, Tom and Lucy's Christmas, Christmas in the mouse house, Belle and Boo's Christmas...

Last year with an almost 3 we watched The Polar Express, he liked it but found it a bit weird and scary in places. This year we are trying Arthur Christmas.

He mainly loved Christmas specials of Sarah and Duck, Charlie and Lola and the Snow Dog one though we had those on the day.

The Polar Express book is lovely, my 3 year old has enjoyed it more this year than last.

Alfie's Christmas we read all year round, love Shirley Hughes. It is longer and more detailed than Alfie's Feet. Mog's Christmas also a year round favourite.

I have bought Mr Willoughby's Christmas Tree for this year's tree day.

The Night Before Christmas has been enjoyed on Christmas Eve since he was 18 months or so, he could finish the lines. I always like reading it, precisely because it is a bit daft but the rhythm is good.

Nothing as Christmassy as bellowing the last line

Can't believe I forgot about ds's obsession with polar express from age 2!