Your favourite Christmas outings?

[BooChunky]

I know it's not even June yet, but is miserable outside and so I'm stuck inside googling pantos etc

What do you and your family book to do around Christmas? Last year I did Father Christmas at the lyric and Longleat... I'm looking for inspiration

Santa Steam Train - we went to the one at Nene Valley. Great fun.

Beamish is my favourite place to go at Christmas, loads of stuff going on including Santa and reindeer.

I really want to do an Christmas afternoon tea in London with my DS (will be 5) this year. Claridges only bring out 90 days worth at a time though so I'll have to be quick, and this year will be the first I can't take him out on a weekday due to school. So we'll have to see what happens.

Chessington Father Christmas & grotto is the best to be had around us, recommended by a family friend. We went elsewhere last year and I won't bother again!

I'm booking Cinderella for me and DS tonight, and The Snowman is also on. Heard good things about Raymond Briggs' Father Christmas as well. Good prices at the moment; I got all of the above for me, DH and DS for under £150. Really good seats as well.

Now is the time to book if you can afford to!

I took DS to see The Snowman when he was 5yo (he'll be 16 this Christmas )

We used to find a Santa Train when they were little.(Burnham on Crouch, they do Thomas the Tank Engine days too)

Last year we went to HarryPotter on the Saturday before Christmas
Year before we went to Kew Gardens Lighted Walk

Mine are too old for Lapland UK, maybe they'd like Lapland (as in the real one, don't know)

We used to go to London, Hamleys and see the lights.

DD and I go to see The Nutcracker or Swan Lake . Last year we went to see The Little Matchgirl.
Which reminds me to start looking....................

wandering where is this, London? where is cinderella?

Yes its in London, would you like a link?

I've booked the snowman.

Dd will be 4- shud I do Lapland uk??

Oh The Snowman is lovely - (is it Sadlers Wells? )

DS was in Reception, so just 5yo. There's a short interval , I whisked him off to the loo before we went in and bought him a mixer can of pop in the interval, so he wouldn't need to go again.

I don't know what the ideal age for Lapland UK is, I suppose how far you need to travel would have a bearing.
Does your DD like 'Santas Grottos' ?
DS went to the Lakesde one at 3yo and Deal Castle at 4yo.

I think 4-5 would be an ideal age , it looks like there's alot to do there, the forest, skating, cookie decorating.
When they get too old and cynical it would IMO spoil it for the younger ones. Mine missed the boat with Lapland UK

wondering thanks, I looked it up and its most certainly going to be on our to do list, thank you for that!

and at 10 a ticket, brilliant. v excited just hope older child will be ok

Yes peacock theatre. Already excited! Last yr we did the tiger who came to tea which was brilliant.

We usually go to harrods
And or brent x. I think she might not appreciate all the activities at lapland uk but would give a good reaction to Santa. And I'd love it!!!

I'm not keen on real Lapland as I looks too cold for young children.

I'm looking at booking The Snowman too this year. I've ummed and ahhed for the last few years but have decided to book it to. Looking forward to it more after reading some great reviews. Also I've got tickets for Gangsta Granny the middle of December. So something aimed at the little one (4) and something for the older one (9) however we will go as a family to both! I;m hoping to do Chessington for Santa as we went two years ago and I agree its up there with the best of them.

We took DD to The Snowman last Christmas, she was 2yrs 9mths at the time. I thought it was fantastic and so did she BUT I didn't realise it was 2 hrs long until on the day, so in hindsight I would wait until DCs are older. She lost interest after the interval. We'll go again the year my DS turns four I think.

goosey so glad you mentioned that, mine is 2.9 and would not sit through 2 hours either, shame tiger tea isnt on.

I took Dd to see the snowman last year, she was in reception and loved it. We preceded it with a visit to Santa at the rainforest cafe which was excellent value (he was very convincing having read up on her before and the gift was fantastic).