Ways to make Christmas special for a 4yo?

[Acunningruse]

4yo DS can't remember any of the toys he received last Christmas, but still talks about how Father Christmas came down the chimney and left a snowy footprint on the fireplace hearth

I would love to do more things like this for this Christmas - little touches to make it really magic. Not least as we have a new baby so not much budget for toys so want to make it special in other ways.

Any ideas gratefully received!

Our DC's, five to mid teens, love the little touches still. How about... PJ's and a sachet of hot chocolate left by the elves on Christmas eve with a note saying he is on the nice list. A message from PNP (free). Sprinkling reindeer dust outside. Baking gingerbread reindeers for Santa (and our neighbours) in the lead up.

Father Christmas leaves a box on our doorstep on Christmas Eve. There's usually a letter in it and also...

• a cheesy pair of PJs for us all
• a Christmas story
• a Christmas DVD
• some treats

Kids love it. It's the highlight of their Christmas!

Following with interest. DS will only be 1 at Xmas but I want to start nice traditions. Love the idea about the pjs being from the elves!

I always used to make videos HERE for the dc when they were younger.

I always made a letter from Santa that was left for DD on Christmas morning. I would usually write a bit about dd and then make up a funny story about something that had happened to Santa on his way to our house.

The only problem is I obviously did too good a job, DD is 11, just started secondary school and she still believes! I think i'm going to have to tell her

Agree the portable north pole videos are fab, especially the ones that have the naughty/nice omiter!

We Wassail our neighbours (and deliver snowman soup or home made biscuits) on Christmas eve and then track we used to Santa on Norad.

Snowman soup? please do tell :)

Our best Christmas moment last year was our north pole breakfast on Christmas eve morning. We had a Christmas elf who pulled pranks and arranged crafts/adventures for us each morning. And on Christmas eve he left us a special breakfast. DS woke up to the kitchen table laid with Christmas crockery, a teapot full of hot chocolate, a jug of cream and a sugar bull full of tiny marshmallows. The plates were laid with pastries and a big bowl of fruit salad. Candles and fairy lights were lit, Christmas music was playing and there were small crackers for each of us. The gnome also left a cookie making kit for us to make cookies for Santa.

We then had this really wonderful hour relaxing at the table, eating and talking excitedly about where Santa would be now (funnily enough Christmas Island in the first time zone and would be where Santa was heading for as we ate). Would he like the cookies we'd make. What else we'd do that day, etc. Right in the middle of it DS pointed at DH and me and said, 'I see two such happy faces!' It was a great calm before the storm.

Snowman soup is a little packet gift (probably originated in America) that we make as a production line. We make it in cellophane cones: instant hot chocolate powder, marshmallows, chocolate chips. Tie up bag and ass a candy cane and a rhyme. If you goggle you'll be able to find printable tags. It's fun for the kids to make and easy to hand out.

We always go outside just before bedtime and watch the sky for Father Christmas and his sleigh.

The children have always spotted it and standing out in the cold, snuggled together is really magical. DD1 still remembersome the first time we saw his sleigh

Ass a candy cane? Perhaps not one for the children, Showme

Don't tell her nancy! You're not alone. I work in a high school and often think that many of them genuinely still believe and those that don't are happy to go along with the pretence. I'd wait until she asks and even then I'd say something like, 'Of course the magic of Christmas is real!'

I try to package up the Christmas Eve hamper treats so they look like they're from Santa - a jar filled with candy floss labelled 'North Pole Snow' and a jar with hot chocolate powder, chocolate chips and edible glitter labelled 'Mrs Claus' hot chocolate. Top secret recipe'. Also things I'd never usually allow - cans of cola, lollipops etc and I make a show of tutting and rolling my eyes. And the pjs are usually ones I'd never usually buy so we all look slightly ridiculous.

I like the Christmas Eve breakfast idea Springer! We also reluctantly got an effing Elf last year. The kids loved it! I made it their Dad's responsibility .

'Add' a candy cane FFS

My dd is 17 and Ds 15 this year but we used to buy a new Christmas book every year and then after putting out carrots and mince pies would all go and snuggle up in my bed for Christmas stories before bed. WE STILL DO IT! The last few years tho the dc have taken it in turns with us to read them The poppy and Sam usborne Christmas on the farm book is still their favourite and they STILL argue over who gets to open the flaps! We also do new pjs delivered by elves on xmas eve although I must admit it's quite tricky now to sneak them in their drawers without them noticing - lol! When we go to get the tree, everyone gets to choose 1 new tree Dec each, and it's so lovely when we get them all out every year to remember who chose what and when (Ds has made some hilarious choices over the years). Makes me go all warm and fuzzy thinking about it

I started doing elf on the shelf last year. I have a cuddly elf and don't have a no touching rule. He did things like read to other toys, brought a new book, hid in the tree, whatever I could think of!

We go together as a family to the garden centre to admire all the lovely decorations and to choose our tree.
They children decorate it while Christmassy music plays. I resist the urge to neaten it once they have gone to bed.

frazzle I don't have the heart to tell her, I will let her have one more Christmas believing ( I have been saying that for a few years now!)
Another thing we do is make a really big deal about putting the decorations up, we have an old and cheesy Christmas record that we always put on and we all decorate the tree together. While we are doing it we have got chocolate and eat those little chocolates that are supposed to be tree decorations!

Sprinkle reindeer dust (oats mixed with glitter) in the garden before bed and look in the sky for santa's sleigh or listen really carefully for the sleigh bells? My little boy still thinks he really heard them a few years ago. Pure magic and innocent belief. Love it.

We do the Xmas elf from 1 Dec. Then they get pj's Xmas eve. I also often have their friends round to make biscuits for Santa.

i make the father Christmas visit a big adventure find a really good one.Like last year i took my daughter to hamleys for a big day out in london and went to the Christmas market/fun fair in hyde park after

this year just taking her to mead open farm much cheaper they have a really nice Christmas village and its a fun day out too.

elf on the shelf another one that people like to do,you can buy a elf on the shelf doll for a few pound on ebay.The elf visits a few weeks before christmas to see how good your child is.Having fun around the house along the way.Theres loads of ideas on pinterest just type elf on the shelf

uk.pinterest.com/

theres a facebook group called best christmas yet

Thank you for all the great ideas! Definitely going to do a Christmas eve box and I love the idea of a festive breakfast too.

Excellent. It's good fun. I forgot to say, carol singing on the way to bed is essential here 'christmas eve is here, time to go to bed, as we climb the stairs, nod our sleepy heads....' and so on.