Christmas with 2.8 year old

[CottonEyedJoe]

I know all kids are different, but what were your DC like about Christmas at this age?

DD (currently 2.4) is making me read santa clause is coming to book every night, and is enjoying listening to Christmas songs (takes after her mum). I just wonder if in a few months time she'll really be able to appreciate the build up and the concept of Father Christmas etc. I so hope so!!

She's just about stringing a few word sentences together, but her speech is coming on leaps and bounds every day.

Are there any nice traditions to start at this age?

We've had a shitty year, abusive exP has ruined every Christmas up until now - this year it'll just be us and I want to make it extra special 🎄

It's a lovely age! Your DD is a few months older than my DS was last Christmas. He absolutely loved Christmas and is just as excited about this Christmas as I am!

How about baking some Christmas cookies, going to a Christingle service, booking a ride on the santa special on your nearest steam train, making Christmas cards for special relatives? I'm going to do a Christmas box at the start of December (lots of people do Christmas Eve boxes) that will be delivered by an elf on the 1st with an advent calendar, a book, a toy and some sweeties.

My ds will be 2 years and 10 months this Christmas. Based on his existing interests, we are doing two Christmas markets (stalls, lights, food, fairground rides), visiting Santa somewhere, going to all the Advent services at Church including the Christingle service on Christmas Eve plus he will be in the Church's nativity play.

I do a Christmas Book advent calendar, one book a day under the tree when he wakes up. Most of them are books we already have but I'll grab a couple of new ones too and we read them at night to help build the mood.

We put our shoes out for St Nicholas on the eve of his Saint's day just as I always did as a child.

He helped me decorate the Easter tree this year, so will help decorate the Christmas Trees.

We make (well last year I made) some salt dough decorations for his Grandmothers and all his Christmas cards for family/friends.

Watching the cbeebies pantomine on TV as well as all the Christmas episodes of his favourite programmes.

My dd is also 2.4 and seems really into Christmas at the moment too - every time we see a vaguely triangular small tree she says 'Bismus tree!' and gets excited.

I'm going to book a santa steam train visit if I can find a nice one, she'll help with decorating the tree, and I'll get a gingerbread house for decorating (Ikea usually do a pretty good one). I can't arrange too many going out activities as baby no.2 is due around Christmas but I think there should be a decent amount of crafty things we can do at home. Have also started collecting little bits for her advent calendar.