First time off for the entire festive fortnight. What to do??

[NapQueen]

Usually work christmas eve and boxing day, plus a couple of days in the interim and then NYE too. Shifts too so all over the place with sleep.

New job actually closes on the 22nd and I will be off til the 5th. Dc are 3 and 6, and dh is always off this holiday.

Id like to make some set plans so we dont end up wasting the time. Obviously with some relaxing included of course.

Managed to book a couple of days away with another family for the NYE, night before and night after.

But what else do families do in this holiday to fill the days?

Before Christmas Day, take them on a walk around your local area to look at the various lights in/outside the houses. There is often one asking for charity donations, which are usually very impressive!
Take them to the local garden centre. Usually a very impressive display of decorations. Ours always does a treasure hunt for littlies, and also has reindeer to visit.
Do some baking. Maybe a gingerbread house, and some cookies to leave out for Father Christmas.
Make food to leave out for the reindeer.
Go to the pantomime.
Go to watch a Christmas film at the cinema, or watch on the sofa at home.
Maybe get them to choose something to put into your food bank collection.
Visit a local Christmas market.
Take them to visit Father Christmas.
Go ice skating.
Go to a carol concert.

If you are members of the national trust, a few of them pull out the stops. We have one not too far from us which is a Victorian mansion and does the whole Victorian Christmas with carol singers and staff dressed up and Charles Dickens trails etc, it's fab!

We do a trip to see santa, panto trip, little early friends nye party afternoon, family new years day lunch - always a greasy burger and chips for some reason.

Prior to xmas we spend a day making xmas name table settings - angels this year. We bake mince pies for the neighbours and take them around.

We have 3! Family bdays and 2 trips to family. So we always try to squeeze in a few rest days and nice big walks or cycle rides.

RACKing: Random Acts of Christmas Kindness. Can be anything age-appropriate.

Any kinds of crafts: loo roll FC/reindeer/angels.
Cutting up Christmas cards to make mosaics/present tags for next year.
If you have any giant paper (plain brown wrapping paper from ikea, cheap wallpaper use the reverse, etc), each child lies down with legs and arms out. Draw around child. Child then decorates their figure to look like a gingerbread man. Can stick onto their bedroom door when done.

I'd say lots of outdoor stuff, park, woods, lake. Hopefully to take advantage of toys they got from the Big Guy. DS was 5yo last year we got him walky talkies in the black Friday offer and he uses them every time we walk the dog and his friends love them too. Keeps them running around outside for hours (shrieking!) and they were €20 for Motorola.

Pick different new toys/games to play with each day. Kids often get overwhelmed with all their new things on Christmas day.

Walks out to different places.

Panto.

Christmas films in the afternoons.

At that age we used do a soft play meet up with our friends one day - some people want a break from family by then.

I'd say get them out once per day, preferably in the morning, then a more relaxing afternoon. Try not to cram too much into each day - eg morning visit grandpa, afternoon visit Aunty Julie, or Winter Wonderland then cinema.

Have a look at what is on around you and check what needs to be booked in advance. Have some day out ideas up your sleeve so if Aunty Julie cancels one morning, you can still go to make candy cane reindeers at the local church hall etc.

Boardgames are great for family time. DS has the Orchard Game 'Pigs in Pants' where your pig steals pants! Nice chunky pictures, not complicated at all, suitable for a 3yo.

This thread is getting me excited for Christmas with our 6yo. We have 23rd December-8th January off! That's a ton of walking on the beach and playing dominoes!