Need ideas for the 23rd/24th/26th...

[lovelyjubilly]

Hi everyone,

We are spending Christmas day just the four of us for the first time which I'm quite looking forward to. On Christmas day we will do presents/church/lunch/take dc out on new bikes.

However it has just occurred to me that we also have the surrounding days to fill as we have no family visits planned until the 27th.

What can we do on a very limited budget? Can't afford panto or anything like that unfortunately. And I will be 39 weeks pregnant. I can't imagine our 5yo and 7yo wanting to hang around the house for days on end...

Craft afternoon on the 23rd? The works have loads of good craft sets for £1-£1.50. Set the dinner table of Christmas Eve, then a walk and set the dinner table together? With a picnic tea and a Christmas film. Then boxing day will be used up exploring new toys, etc.

Baking, Christmas biscuits, cupcakes etc.
Woodland walk, collect pine cones etc then use them for craft stuff.
See if there are any local events like carol singing or a Christmas band playing, take a flask with some coffee/hot chocolate and mince pies (and a picnic rug)
On the 24th I like to get all the duvets downstairs and snuggle up watching Xmas films then dancing round the living room to Christmas songs

Kids Club at local cinema - usually run all holidays with seats just a couple of quid

Crib service at local church

Libraries will probably be open on the 23rd

Wrap up warm and go to park/swings/feed ducks

After-dark walk to see Christmas lights

Carol singing: we walk round the village and sing and drop off cookies to our friends. It's lovely and costs next to nothing (just the cookie ingredients).
Making paper chains and snowflakes. Decorating the tree if you haven't done it already.
When the kids were smaller I'd make some coloured fondant and they would make cake decorations: I'd give them an iced cake (usually just a sponge) and they could let their imaginations run riot. best cake of the season!
Christmas movies on the TV/DVD with popcorn and drinks with straws.
Simple games.
A walk every day.

Gingerbread house using ikea kits is a tried and tested pre-christmas favourite in our house....every year I buy 3 kits (3 kids) but encourage them to put them together to construct something a bit different - we've had farms, churches and looking forward to seeing what they can create this year....it involves lots of icing and sweet eating but cost is reasonable, and they have fun eating it after christmas....

Boxing Day cinema trip, either to the cheap kids' matinee or a full price film if you want/can afford it.