christmas days out and activities in the run up to Xmas?

[Twinklz]

What is everyone doing in the run up to Christmas?

Twinklz What do YOU want to do, and how many/how old are the people you want to involve in these outings?

We are going to the German Christmas market in Birmingham and a garden centre in Worcestershire which is fab at Christmas whilst we visit family who are based in the midlands.

Then don't have a great deal in the diary for down this end of the country - the Padstow Christmas festival is on the list as we go every year.

But DS will be 10mo so don't want to overwhelm him

Like another poster, I have teens who are less keen to do this kind of stuff now sadly.

We're going to Waddeston Manor for the 3rd year running. I was looking for an alternative NT property for a change but none looked as good and then we got invited to Xmas drinks to friends who live nearby so are combining the 2. We missed the boat on house tickets this year but no worries as the grounds & market are still magical.

DH's birthday is between Xmas & new year so we're all going into London for a meal & theatre so no doubt will see some lights while we're there.

Kids don't finish school until 21st and every weekend in December is accounted for (Waddeston, pre-xmas gathering with DH family, Xmas parties) so not time to do much else anyway!

Visiting Santa Claus
Ice skating winter wonderland
Pants
Choosing a tree

Pants! Panto lol

Has anyone been to any of the following at Christmas and if so was it any good ?

Lapland uk
Polar express Tamworth
Paultons Park (peppa)
Drayton manor (Thomas )
Legoland
Longleat festival of Lights

Local Christmas lights switch on
Christmas lights festival/wonderland type thing in local city
Decorating house and making some new tree decs
Making some sweet treats to deliver to the neighbours
And panto on Christmas Eve

Our plans:

Nutcracker at cinema with a festive hot chocolate and donut!
Chessington Festive day visit with grotto etc when visiting relatives in December
Family tradition of meal out where the kids get to choose (so usually a Bella Italia/Las Iguanas or similar)
Panto in the New Year this year. We've done Christmas Eve before now but was a bit rushed for us so leaving it for later
Christmas carol concert for dd1's school at local church
Baking day with dd's
Ice Skating in the New Year again, the girls seem to go back to school late this year so have a lot of time to fill after the big day so decided to spread some things out (also it was half price after Christmas so a win win!!)

Cinemas, theatre/panto, Chatsworth House, indoor and outdoor ice skating, full baking day at home (always in pjs), carol singing

We always do loads, I plan all year and start booking in July. We are starting next weekend so our plans for tbe next month are:
Longleat lanterns
Panto
Beamish xmas
Twycross Zoo
Cadbury World
Xmas party at local small theme park
Yorkshire wildlife park
Santa paws with my friends dog at a local country park
winter wonderland at wookey hole
Drayton .manor
Culminating in santa send off with fireworks xmas eve with my sil/bil and nieces and nephew.
We are Midlands but travel all over to visit family and have fun days in lots of places.
After school we will do crafts, baking and movies
Also couple of after school trips planned to the snodome, cinema and ice skating/xmas market.
We also always go trampolining the day we finish work and school in the evening.

I don't spend much on presents, most of our budget goes on the build up. We literally eat sleep and breathe xmas from October!!!

@onlymeyousee
we ve done drayton manor the last 6 years it's great. try to get an earlier santa slot though the only time we ve not had a good time was a 5pm slot it was rushed and santa was harassed!!

We ve also done paultons at xmas but not the grotto, the park was great though very festive and not too busy in general, but we left at closing and I think the grotto was running behind as there were at least 100 people queuing to see santa still.

Not sure if DD still believes but we are booked on a “ Santa by Steam” trip which we are really looking forward to.
Maybe a panto
Hopefully carols at the cathedral
Ice skating
Maybe a few craft fairs etc but I work in retail so tend to miss a lot of them
NT properties to see the garlands etc
My birthday ( usually the day we buy our tree)
DD’s birthday
Meal/disco with some of the Mums from DD’s school
Watching “ Miracle on 34th Street” & having hot choc on Christmas Eve

Bumping

They are showing elf at my local odeon so might go see that

Love the making bird feeders idea! Will do that.

On Saturday we are getting our tree and decorating the house. Then some friends coming for a drink early evening.

Sunday my family are coming.for a fake Christmas as we are away for Christmas.

We are away over the Christmas period and that will include visiting to santa and other festive activities.

Then after Christmas we are going to Kew garden lights which we've done the last couple of years.

Oh and well see a panto while we are away on boxing day.