What are your favourite cheep or free family activities

[mamabluestar]

I love the run up to Christmas (probably more than the big day itself) and I'm starting to think of things to do as a family. I love the fact that I can show my children that spending time together can be fun (maybe a bit optimistic haha) we always have a Christmas eve walkout either on the beach or in our local woods, watch the local Christmas lights being turned on and I do the bloody elf thing that they love.

My DD is a non-believing 10year old and I have a 7 year old DS

What sort of enjoyable things do you do as family?

We have a big garden centre that does huge Christmas displays and lights. They have a lovely cafe that does a hot pot supper and then we go and look at all the (overpriced) decorations and displays. Ds (9) gets to buy one thing and he loves playing spot the most expensive item in the shop with his cousins 😂

We do lots of baking, which is quite cheap. We also get an Ikea gingerbread house to decorate which is only a few pounds.

We do countryside walks, which are free. We also walk around the village to see the xmas lights. Our dc had a great time with their grandma going round a local big shopping centre to see the lights there last weekend.

We make our own Xmas cards (often with potato prints or similar) which isn't expensive. I've considered making wrapping paper using brown paper and stamps, but never got round to it.

We make christmas shapes bird food decorations (out of fat and birdseed) to hang on the outside tree.

A christmas film night doesn't cost anything if you have a couple if films already. My dc like rewatching their favourites.

Making paperchains and snowflakes to stick in the windows only costs for some cheap paper.

go to garden centre for a mooch as they have loads of displays and a model village set u, live reindeer etc

pile into the car after tea with blankets and drive around looking for houses covered in xmas lights.

walk in the woods and collect pine cones/holly etc to make a table decoration

DD makes me an angel every year

go to local forest where the foresty commision sell trees, then put it through the wrapper then we come home and decorate while listening to carols

ice skating (pricey though)

we give the kids money to buy gifts for each other and me and DH (when they were 3/4 it was just the poundshop so they could pick anything but now they get £5 per person although might increase that this year.

watch xmas films with popcorn and festive ot choc (sneaky baileys in mine!!)

make a gingerbread house

school xmas fayre

We go for a walk around the nature reserves / country parks. We have a season pass for one so that's completely free as long as we avoid certain dates (season pass not valid on special events so that's £15 parking!!). The others are all around £3 parking each. We take a picnic and a flask of hot chocolate, it's fab. We're so lucky to live within very close driving distance (10-15 mins drive) to about 4 country parks / nature reserves.

Wandering around the garden centre to look at all the lights and Christmas decorations.

Christmas baking - ginger bread men and chocolate chip cookies using the Christmas cutter set, ends up being a reasonably cheap afternoon

If you have a membership, visiting NT houses that are decorated for Christmas is lovely.

Either walking round, or driving round a locals tea looking at the lights. We come home to hot chocolate & marshmallows.

Between christmas & New Year we always treat ourselves to a big brunch followed by a long country walk.

My children are younger, and still love. Gristmas craft in general, but last year we bought slender air-dry clay and had an afternoon making decorations. I guess salt dough ones would be even cheaper.

Christmas films with festive snacks are also popular here, as are board game sessions.

Going to a carol concert.
Go carol singing - if you don't know of any groups you can join, have a look if there is anything in your local town centre that you can join in. Or have a look if the Rotary Club are doing a collection that you can help with.
Make and hang paper chains.
Follow Father Christmas's journey on the tracker (the name of which I can't remember!),
Watch a Christmas movie.
Make crackers.

Christingle / crib service in local church

Baking is a good one, there are tons of cheap gingerbread kits around which might be nice to do together. I just bought dds a small decopage (sp??) House from hobby craft for around 2 quid I think that they can decorate and fill with sweets which should be fun too.

My husband's siblings always organise an annual panto and trip to see Father Christmas. This always adds up. This year it is a Santa safari.

My family always have a big Christmas lunch at a restaurant. This includes my aunties, uncles, cousins and the children's second cousins. Another expensive outing.

The children love these get togethers . It does then leave us having to be careful. Our family activities, just the four of us, are christingle service, making decorations, going for an evening drive to look at lights, baking and usually some walks.

P. S the Christmas lunch at restaurant is usually about a fortnight before Christmas day. We usually split Christmas day and boxing day between the inlaws.

If there is a period of Winter sunshine we take mince pies & go cycling on the common.