The days after

[Thegrandoldelf]

What sort of things do people do on the 2-3 days after the main event? Last year I didn't plan anything and in hindsight DTD's (now 6) got bored and frustrated at the lack of routine/activity and just pottering at home or at relatives with no real purpose. I'd like to come up with a proper plan for this year and have so far only got make a gingerbread house on my list! Thanks.

Have friends over on boxing day with their kids and do drinks and games. The two days after that we visit my parents as they work over Xmas. Tend to do our own Xmas lunch and go to the pantomime.

It depends on were you live I suppose .
We are in London so we go to Hyde park or the zoo or to the London Eye .

We go and watch an ice hockey game. None of us are in to ice hockey but we did ot once and it was fun so we now go every year. It feels kind of Christmassy in a sitting in a fridge kind of a way.

I know a lot of friends go ice skating or go to the theatre.
We always try to go to a Christmas Show but the prices are getting ridiculous in the west end .

DD1’s birthday is the 28th so we tend to switch from Christmas to birthday mode - we do keep the tree up, she absolutely loves it.

We try and get them out of the house as much as possible even if it’s just out in the garden or a walk round to the local park.

Both of our DD’s like Lego and usually get lots of it at Christmas so they do spend a lot of time doing that too.

We do try and have one quiet day, no going anywhere or anything too active I, I think they need to have that too with the excitement of Christmas.

Boxing day we go out to local pub where there's a traditional celebration in the village. We also go for a walk around a nearby lake.
27th we have a family lunch with relatives, maybe go to the illuminations in a nearby stately home garden.
28th we usually go into London to see a show, spend Christmas money or tokens

There's also a fair amount of reading books, watching DVDs, trying out new computer games, toys, sports stuff given at Christmas as well as watching TV classics and playing board games together.

If I’m hosting then I just relax nutrition and screen time rules and direct any grumbling to dh. I’m off duty after Christmas. I always include gifts like books, dvds, lego, scratch art etc.
If we’re not hosting then we tend to visit the relatives we haven’t seen over Christmas.

Dd’s Birthday is 26th so we have a family/friends gathering that day. Very informal, mulled wine, M&S nibbles, cake late in the evening...

We always try to have a decent hike in the local mountains, weather permitting.

We usually end up in the sales one day. We have gone to panto/a show some years. We have generally gone to the cinema the weekend before Christmas as a family. (star wars has been good the past few years).

And we travel to visit extended family over NY (about 3/4 days away in 2 locations).

So when we’re home again, it’s time to tidy up and get organised to be ready for normal term life to resume.

We've rented a cottage for 3 nights from 27th, woodburner, loch side setting... peace and dog walks. I like to break up the time between xmas and new year and usually go away at some point

I'm working but usually we go off for long walks in Snowdonia or Angelsey. Just noticed what Christmassy names they have.

Ice skating or cinema when the weather is not great. Otherwise out, wrapped up warm for a walk, maybe lunch or a coffee shop for warming up.

Boxing day I make another christmas dinner, play board games all day, watch movies/tv specials. Basically we don't leave the house. We might have friends over in the evening but more than likely it will be just us. The rest of the week we go for walks, play with new toys, visit family, bake cakes.

Boxing Day is games day for us. On Christmas Day, because there are 22 people and we take it in turns to open a present each, we spend all day opening presents and eating food. The 27th is the day we look properly through all of our presents, children play with their new things whilst some adults go back to work if need be.

We visit family in the lead up to New Year.