Christmas eve box for two children

[Lordfrontpaw]

So - we have 2 children coming to stay over the holiday and I have found a nice 'Santa' box that I could fill with some festive goodies to keep them busy on Christmas eve.

They will be very excited - and we are quite overcrowded - so I was thinking things to keep them occupied (but not messy) while the adults do all the boring old Christmas day prep.

They are girl 9 and boy 8 (brother and sister). Should I see if I can find another box? The one I got is about the size of a shoebox.

I was thinking of:
little craft kit
decorate your own cookie kit
sweeties (of course)
colouring in books and pens
errrrr

Any ideas?

A Christmas themed DVD?

At 8 and 9, I would get them involved in the Christmas prep as well for a while at least - they can fetch and carry, peel veg or chop things, wash sprouts, help get cutlery and crockery organised for meals, bring in logs for the fire, put out the bins...

With time they save, could 1 adult give them some time to make or decorate some cookies for Santa in the afternoon? Let them know the positive pay-off for helping out? Perhaps a "we need yo to help with these few things, and then you can enjoy a movie while we get on with a few more jobs that need to be done, but once that is finished, Auntie A or Uncle B can help you to make some cookies for Santa and maybe enough for everyone else too" type chat.

We are quite cramped for space and - well it's a complicated set up this year, but Christmas won't be there on the day, so no peeling spuds for them!

They are both little whirlwinds so anything that can keep them out from under their mum and granny's feet would be helpful!

I'm going to be manic (working them doing all the cooking for Christmas day), otherwise I'd take them out to the local funfair and tire them out!

I think doing them a box each would be great. I do them for my two kids (20 & 15) I put a puzzle book, Christmas cartoon dvd, card game (top trumps etc) bath gel, sew your own decoration kit, fave sweets and hot chocolate ... I also put in reindeer food, a carrot and Santa plate( and they both play along and put it out for me)
It may seem childish considering their ages but they both freak out when I say that maybe we should give them a miss this year... and I love still being able to do 'kid' things still.

Asda do a lovely sized box for £2. It would fit in everything you have mentioned easily plus more. I find The Range, The Works and Home Bargains all have really affordable Xmas arts and crafts that will keep young ones occupied

That is very cute - mum died when I was in my 30s and my siblings in their 40s and 50s, and anyone who stayed at home over Christmas still got a stocking (the tradition was it was always one of dads old long socks even after he had died).

So - I was talking a shortcut through Primark and saw some Christmas hamper boxes for £3 (reduced from £7) and they are very nice, heavy, well constructed board boxes that the kids can redecorate and use in their rooms after.

So far I have got - mug with hot chocolate, pencils and puzzle books, lollies and candy canes, small games (travel connect 4, battleships, card games), wooden maze puzzles, Santa hat, winter jumper (I always hated Christmas themed clothes as I never wanted to wear them after the 25th!).

I have some kids books in the present pile that will go in too. Oh, and I also got a little Mickey Mouse tinsel Christmas tree (£2 - bargain).

The plan is to ring the doorbell and leave the boxes with the tree on top. They have a Ring doorbell that records, so all I need to do is try to persuade someone to dress as Santa for the recorded ‘evidence’.

Yes, I know they are just a little bit too old but the younger one is on the cusp I think, and if a certain older cousin plays along, we might just have some fun!

We don’t have an Asda or Range or anything like that near us (central London), which is a pity as they have bargains. Never mind!