Christmas Eve boxes - one family one or individual ones?

[surreygirl1987]

Hello! I'm very excited about Christmas this year as our family is now complete and I have two lovely little boys. One is currently newborn and the other is almost 2 and will be able to understand a little bit about Christmas for the first time this year.

I'm keen to start some family Christmas traditions this year, especially as there night not be much to 'do' dye to covid. I love the idea of s Christmas Eve box with pjs, book and hot choc in and really want to start that this year.

However, would it be best to have one large family box, or smaller individual boxes? What do you all do? I want to get a nice wooden one that can be used all throughout their childhood so I want to get it right so I only have to make the purchase once. Would 4 pairs of pjs even fit in one box? Thanks! :)

PS some people on MN seem to hate Christmas boxes ... No need to post your dislike for them on this thread please - I'm doing it regardless but want to know individual or one family one. Thanks.

We do both 😂 i have one large box for the family that has pajamas, mugs, slippers, hot water bottles etc and my 2 DC get a box each with toys, magazines, novelty items and chocolates. The reason there's two is because it's my stepmother who gifts the individual boxes but if she decided to stop gifting them then I'd probably continue preparing the exta individual ones as I think its lovely and exciting for the kids.

Haha. That's awesome. May I ask how large the large one is approx, that fits all the pjs etc in for the whole family? There are 4 of us. I'd hate to spend money on buying a lovely wooden box only to find it's too small!

We have a basket for the family. If something doesn't fit then I prop it besides the basket.

My DCs have a shared big box with a new Christmas dvd, book each, jigsaw, new mugs/glasses, fluffy socks, marshmallows for hot choc, chocs etc.

When they were smaller there were Christmas puzzle books, pens etc, now they're a bit older(teen/preteen) I include posh popcorn, Hotel Chocolat dipping adventure box, books are now 500 pages not 50 but still Christmassy! Last year I put bits in for DH too.

We have our box the weekend before Christmas /a few days before to give them time to actually enjoy the contents, it would be a bit rushed on Christmas Eve for us.

As far as PJs go in this house.. The Pyjama Elf delivers them the night before the night before, so we wake up to them on Christmas Eve. DD is 13 and would be v upset if there wasn't a glitter trail around 4 wrapped pair of PJs near the fire when she gets up on Christmas Eve . Something tells me we'll still be doing this when she's 18 .

Don't be put off by the misery guts against anything remotely enjoyable frivolous at Christmas. I go to lots of trouble every year and my children absolutely love it! They are both turning into really lovely, generous, thoughtful and thankful young adults for whom family time is the most important thing and appreciate all the thoughtfulness that goes into it all and still use the Christmas cookie cutters from a box 10 years ago to make Santa's gingerbread every year

I do a shared one. It means I only have to get 1 Christmas dvd that we all watch together and 1 tub of hot chocolate rather than 3 of everything.

I have two boys and I do a shared one. I wrapped up a big box and use the same one each year. I write a note from a different elf each year and then leave it on the doorstep and ring the doorbell without them noticing.

Shared here. Delivered at breakfast time with activities for the day, as well as stockings fort all and PJs for DDs. Seperate wouldn't work as we only have gingerbread house kit, or DVD etc

We do both.

Although the family one we have in the 1st December.

We put the new Christmas PJs in the December box along with crafts and written down activities for throughout December. We also put a bunch of festive snacks in for through the month.

Then Christmas Eve the kids have their own boxes where we put some sweets and popcorn, their Christmas pjs ready for after their bath. A bath bomb, and their Santa bell for them to hang on the door before bed.

I prefer this way because their Christmas pjs get more wear through December then.

Oh yea their advent calendars go in the December box too.

We actually use wooden crates and the ikea ones are perfect. The big one for December 1st and then the smaller ones for Christmas Eve.

I think they're called Knagglig? Something like that.

We do one family box just for the children but I just wrap one of the many Amazon boxes with Christmas paper and use that.

Our box turns up when we are out in the afternoon and I found puzzle/sticker books don't get used. I now give them at the start of advent. I've trimmed it down to pjs, hot choc, DVD and the night before Christmas.

Also, consider just having a special book that goes in every year rather then a new book each year. I wish I had done that to start with: 3dc and 10 years later we have soooooo many Christmas story books!

Actually I forgot, sometimes I put a new tree decoration in. Plus reindeer food and the Santa sign for the bedtime ritual

I do a joint box for my kids (2 kids) and the elf brings it on December 1st when he arrives. That way they have the whole of December to use the Xmas items in there.
I found giving them on Xmas Eve was a bit rubbish as they next morning they got tons of proper Xmas gifts.

@OdeToAutumn

I have two boys and I do a shared one. I wrapped up a big box and use the same one each year. I write a note from a different elf each year and then leave it on the doorstep and ring the doorbell without them noticing.

Absolutely love this! Going to do this for my 3 year old this year

I’ve resisted a Christmas Eve box till now. Usually give DC their new Christmas pyjamas and put Christmas bedding on their beds on 1st December.

Reading this makes me think I need a Christmas Eve morning hamper with more new pyjamas and the Hotel Chocolat dipping box 😂

We have shared family one for the three of us. We use it as the basis for our Christmas eve at home so it has activities and everything we need to keep us occupied throughout the day.

Usual contents goes something like this:

Christmas book
Activity book
Bath bombs
Hot chocolate
Popcorn
Christmas baking kit
Pyjamas

We have an open Christmas crate that came from lasermadeoccasions.co.uk. They do a lot of different christmas boxes and the quality and service is great. Highly recommend if you are look for a wooden box that will see you through the years.

I've just bought a wooden family box from Etsy. It's easily large enough for a Santa sack and stocking, Santa plate, book, DVD and bottle of wine for the grown ups, with room left over. I'm going to try and cram pj's in there but not convinced they'll fit. They might be propped against the box.

I prefer the idea of a box for all of us. Christmas eve is about family time.

Oh I love this! Thanks so much. It's getting me really excited now. I think I'll go for a large family box. If I can't find a box big enough I'll use a crate as some of you suggested. Live the idea of filling it with things for Xmas Eve family activities and also the doorbell)doorstep idea is genius! So excited to start all these new family traditions with my new little family... My husband and I love Christmas and it will be extra magical having two little boys to enjoy it with! Thanks again x

On 1st December the elf arrives with a box with their Christmas pyjamas, a new themed plate or cup, some activity books and stickers, and their advent calendars.

Then Christmas eve when they wake up the same box has been filled with a new Christmas themed story book, some craft activities they can do by themselves (so I can get on with the last minute prep), hot chocolate, sweets and sometimes a DVD (although I think we've got all the Christmas themed dvds I can think of 🤣).

The Christmas books and dvds live in the loft all year, and we get them down at the start of December when we get the tree down. Makes them more excited then.

Ooh I'm so excited this year 😍

Normally our Elf arrives when the tree goes up, that's whichever weekend is closest to the 12th. He traditionally leaves the box when he goes back home on Christmas Eve as a thank you for the kids looking after him. The kids know to expect it now so excitedly run down the stairs on Christmas Eve to see if the are boxes waiting for them. They are always sad to see the elf leave and the last two years he has indulged them by staying for Christmas Eve too. It does take a bit of distraction and quick parent to make him vanish later in the day but it's been fun to see their reactions as they always swear they've been keeping a close eye on him. :)
The boxes have changed over the years but I think we have the right balance now.

• PJs
• Dressing gown
• Socks OR sometimes slippers if they haven't already had new ones
• TY Beanie Boo (they only get these at Christmas in these boxes so they are all quite special now)
• A reading book OR sticker/activity book
• Bubblebath OR bath bomb
• A chocolate reindeer OR santa OR snowman.

Next to the box we leave some biscuits and either a film or board game.

We NEVER go out on Christmas Eve so the idea is to make it a bit of a pamper day. We read the books or do the activities. We play the game or watch the film in the afternoon with snacks. The bath stuff is to settle them down before bed. They come back down in their new PJs and dressing gowns and we watch something short (last year it was The Tiger That Came to Tea, the year before Stick Man). After that we sit with the hot chocolate and demolish the ginger bread house they made with Daddy the day before. Then it's off to bed to read The Night Before Christmas usually clutching their new beanie boo.

I know some people think this is extravagant but I don't care really. I love the magic it all brings. It's only really things that would get lost amongst toys the next day. Giving these bits on Christmas Eve seems to make them more magical.

The boxes I buy and decorate in the lead up to Christmas. I usually buy hobbycraft crates but this year I got the small ikea boxes mentioned above. Due to lockdown I've already had the time to start decorating them!

It sounds magical. Thanks for sharing!

In our case, for DD (14), DH and I, we have always used the same box for a family hamper. (And in reality, often the PJs have been in a separate bag alongside it).

It holds:
Things which come out every year
DD's plastic plate and glass with Santa on them (from when she was a toddler - I got a seasonal set including a bowl and cup to have a 2nd set of crockery for her to save washing up so they've been well used, but are kept with the decorations and our other Christmas mugs nowadays)
DD's stocking
DD's snowman covered hot water bottle (used all winter for the past 7/8 years now)
The family copy of "Twas the Night before Christmas" that we got for DD's 1st Christmas
Things which are new
New pjs for all 3 of us (sometimes festive for DD, occasionally for me, never for DH and often not for anyone)
Sometimes there are new fluffy socks or slippers for someone in there too
Lush festive bath bomb for DD and a very relaxing one for me (and maybe a naice shower gel for DH)
Hot choc for everyone
Christmas or winter craft beer for DH

I do a shared one, but mine arrives on Dec first with the Elf, who is then moved around everynight.

I'm sure there will be some misery guts along soon to tell you it's a waste of time/money etc.
But the box is as cheap or as expensive as you allow it to be. Ours is different every year depending on budget.
I can afford it, the kids love it, I love it and I love doing Elf on the Shelf too.

Basket here. Contains pjs for the kids (supplied by mil), Christmas murder mysteries x 3 (me, dm & mil and at least one will be recycled from previous years), hot chocolate and Christmas themed mugs (reused every year), 2 bags popcorn, a Christmas themed bath bomb for the kids bath, 2 board games, one for everyone to play, one for when the kids are in bed, an illustrated lovely version of the nativity story and another Christmas themed book selected at random from the pile we have, the empty stockings and Turkish delight.

This is similar to the family box I bought a few years ago now and I’ve been re using the box every year since. I love doing it. In addition to the usual items, I buy a snowman 50p from the royal mint for each of my 2 girls. A lot of the items are home made but I buy a few bits too.

Well mine are 14 and 22 and they still want Christmas Eve boxes so bear in mind this can be almost a lifelong commitment

I do them each one large Christmas canvas bag and I put the same stuff in each bag - despite one being a girl and one a boy. Last year's for example ...

Tube of Pringles each

Box of Lindt balls

Magic building bead ball (these are quite cool and addictive to play with!)

Stress ball

Slipper boots from Fat Face

Snow globe

Bottle of pop

They love them!