What are you planning for over December?

[Biancadelrioisback]

If we are in lockdown (or areas with heightened restrictions) over Christmas, what are you planning on doing to see you through the season?

We'll have nearly 3 weeks with me, DH and DS(3) at home with absolutely no money as DH has just lost his job. I'm in Northumberland and the weather is usually shit in December so going out for walks doesn't seem like much fun. We've played so many games of Uno I could do it with my eyes closed and Xmas crafts only keep DS occupied for half an HR or so.

I know things could change by then but I need to spread costs very carefully so there isn't much I can buy to entertain everyone...

Dance parties, walks wrapped up in waterproofs with wellies, home to a warm bubble bath for as long as they'll stay in it then warm milk/hot chocolate and Christmas films. Playing games, building blanket forts, making and hanging Christmas decorations and pictures. Zoom calls with friends. Jigsaws - can be picked up quite cheaply from the charity shop. Lots of stories snuggled under blankets. 'Sleepovers' downstairs or in a cushion bed made up on the floor with teddies. Picnics on a blanket in the living room. Lots of downtime with nothing scheduled for playing with toys and entertaining themselves. Hand print pictures are lovely for looking back and seeing how small they are. Re-decorating the tree at least once a day. We're also having elf come back as the dc love seeing what he has been up to each day.

This is my plan for December as looking unlikely we'll be able to see family as planned.

Sorry to read about your husband's job. I hope you'll get lots of replies with lots of nice ideas that will help you out.

We also don't have a lot of money for Christmas this year and like you where we live is usually freezing, windy and wet all winter too. It's not so nice for walks.

So for this year I've got a big colour in igloo from Hobbycraft, was planning to build it one night maybe for the 1st December and decorate the room with paper chains. Then I plan to let the dc decorate the igloo by colouring it in. I've got Christmas books we have bought in previous years but I've purchased this book from the book depository www.bookdepository.com/How-Winston-Delivered-Christmas-Alex-T-Smith/9781529010862
Thought it might be good to do everyday.

If there are any dry days then I will try to take them for a walk with a printed out scavenger hunt of Christmas things to spot like a Christmas tree etc.

Apart from that it's the usual, home baking, Christmas films, craft activities, jigsaws, colouring in books or pages, homemade play dough in red and green, a letter to Santa, printable Christmas bingo game (my 4 year old loves that), hot chocolate and biscuits.

Are you doing any homemade gifts this year? Maybe you could do some together.

Hope there's some useful ideas here.

For the last couple years, we’ve gone driving to look at Christmas lights late at night. It’s awesome! Take popcorn and hot chocolate in travel mugs, and have Christmas music playing in the car. It’s basically free entertainment for the kids, and it’s nice quiet family time where everyone is strapped down.
Camp out by the Christmas tree
Make reindeer food

We will be making salt dough Christmas decorations, we did Easter decorations in lock down last time and we had a lot of fun making and decorating them.
I've bought a ginger bread house kit from lakeland and I plan on doing lots of other baking with my ds over Christmas.
As others have suggested Christmas movie days with hot chocolate and the quality streets.
I've picked up about 3 Christmas themed puzzles from charity shops and we will do these as a family over December, we have a board that I put under the sofa so its not in the way when we have finished.
I'm also thinking of having a Christmas party for just me, ds and dh with some Christmas music, balloons and nibbles.

How old is your ds?

Sorry. Just re read and saw that he’s 3!
At that age I just switched normal activities to Christmas ones - so colouring became Christmas pictures; salt dough decorations or fondant? instead of play doh; instead of making play forts out of the sofa cushions we made igloos; etc