How do we make a little Christmas exciting?

[KindergartenKop]

Due to the lovely rule of 6 I think we will be spending Christmas just as the four of us (Dh and two DSs aged 5 and 8). To me, Christmas has always been an 'event' and in the past I've found smaller celebrations really boring

So can anyone suggest ways of making Christmas nice for the children even if it's just 'us'?

PS No elves on shelves please.

Sleep next to the Christmas tree one night.
Go on a Christmas light safari in the car, with flasks of hot chocolate and popcorn.
Make a gingerbread Christmas village and put LED tea lights inside.
Send off for a personalised letter from Santa
Make your own crackers (get a kit) and fill them with decent things.

Stream this pantomime www.ents24.com/online-events/online-streaming-events/jack-and-the-beanstalk-panto-online/6131336

Christmas night time story specials..snugged up in blankets around the tree
Real life advent calendar..a chocolate to find each day hidden in the house
Bake Christmas cookies
Have Christmas carols and songs on in the background to baking etc.
Get them involved in wrapping Xmas presents , making labels etc.
Make your own Christmas cards

Do you mean the day/24-26 Dec itself? Could you do a Christmassy brunch one day?

When you do presents, do them one at a time with everyone watching the opener. This is the thing I miss most when we have a bigger Christmas with loads of people because you can't do it or you'd be there all day!

I mean Xmas day itself really. There are some great suggestions, thank you!

The thing my children loved the most was driving around late at night looking at all the Christmas lights with hot chocolate and sweets - like a budget Polar Express!! Obviously we were driving - mind you then at the wheel would have been exciting!

Some houses do amazing lights for charity - they’ll be one in your local area for sure.

I’m thinking about hiring a hot tub for a couple of days. I can see me and my boys in the garden lounging in a hot tub on Christmas Day - with a bottle of champagne of course!

Have something fancy and out of the ordinary for breakfast, pre-prep or buy ready prepared where you can for lunch to have as little time as possible cooking and more time together.
Make sure there are some family games amoung the gifts that you can all enjoy.
Plan a Christmas walk at dusk to enjoy all the lights.
But mostly just try and relax, enjoy watching your kids play with their new toys and embrace a small Christmas. Don't compare it to what you usually do and be thankful you are healthy and together to enjoy it.

Celebrate the Feast of Saint Nicholas on 6th December to get things off to a cheerful start, give small brightly coloured packets of sweets and spiced biscuits.

If you are near a cathedral or church, visit the crib there.

Make a “stained glass” Christmas window with coloured tissue paper and black paper.

Make Christmas mobiles, the three kings or three ships, or snowflakes, are a couple of ideas.

Make home made Christmas cake & pudding, let the children help to stir them and make wishes.

Have an advent candle lit during dinner each night.

Let the children help make Christmas treats like marzipan stuffed dates, mint creams, iced star biscuits etc.

Everyone wear Christmas jumpers.

The stained glass windows are a lovely idea. Will add that to the list!

I'd come up with a plan for the day- breakfast, walk, present opening, dinner, film together, board game. I find a loose timetable helps me to feel more organized and less likely to feel sad about it being a quiet day. Have you asked your DC if there's anything they would like to do?

Christmas Eve - track Santa on the NORAD site, decorate a gingerbread house, eat pizza in front of a film (Christmas chronicles is current fave) etc etc
Christmas Day - stockings opened in our bed, then downstairs to open main Santa present then breakfast (pastries and Christmas tree shaped crumpets from Asda) then open under the tree presents from family. Take it on turns to get a present from under the tree and we all watch it being opened. Then play/set up toys while I cook Xmas dinner. Then after dinner - watch films, play with new stuff, play board games.

Just sit on the floor and play.
We always had busy Christmases when the dcs were young. One year I forgot to put the turkey in the oven before visiting the first lot of family. We decided to scrap Christmas dinner altogether and just had a quick bite to eat. So instead of being stuck in the kitchen, we just sat and played with the kids and we all loved it.

A few little ideas to add to the fun could be
A gingerbread house competition
Build a small Lego set blindfolded (adults do the building while kids tell the instructions)
A fun family board game
Kareoke
Get the kids involved making the dinner, they could make stuffing balls, peel sprouts, set the table

Atmosphere.

The dc will have toys so they will be excited anyway, have different special food, snacks, music... All dress for a late lunch when it's dark, candles, silly games... Lots of decorations... Different music... Put the nutcracker ballet on... Be silly... Dh wear dickie bow. It's usually the 4 of us and it's always special and different!

@Fivemoreminutes1

Sleep next to the Christmas tree one night. Go on a Christmas light safari in the car, with flasks of hot chocolate and popcorn. Make a gingerbread Christmas village and put LED tea lights inside. Send off for a personalised letter from Santa Make your own crackers (get a kit) and fill them with decent things.

The safari with popcorn sounds great I'm going to do that this year

Go to church

Are churches open?

Mince pies whilst opening presents, these for breakfast www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/spiced_orange_and_honey_36705 the kids can help with the batter. There's usually some good family films on TV.

Loving these ideas!

I am getting a big Lego kit that everyone can work on together through the day.

Like many it will be just us this Christmas (Me, DH and 3 DC’s aged 18-9).

Our plan is stockings in bed as usual... everyone piles into our bed and we open them with a pot of tea and chocolate coins. DH spends the morning saying ‘mind you don’t get chocolate on the sheets’ 🤦🏻‍♀️.

Then downstairs, open main gifts but leave tree presents. Get wrapped up and go a walk along the beach. Home for bacon sandwiches, more tea and more presents.

Shower and get dressed up a bit, canapés, fizz and family FaceTime.

Candlelight Christmas dinner and pud then cheeseboard and sweets with a film.

Appreciate each other. This year I almost lost both my mum and my dad - due to their condition I was sure they wouldn't be here, so it will be magical. And we'll have a lot more time to spend focussing on the kids, being just 6 of us on the day. We have different groups of 6 organised for different days so we're looking forward to multiple Christmas days! 😀

This is so lovely and festive!

Really think about what toys you get them - always make sure there are a few things which are ready to go and don't need loads of setting up. I always include a board game for example and put batteries in toys before wrapping. If you buy loads of craft sets or outdoor toys it might be tricky to play with them on the day!
Adjust the food to their preference, we all have a fish starter but ds2 had melon last year instead, worked much better.
Fresh air at some point, keeps you going! Pre kids I would have a 2hr nap after lunch no chance of that now!
Make sure you're happy and enjoy the day because that sets the tone, don't stress!