Christmas magic for older children.

[Tumbleweed101]

As this year could be different in regards to meeting family I’m trying to think of some ways to make things special for older children.

I’m a single parent and will be home with dd20, dd15 and dd11. Usually we’d have my parents and brother over and their dad would visit at some point in the day. When I’ve asked them what makes things Christmas for them they just say having all the family together.

I’m after some ideas on what works for smaller families, especially single parent families. None of my children believe in Santa now so that ‘small child‘ magic is fading so some ideas for a more grown up kind of day.

I think we can and will have a lovely day with just the four of us but would be nice to inject a bit of something ‘different’ into it.

Playing board games I would say. I have some amazing memories involving playing cards and monoploy etc.

Do something different.. Different decoration ... Games you wouldn't normally play.. Christmas scents, lighting, music....
Silly stuff that takes people out of themselves.. Old TV series like faulty towers or something like that..

Menu planning and cooking new things - your own bake off challenge? Theme days if you all like something Harry Potter or have a Swedish day etc

There is just me and my 16 year old. Its usually just us anyway, we see family before and would normally go to theatre, pantos, catch up with friends after.
We just please ourselves really, we have lasgne and apple crumble and custard instead of a roast.
The tree will go up a bit earlier, we’ll make an evening of it with a takeaway, wine for me, no alcohol cider for him. On 23 Dec, we are going to see the Christmas lights at Warwick Castle, we are also going to Kew Gardens lights after Christmas. We will have breakfast at our local cafe on Christmas Eve.
Hopefully we will still get to see some friends for walks in the park.
To be honest we are both so busy it will be nice to just have some time to chill out together.

Ask the children what they think wpuld make I a good day. What sort of food would they like (we usually BBQ. One year we went to the local indian restaurant). Would they like to go somewhete... Forests beach etc. Rent a hot tub.

Instead of the usual turkey, pigs in blankets blah blah blah, I’d do a bit of everyone’s absolute favourite things to eat - no rules. So if they want Mac and cheese to start then a curry for mains, followed by raspberry jelly with cream like gran made when they were little then that’s what you do.
It will feel indulgent and a little bit rebellious
Then you whoop theirs arses at monopoly while playing the absolute best of the worst cheesy Christmas music

My friend told me about a time her parents decorated their entrance hall with tea lights when she was out on xmas eve. Very magical. Could you do something like that?

The years when we haven’t visited family have been some of the nicest Christmas’s.
I buy them something to ‘do’ whilst we cook the Christmas dinner and after we’ve eaten we play board games for a couple of hours.

This year (hopefully) we’re going to a festive light show on Xmas eve.
Christmas Day will be the four of us and I’ll buy a new board game for us to play.
Boxing Day we are planning on driving to the beach for a long walk and taking a flask of hot chocolate and squirty cream

Thank you, some nice ideas.

I've already ordered a new family game for us and I was going to do a gift box with some christmas evening bits like that which will be put aside from the other gifts.

I think I'm looking forward to a quiet xmas - more than the children at the moment. I haven't got any real problem with it being quieter, it'll be nice not to do the usual rush about and as my house is bigger everyone usually comes here so will be nice not having to host.

We've booked a restaurant just to give a bit of structure to the day (hopefully we will be out of lockdown)

Love the idea of a bake theme.
What about a ginger bread house challenge with a prize for the best?

Doing a german market outside in our garden - firepit and marshmallows, handwarmers and hot water bottles, christmas music and lots of sausages, german beer, mulled wine - if we are allowed will ask mum and dad over too

Games night with chocolate dipping and tapas

Bingo with a sack of pressies - just cheap poundland stuff, novelty things, maybe couple of good things - who ever wins picks something out of the bag

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/Christmas/2800186-That-present-game-roll-a-6-take-pressie-roll-a-1-you-can-take-someone-elses-ideas-Please?

We are in a similar position and doing Korean Fried chicken for lunch ( it’s traditional in Japan and Korea apparently), playing games- I’ve got the Taskmaster one which looks great, we’ve got new nerf guns, and we are doing mocktails. We will probably walk the dogs with hot chocolate flasks too, and drop some presents at doorsteps depending on the lockdown situation.

Some great ideas, I like the idea on that old thread linked above too.

AHH the present game mentioned in the thread linked - big hit here with, Grandma being the most competitive and stealing presents off her grandchildren...we are wondering how we could do it via zoom?