What have you booked for Christmas so far?

[chrissysmusts]

I'm a Christmas lover and love all things Christmas so far we have booked;

A centre parks Christmas weekend
Ice skating
The local pantomime
Christmas markets another weekend
A visit to Santa and a Santa train
A family dinner at a local hotel that does a great roast.
My workplace family Christmas celebration

What have you booked...looking for any other ideas to add in!!
I'm so excited!

@MusingOnStarlight you took the words right out of my mouth!😂😂

My kids are over Santa now but in the past we've done Santa sleepover at Chessington, stayed in the Legoland Hotel, Christmas at Marwell zoo, pantomime (got very cheap, almost free tickets, not really my thing). Grotto walk at Keydell nurseries. Not all in the same year.

The children want to go to see the decorations and lights at a street near us, after dark. Free so it's great! There's nothing on at the theatre that will tempt them. We don't gave NT membership anymore. So I think it'll be a low key year. If I'm still part time by December I'll go to the nice garden centres with a friend on my day off to browse the glitzy stuff and have a coffee.

@balonsz yup, that's my experience, but maybe cos we want Saturdays in December and reserved parking at Kew etc and the Harrods and Selfridges Santa events get released early and snapped up in a couple of hours.

Actually next year I want to try Santa at Royal Albert Hall, so that's on my calendar to book next summer 😂

Margam Park illuminate walk (Well my mum booked it lol)
Xmas party with dd ballet class
Santa grotto trip
I have a meal out with work next week which wasn't really planned as a xmas thing but we did ask each other if we want to do secret santa x

You have to be a VIP at Harrods and spend thousands to be invited just to book Santa so I don't need to worth about that. In my day you just queued up & paid £20.

I've done Santa at Royal Albert Hall, it was ok. Wouldn't do it again. I'm hard to please!

There is definitely secret knowledge to booking some experiences, especially if you are fussy with dates.

One of my nurse friends had to wait until her shifts were published before booking, and then couldn't get tickets on her weekend off. This was in September... for first week in December. She managed to book another event though.

Nothing. I can't imagine the stress and tiredness that all that rushing around brings. Kids must be shattered and rather overwhelmed.

Does all this 'stuff' detract from the magic of Christmas Eve and day?

If people are booking Christmas things in the summer when do you book halloween & firework things?

I'm a year R teacher so I'll be absolutely shattered in December and probably will get all the sick bugs and colds going round so I'm not booking anything. I get enough Christmas magic at school anyway 😁

Does all this 'stuff' detract from the magic of Christmas Eve and day?

Not in our house but we don't book that much & change it up each yr. It's generally a show/activity eg theatre, train & a santa thing eg breakfast or visit. If I booked lapland uk I wouldn't book another santa thing.
I'm not a huge fan of the Christmas markets I've visited in the uk, any recommendations?

Anyone done Copenhagen at christmas? that's on my list.

Walking through light trails and visiting Santa is neither tiring nor stressful
We’ve got plenty of stuff booked but only one Santa visit so we’re not hogging all the Santa slots. It’s nothing like the booking up of NT places earlier in the year because we’re paying for these trips. They’re spread over the whole of December so hardly rushing around from one trip to another. Plenty of time for baking, Christmas films etc.

I also meant to add, for those who are worried their LO's are missing out...mine are older now, they hardly remember what we did and are really not bothered.

We went on a Santa train once when they were young...they don't talk about it at all. We went to see the lights in London another year, they don't even remember.

Their experiences of Christmas are being at home and of the low key traditions - a plate of food for Santa, hanging up their stocking, a country walk with a hot chocolate when we got back,decorating the tree on Christmas Eve and playing board games on Boxing Day.

They always return here, as Christmas at home are their memories.

Take the pressure off, kids and parents. It really doesn't have to be so full on, so busy. Just enjoy each other's company.

Glad I saw this thread as I've been meaning to book a few things - glad I've done it now as a few seem close to sell out.
We have booked the Santa steam train in the local heritage railway, light trail in the local park, and the weekend before Christmas in London (luckily managed to get a cheap travelodge) with winter wonderland and we will walk down Oxford/regent street and see the lights.

@balonsz

Anyone done Copenhagen at christmas? that's on my list.

No, but surprisingly Barcelona at Christmas is beautiful. The Christmas market lovely. It seemed quite relaxed, Christmas Eve people buying their Christmas ham to take home to eat, parcels wrapped by the shop to share as gifts.

I've not even book the f'ing turkey yet and won't be booking anything else, hate so much commercialism of Christmas, don't need to book a walk in our local forest, it's there all year round.

The lanterns at Chester Zoo and that's it. That cost enough for the 4 of us and DH has to finish work early to go.

Otherwise it will be to go back to the farm to chop our tree down a bit closer to the time. Then bits and bobs at home. Kids will make some paperchains for their rooms, maybe make some Christmas.biscuits to decorate

Breakfast with Santa
Visit to Santa's Grotto
3 Christmas nights out
2 Christmas lunches
Ordered my Christmas wreaths for the cemetery.
Weekend away to Edinburgh with DH.

Carol's singalong at the Barbican

Christmas Eve meal out with extended
family

Dinner and night away together in London with dh

Cinderella tickets and meal out afterwards in west end after Christmas

So excited after a covid ridden Christmas last year

Christmas Grotto and a 'Bright Lights' event (all Christmassy scenes/animals made from lanterns). We'll be going to the Christmas market when it opens as well during an off peak time (we have young toddlers and the market here gets ridiculously busy so early morning mid week will be the best time so they can toddle about without getting plowed down and annoying anyone .

Probably head down to the town square for the light switch on, too. That's it so far, but will be keeping an eye out on any more events.

@Finchall

Nothing. I can't imagine the stress and tiredness that all that rushing around brings. Kids must be shattered and rather overwhelmed.

Does all this 'stuff' detract from the magic of Christmas Eve and day?

No...kids absolutely love it

@Glenmarnoch

Walking through light trails and visiting Santa is neither tiring nor stressful We’ve got plenty of stuff booked but only one Santa visit so we’re not hogging all the Santa slots. It’s nothing like the booking up of NT places earlier in the year because we’re paying for these trips. They’re spread over the whole of December so hardly rushing around from one trip to another. Plenty of time for baking, Christmas films etc.

I agree, my two are very young (2 & 1) and the grotto is booked for late December, the light show early December. We'll do the market on another week and the Christmas lights switch on is usually in November. So a 'busy' month but not really tiring or busy at all, as everything is spread out and each thing only takes a couple of hours out of the day. I'd happily book a few more things, too.

There's so much time for activities at home and seeing family, etc.

@thismeansnothing that looks good, I've never been to Chester zoo but heard good things.

Also if children not remembering stuff makes it not worthwhile doing then we might as well not do anything with our babies and pre schoolers full stop. Of course these things are lovely to just enjoy in the moment. If no one has ‘made memories’ from them so what, we enjoyed ourselves at the time and that’s what matters. We’ve been buying less stuff and focusing on experiences, especially after covid. I love the run up to Christmas.