What to do on Xmas day with adult children

[tired17]

I wondered what others do on Xmas day when they have adult children. We open our presents in the morning and have our main meal about 5pm when other family members arrive but the rest of the day is hard to fill. Going on a walk is always refused!

There is me, DH, DD22 and DD17, does anyone have any ideas to fill the gap from 10ish to about 3ish?

Surely it’s about just relaxing rather than doing?
You can all prep dinner together with a nice glass of something with a film on

We had this last year, we played a board game based on the Escape Room games.
Also started a new tradition by playing "Mean Santa" so you have a number of presents so there will be 3 or so each wrapped up and ideally disguised so nobody can guess what's inside. Then throw dice to see what happens next so a 3 could be take a present from the person on the left and give them one of yours. So you are trying to get rid of the reindeer antlers and get what you think is a box of chocolates. 6 could be open a present and once it's opened it's yours or you could use a pair of dice and make the game last even longer.

This year we are all donating as person buying and wrapping will know what's inside

Is there another family you can invite round for drinks? That’s what we do, it’s the best bit of the day.

Board games

We each go for a run & have to fit in 2 dog walks so are clearly a very different family. We don’t open presents until after breakfast (but DC still get stockings). My father usually comes over & my brother visits (with dog) for one of the walks. So make the most of no work by doing what we enjoy.

Church, walk, board games, film, Queen's speech, eating & drinking ... the day passes quite easily. I would go for a walk quite happily on my own if the others refused - you don't have to be together 24/7 even on Christmas Day.

Do a jigsaw or have everyone devise a game? We used to hold a quiz where every constructed a round. We also used to gather photos of celebrities when they were young and people had to guess who they were. Or you could put up photos from movies and people have to guess which one. Should get people talking.
But, as suggested, why not sit and chat? And those who want a walk can go for one.

We play a game similar to TheThreeHeadedBeast which can go on for hours! Everyone buys and wraps two small presents (£2 limit). These are randomly dished out, then you take it in turns to roll two dice. One dice applies to each present in front of you, but you get to decide which one's which. 1 is swap with the person on your left, 2 is swop with the person on your right, 3 and 4 are swap with anyone, 5 is do nothing (amazing later on in the game when you have something you really want) and 6 is unwrap. If you only have one wrapped present left and you roll a 6 you have to use it to unwrap that present, but if both of your presents are unwrapped then 6 becomes another do nothing for you. The game only ends when the last present is unwrapped and then you keep whatever you've got. What tends to happen (especially if the last wrapped present is something people think they want) is it will be getting close to the person with the wrapped present's turn, then someone just before them will take it, meaning it will be an entire round again before the game could end, by which point the wrapped present will have moved on. Sometimes it feels like the game is never going to end with this one wrapped present going round and round and round, but it always does eventually!

Other things to do - space out the presents to give time to enjoy things. Open a packet of Christmas biscuits and eat them in between presents. We will probably dig out some old home movies (there's pretty much an entire Christmas from 2006 which got filmed, including the Christmas play we put on in my bedroom!)

I'm just wondering about the history of the timings for the day and if changing might be possible. If it feels like there's a long hiatus between presents and family arriving could that be shortened?

We have similar aged kids. We also started mean Santa a few years ago. It doesn’t take ages but usually produces lots of laughs.

This year we have asked each of the 5 people who will be there to buy 3-5 presents with a total value of £15-20. I will provide the same wrapping paper for everyone and for once I won’t know exactly what is in each present!

We do slightly different rules as in all the presents go in the middle then a 1 is take a present from the middle and a 6 is a steal. Then the presents are opened and there are a final few rounds when a 1 and a 6 both enable a steal. It doesn’t matter what your rules are as long as everyone knows them.

They don't get up early so it's crawl out of bed at 10, church at 10.30, I put dinner on whilst dog gets walked, dinner at 2, presents after then games/tv/zoom no doubt

We play games and eat chocolates. The day just goes by. We eat earlier than you though, so have a big breakfast (stupidly early) then lunch about 2. Then just sandwiches/bits later.

I don't think you need to 'do' anything, just relax.

I've got 2 siblings over aged 21 and 25 and bought some IKEA gingerbread houses for a decorating competition. Also so they can entertain DD4 whilst DH and I are cooking dinner.

Church, board game and move your dinner earlier

We play board games.

Gosh I find it difficult to understand having to try filling time on Christmas Day! I think it's because I take ages doing anything and am always behind anyway. When the Children in the family were that age they stayed in bed until nearly lunchtime

Eat at 2pm.

Present opening after breakfast. Friends round for drinks 11 - 12. Cook dinner and eat starter and main course around 2pm. Then a stroll (3 miles) around the village lanes - usually pass someone we know along the way for a quick chat. Then back home for pudding/drinks and a board game before slumping in front of the TV.
DS is not usually one for going for a walk but the Christmas walk has been in existence since he was a child so he sees it as a non negotiable part of the day.

We have two children in their late 20s, both single and childless. One still living here, other will visit for a short period over Christmas, lockdown permitting. No trouble filling the time as we don't feel any compulsion to spend it together except when eating. Parkrun in the morning for husband and me. Son might possibly come too. Daughter probably not. Present opening late morning. I spend a lot of the day, on and off, in the kitchen (my choice) with Radio 4 on in the background. Meal about 3pm. Afterwards we may all be together in the evening if there's something on TV we all want to watch. All very low key. I love it.

Breakfast and stockings, church, lunch.
Presents, board game, pudding, film, bed!

We've added the queen's speech in too, recently, mainly because my mum is with us.

We also play escape room games (I’m the adult child). But we are walkers, eat at lunchtime if at my mums and don’t open gifts until 3pm so the entire day is spread out. Then we drink.

Pub and a game/film.

We linger with coffee in bed until our three are up (24,22 &16 this year)usually till around 10/10.30

Then stockings slowly opened together in front of the fire while chatting etc
Bucks fizz and salmon billinis / frozen croissants together

Open rest of immediate family presents
Then clear up and take gifts upstairs/ get dressed etc

Dh and I Chat and do lunch starters together and have that at 1 pm then while kids put stuff away we all chill / play a game and finish main course together and eat at 4/5 pm with table games and crackers ( last year the Lego type ones were a great hit and kept us all entertained for at least 30 minutes building our tiny models)

Open other presents from wider family
Movie/game / chill with good wine for the rest of the lovely chilled day.

Dessert / cheese board and port (if room )

I much prefer it now the kids are older as it's much more relaxing and we all work together to produce a lovely family day.
The kids and dh prep all veg / mince pies etc on Christmas Eve while I'm at work then we go out for a lovely local pub meal together with extended family .
This year the older two have serious relationships so I'm sure they will be on zoom etc to them for a while in the day too .

Not really sure what your point is? I think the “children” are old enough not to need entertaining.

What’s wrong with having a few drinks, watching some Christmas tv, reading a book, maybe having a walk, maybe heading to your local for a lunchtime pint with friends.

Sounds like a lovely relaxing day to me!

@DoryisinCuba

We have similar aged kids. We also started mean Santa a few years ago. It doesn’t take ages but usually produces lots of laughs.

This year we have asked each of the 5 people who will be there to buy 3-5 presents with a total value of £15-20. I will provide the same wrapping paper for everyone and for once I won’t know exactly what is in each present!

We do slightly different rules as in all the presents go in the middle then a 1 is take a present from the middle and a 6 is a steal. Then the presents are opened and there are a final few rounds when a 1 and a 6 both enable a steal. It doesn’t matter what your rules are as long as everyone knows them.

I’m stealing this.