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?

Thanks for all the suggestions. Just to clear a couple of things up, I don't want to force entertainment on them but it would be nice to have some ideas to fill some time and if they have their own plans that's great. I'm definitely not going to schedule the whole day!

Loving the Mean Santa game, will definitely give that some thought, also some board games.

It's Quiz Time is great - think it's a PS game and you each use your phone or tablet to access it via an app and then each answer the questions individually. Even my 80 year old mum enjoyed (after she'd grumbled but then won!)

@HoseMeDownWithHolyWater

Get drunk.

Yep. We just all get drunk like normal people .

We eat earlier, usually about 2 or even earlier, so don't have that long gap to fill.

Generally we do stockings then eat breakfast (e. G. Bacon rolls and Bucks Fizz) then open the main presents. By then it is usually time for all hands on deck to get dinner on the table.

By the time we have eaten and cleared away everyone is usually full and drowsy so we are likely to slump for a bit, perhaps playing with or reading new pressies. Then it is early evening so perking up in time for any Christmas entertainment on the TV.

I really like the idea of the game or quiz but we also have 90 year old FIL who is very hard of hearing and would probably find it hard to join in

We do a game like pass the parcel - all sit in a circle with a box of chocolates or similar gift wrapped in many layers of paper. You roll a dice, and if you get a 6 you have to put on oven gloves and a Santa hat, then try to open the present. The person to your left in the meantime has started rolling the dice, so as soon as they get a 6, they steal the gloves and hat off you and try to unwrap the gift themselves. It gets everyone laughing, it can be really hard to rip the paper with the gloves on and the younger kids get frantic throwing the dice.

Also play Mean Santa, and board games too.

We also space out gifts so each person opens one at a time rather than just a frenzy of opening. We sometimes fit in a walk to the nearby lake too. I tend to find the day goes by very fast!

Can't you just relax at home, play with your presents etc before cooking the Christmas Dinner? I'd have thought it was a bit weird if my parents said "we are going to do a family activity" 🤣 erm I'm 20 I'm good thanks.

Coukd you eat a bit earlier? At that age I spent the morning visiting family & opening presents. We'd all muck in and help with dinner and eat about 3pm, few drinks then would usually go out to a party with mates in the evening

l have no schedule whatsoever on Xmas day and that suits my two older teenagers and myself. They may sleep in, l potter around, make fuss of all our animals, see to all my plants, l dont have a tv, but have nice music on, its all very relaxing, even when we eat varies, my sons work out at home most days, l just take the day as it comes, chat to friends on phone, meet my sister for a good walk, snuggle up with a good book and baileys , l like to keep the day as effortless and unforced as can be.
.

We usually put a film on.

On Xmas day there's usually only about six of us, all adults aged 28-60, we do the usual play board games and watch a Christmas film... as cliche as it is, watching a cosy film is a nice break from all the forced socialising!

Board games/party games, films, music, taking some photos together, making cocktails or Irish coffees etc

I go off to do parkrun. My mum usually goes for a walk while I am doing that. We open our presents mid/late morning and then lounge around with drinks/nibbles until dinner - I prep as much as I can in advance so I don't have to do too much. If it's a nice day we might fit in a walk before it gets dark (we eat around 2pm).

We also space out gifts so each person opens one at a time rather than just a frenzy of opening we do that too

We’ve got 17,24,26 + 26 year olds GF! Last year on Xmas eve we did market for veg and cheese, made gingerbread house, all worked together to make massive 3 course meal then collapsed on sofa with copious Prosecco. Xmas Day, presents, breakfast/brunch at 11ish, walk, starter, random tv, big Christmas dinner at 4ish because we forgot haha and film. This year during the Christmas week, we’re doing adult pantomime then cocktails, big mountain walk, potentially a street art tour and pre Christmas visits to family. I think it’s about planning together, giving space and finding new things to enjoy. We also played stupid games like G’day Bruce which is fun with 2 glasss of wine, Prosecco, and cocktails down you!

Our family is all older, my niece is the new generation, and we’ve enjoyed christmasses from the age of 16 being more of fun, games and drinking, with games such as cards against humanity (the funniest one was my 85 year old grandad who knew much more than we thought he did and found his daughter (my mothers) shock hilarious). Monopoly and a game my mum is obsessed with called mousy mouse which the aim is to maim 😂

Stockings, local visiting, park run, church, food prep, short walk, present opening, eating, drinking, event TV (Dr Who, Queen’s Speech if granny’s visiting) crackers, facetime family who are away, table fireworks, bad santa cards, long meal. It’s a busy day!

We used to have the main meal at lunchtime then nap afterwards for anyone with a hangover. Then drink, watch Christmas TV, all put our new pjs on, drink loads of beers and play a board game or do a Christmas quiz.
I feel like eating later means you miss all the good tv and you'll have really bad indigestion.

Church
Lunch
Coffee
Wine
Present opening ceremony
Quick lesson
Dinner
Movie or game with dessert and drinks
Crackers
Mince pies and cocktails
Bed

One year we gave them all gifts at the same time and when they opened them, they all got nerf guns. So we spent 2 hours shooting nerf guns at each other. It was alot of fun. The problem with that is, it's hard to top it. So each year after, we are trying to find things that make each Christmas fun like that one.

We stagger present opening a bit to make the morning a bit more exciting. Stockings when we wake up followed by breakfast which is usually warm pastries then we open tree presents slowly whist watch crap on tv. We have Christmas dinner around 2ish but this year we are on our own so we may stagger 3 courses over the day as we are not big eaters. Christmas Day is mainly about relaxing and and not going anywhere, it’s probably the only day I ever stay in all day though sometimes we pop out to visit family in the evening (dc would rather not go anywhere).

@Lovemusic33 love how you've commented on this thread in 2021 and 2023 😀