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Christmas

From present ideas to party food, find all your Christmas inspiration here.

Original poster

Cheap Christmas entertainment at home.

14 replies

Coronachristmas21 · 11/12/2021 19:23

Covid has hit our house just before Christmas. I feel so bad. Dc are going to miss all the Christmas things at school. DS's last year primary too. Would have been DD's first play despite being in year 2. I feel so shit tbh. Won't see their friends before Christmas. Our house won't be full of cards made by their friends and my two won't be able to hand them out, no school Christmas dinner, no Christmas carols. It feels bleak.

We didn't have a great deal planned for Christmas. Most years we walk around looking for lights around the village but can't even do that 😪 no Santa visits, no family visits. Nothing.

I know Christmas is what you make it and we will be home and safe with Netflix and food. Thankfully we aren't overly poorly.

How can I entertain them? Both have sen so need constant stimulation. Cheap reasonable idea - things that I can order online. I'm still negative at the mo but isolating.

It's depressing me that we might not be fully out of isolation by Christmas if I get it still. I feel like we are missing the whole of Christmas.

Please help cheer me up. Sorry about my depressive mood. I'm in tears.

Everyone spoke about last year being a terrible Christmas. Last year was much better for us in comparison!

OP posts:
Caspianberg · 11/12/2021 19:31

Order gingerbread house to build and decorate

Make gingerbread men and shortbread
Make mince pies and sausage rolls.

Indoor paper snowflakes and paper chain decorations.

FusionChefGeoff · 11/12/2021 19:33

Baker Ross have loads of really cheap craft sets.

You could still do xmas cards and post to school?

Make a chocolate log?

Santahatesbraisedcabbage · 11/12/2021 19:33

We have just played Xmas bingo with smarties as counters..
Went down very well
As did the sweets!!
Grin

Sunshinemomma3 · 11/12/2021 19:34

Hello!

I'm sorry that you're all locked down for Christmas. Yes it's going to stop you doing some of the fun things needed for Christmas but it just means doing things differently this year.

Here's what I would do:

Break down your days of isolation into three parts

  1. Morning
  2. Afternoon
  3. Evening
You will need 3 activities a day. Tell your children that this year it is so cold outside that you are all going to stay indoors and make an extra special Christmas grotto for Father Christmas. DAY 1: The plan Morning: big pens/crayons and all write down two things your grotto will need. Afternoon: design the grotto with play doh or drawings and then look at them together. Evening: Tell them the story of The Elves and The Shoe Marker to make them feel festive and things about workshops.

Day 2: the first thing in the grotto. (Snow flakes?)
Morning: eat frosties and Tell them they are made with snowflakes. Then watch a video about what snowflakes are.
Afternoon: cutting out and decorating snowflakes
Evening: decorate the house with snowflakes and finish with another Christmasy story.

At the end of the 10 days you will have created a beautiful Christmas that they'll love. Only you'll know that you were trapped by Covid.

I hope you and your little ones have a beautiful Christmas. x

AdaColeman · 11/12/2021 19:41

Oh dear, you poor thing! You can have some carols and Christmas music playing to cheer you all up.

What about getting a Christmas decorations workshop going, you could make things like…paper chains from pre glued strips you’ve bought, or make your own from old wrapping paper etc… snowflakes from folded paper….stars from foil…..twisting spirals from coloured paper…..”stained glass” from tissue paper…..wrapping paper with hand print reindeer or potato print lettering.

Depending how dexterous the children are, think about making a crib?

Could they learn some songs and give a family Christmas show?

Would they enjoy Christmas baking?

Daisy95 · 11/12/2021 19:47

We've had hours of fun with the hobby craft colour your own igloo if that's something they'd be interested in?

Also what about a movie night with a hot chocolate station?

You could also make salt dough decorations? make the dough then decorate then as a separate activity as they take a few hours to bake.

Sorry you've got covid at a horrible time x

Fivemoreminutes1 · 12/12/2021 08:05

Immersive online and interactive panto pantolive.com/

FusionChefGeoff · 12/12/2021 08:21

These are great - we made a whole load out of wrapping paper and string together to create lovely decorations. They're quite fiddly to start with but once you've done a few they're great!

languagelover96 · 12/12/2021 09:23

Perhaps look at some different magazines for ideas.

TrundlingAlong · 12/12/2021 12:14

That's a really crap situation, I'm so sorry.

If you're feeling well enough, could you go for a big homemade Christmas this year? Spend the time in the lead up to Christmas doing shedloads of Christmas cooking and baking, making decorations like paper chains and Swedish heart baskets, making cards to post (get a friend or family member to pop round and post them). Then do all the Christmassy things like light trails, parties, meals/coffees out, theatre/panto etc during the 12 days of Christmas? Make arrangements with friends and family now so that you have things in the diary to look forward to.

Other than that: Christmas films, crafts, board games, stories, colouring books/activity books etc can all be done at home. Play carols, light candles, learn the words to carols together and sing them on Christmas Eve etc.

AdaColeman · 12/12/2021 15:12

Another vote for salt dough tree decorations as the ingredients are so easy to find.

If you've got the space, a large Christmas jigsaw that everyone contributes to over a few days is fun.

Perhaps teach them to play chess or draughts?

Scandisaurus · 12/12/2021 16:13

Balloon tennis is really good fun. Just balloons and plastic fly swatters!

beetr00 · 12/12/2021 18:22

@Coronachristmas21

Firstly, don't lose yourself lovely, it's so very difficult, do try to take care of yourself too. Flowers Cake Wine Wine Cake Gin Flowers Flowers

I'm not sure if these will be suitable but think they're relatively affordable/interesting?

www.multi-sensoryworld.co.uk/collections/christmas

NameChangeCity123 · 12/12/2021 18:33

@Sunshinemomma3

Hello!

I'm sorry that you're all locked down for Christmas. Yes it's going to stop you doing some of the fun things needed for Christmas but it just means doing things differently this year.

Here's what I would do:

Break down your days of isolation into three parts

  1. Morning
  2. Afternoon
  3. Evening
You will need 3 activities a day. Tell your children that this year it is so cold outside that you are all going to stay indoors and make an extra special Christmas grotto for Father Christmas. DAY 1: The plan Morning: big pens/crayons and all write down two things your grotto will need. Afternoon: design the grotto with play doh or drawings and then look at them together. Evening: Tell them the story of The Elves and The Shoe Marker to make them feel festive and things about workshops.

Day 2: the first thing in the grotto. (Snow flakes?)
Morning: eat frosties and Tell them they are made with snowflakes. Then watch a video about what snowflakes are.
Afternoon: cutting out and decorating snowflakes
Evening: decorate the house with snowflakes and finish with another Christmasy story.

At the end of the 10 days you will have created a beautiful Christmas that they'll love. Only you'll know that you were trapped by Covid.

I hope you and your little ones have a beautiful Christmas. x

Can I come and live with you if these are your ideas? Sounds lovely 🥰
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