What are you putting in your kids Christmas Eve boxes?

[Winterfellismyhome]

Hello!

I have DS (4) and DD (who will be 11 months) so far i have matching pjs for them. Im thinking a book each and maybe a Disney Christmas teddy? Dont want to go OTT. Any inspiration appreciated :)

I keep it simple. New pjs, Xmas movie, hot chocolate and treat. Maybe an activity pack or some stickers too.

We’re doing one for a nephew (at mum & dad’s request). He’ll have pyjamas, slippers, bath toys (Christmas ones from Dunelm), a plate for a mince pie and carrot that his mum is planning on making him at one of those pottery painting places, a copy of ‘Twas The Night Before Christmas’, a My First Christmas blanket I got for £3 from John Lewis in the spring and probably a couple of other little bits. He’s obviously not going to have a clue what’s happening and it’s all for SiLs benefit this year, but I know it will make her happy to have the same or similar traditions coming out each year.

We don't do a box, but the elf leaves something when he goes back to the North Pole. 🤦🏻‍♀️🙄
Usually a game, something from Orchard Toys or similar, that we can play together and a sticker/activity book or annual each. Nothing full on, just something to keep them busy!

dd 10 is getting
pjs,
Christmas ty beanie
mini brands
chocolate coins
Christmas colouring book
bath bomb from lush
and a milkshake ( she doesn’t like hot chocolate)

ds14
pjs
roblox voucher
lindt deer
bath bomb from lush
hot chocolate bomb

keeps them occupied for a while. Tbh the last few years dd has helped with the veg 😊

Ours are very simple as Christmas day involves so much stuff anyway, so I don't want loads of buying for Christmas eve too! There is one box, which has a wrapped package for each person in it and a (printed) farewell note from the elves. Our packages just have pyjamas, so will the baby's, but ds will have pyjamas, a bath bomb or bubble bar from lush, a packet of sweets and some popcorn for the film watching later and some activities (I keep an eye out for an activity pack) for entertaining ds and dp while I do some prep in the afternoon. So just things I would be buying anyway.

Mine don't need any new pjs, so thinking I'll get slippers this year for them. They always get something to encourage them into the bath, might do whipped soap in a nice scent rather than a bath bomb this year. Don't need a dvd any more as we watch everything on demand, but we will have snacks and drinks for film watching. I always include the same copy of "The Night Before Christmas" as we read every year (we have the Robert Salbuda one, which is beautiful).

You don't want to be OTT. Yet having boxes on Xmas Eve is OTT. So.
Keep it simple at Christmas. Your kids just want you to spend time with them, and some traditions they love.

Nothing, I don’t do Xmas eve boxes. I’m sure we’ll watch a film and have hot chocolate but don’t want to start an expectation of a box of treats

I don't do Christmas Eve boxes, we do a stocking that's opened on Christmas morning.

Christmas Eve it's tradition in ours to get to open a present and officially open the chocolates that have been taunting us, as well as homemade sausage rolls.

I must be a grinch as the thought of all opening Christmas Eve boxes wearing matching Christmas sleepwear makes me cringe 😂 the word PJ's makes me irrationally angry too

My DC will be at their Dads on Xmas eve this year so I've got a box of bits for Dec 1st that they'll get the use out of all month - advent calenders, new pyjamas, xmas socks, some hot choc stuff, bubble bath, crafty things.

How lovely- my children are 21 and 18 and I still have the Christmas book I used to read every Christmas Eve before they went to bed, I still get it out on Christmas Eve

Ds is 3 with a mid Dec birthday! We don't do a Christmas eve box but last year and this year we're doing a 'December box' that we give him on 1st with his advent calendar (just a kinder choc one) Christmas jumper and a couple of Christmas themed books (Bluey and Paw Patrol this year!) And a little Christmas decoration especially for his room. I think this year we're starting doing the whole 'putting something out Santa' on Christmas eve and I'm pretty excited for that 🙂

We do the same things every year. Some Xmas pjs (often bought in the January sale or last years if the still fit) as Dd gets older I might just change this to a new set, not Xmas ones to get more use.
then we add the plate for Santa’s mince pie etc (bought from b&m for £1 a few years ago), her stocking to hang up, a battered copy of the night before Christmas and sometimes I add a bath bomb.

I went mad Dds first Christmas buying a beautiful wooden box etc but it barely costs anything now and she loves finding it and getting ready for bed on Christmas Eve.

we then pack it all back in the box and hide it up the lift ready for next year.

A Christmas Eve box is the most OTT thing there is, though, no matter what you put in it.

Me too

Actually, that’s really nice. A great suggestion.

I don’t do a box as such. But we have always done a couple of presents on Christmas eve.

I am 40 and also did it as a child. It’s not new or different to us. It’s usually, PJs, hot chocolate, something we can make like a Christmas cookies where you get it all in the box so we do something together. One small gift.

Dd is 18 this year so hers will have a small bottle of baileys for her hot chocolate.

We always went to church growing up, I used to love getting in and opening our Christmas Eve presents and sitting and watching a movie before bed. Always been one of my favourite Christmas memories

When we used to do them it was...

New PJs if needed (but they often got those in November when they actually needed them!) Just general winter ones.
Gingerbread house kit
Santa's plate (same every year)
Their empty stockings (same every year)
DVD
Christmas book
Some sort of activity

It was our "keep them busy" box for when we had loads to do, delivered in the morning.

Nothing! It’s about putting out a mince pie and carrot and looking forward to feeling a knobbly stocking on the end of the bed!

I really don’t understand people that come onto a thread that specifically asks ‘what are you putting in a Christmas Eve box’ only to state they aren’t doing one and basically sneer at people who choose to do them. Who cares, there’s lots of things people do (at Christmas time or otherwise!) that I don’t do but I don’t feel the need to comment. I genuinely find it really bizarre.

But anyway, I’m doing them for my mum, DP and ds this year. I’m a nurse working all over Xmas and we’ve had had horrendous year with 2 deaths so I want to make Christmas Eve a bit special as my mum is coming to stay so she can look after ds xmas day morning so I’m putting in ours

ds
pj’s
bath bomb
bottle of J20 (his favourite treat)
a Christmas mug
hot
chocolate
fluffy socks

for adults the same but replacing the j20 with something boozy and I’ve got some personalised Christmas glasses on the way from Etsy. Can’t wait!

Thanks for the helpful suggestions! Some lovely ideas here

No need to comment if you dont like the idea of Christmas Eve boxes, different strokes for different folks.

Exactly @WhamBamThanksSam

@WhamBamThanksSam I was going to post exactly this. You beat me to it. I don't do fancy advent calendars but you don't find me leaping onto every advent calendar thread to tell people they're "doing Christmas wrong".

Our Christmas eve box is a family box and will have:
Matching pyjamas
Santa plate
Stockings for each child
Reindeer food (just oats or bird seed)
Book each (TTNBC for DS and Dear Santa for DD)
Something for the bath- still need to get
Festive friends or similar
Hot chocolate
New toothbrush

New pyjamas and something to coax them in to the bath! Usually a bath bomb or a Christmas themed rubber duck, which gets used year round. We are building quite the collection.

The boxes appear on the dinner table before dinner (always lasagne for some reason) with their stockings and a note from the elves reminding them that Father Christmas will only visit them if they've had a bath.

I'm 34 and my parents have done this for me since I remember so we have just continued.

We don't do them but I really like the PP suggestion of a new game to keep them busy. I'll be doing that this year. Thanks!