What small things make your Christmas / Christmas season magical for children?

[wellyouasked]

We very much enjoy Christmas in our house, but I'd like to go a step further for extra effort for the kids. I have never done elf on a shelf before and I'm panicking I've left it too late as DC1 is 6.5? That aside, I've thought about doing a 'special' December first breakfast (saw a elf on the shelf themed one) but apart from stockings/presents, what other small things do your DC really enjoy?

I love the idea of Christmas decorations for the dolls house.

We’re just about to start trying for a baby and can I just say that this thread has made me so ridiculously excited 😍I love Christmas and have screenshotted so many of these posts to save for 5 years time 😂

Book Advent Calendar (reuse the same books)

The Kindness Elves

Christingle Service

Christmas Eve picnic under the tree

A tradition I carry on from my childhood is a big Father Christmas present to be found at the end of the day, when everything is tidied up, washing up done etc. It is hidden somewhere to add to the excitement. I'm aiming for it to be something I wouldn't buy myself - too frivolous, for eg. So this year I've got my dd a Furreal pony (heavily reduced on Amazon atm).

We do elf on the shelf but ours is low effort and doesn’t make a mess. Often just sits somewhere different and has a letter board to say something like ‘ice skating today’.

we have Christmas books that come out each year and have changed as DS can read. I buy Christmas pjs on vinted or eBay.

Christmas crockery, going to see Christmas lights trail, choosing a real Christmas tree, making oranges with cloves, Christmas bedding, writing a letter to Father Christmas, making paper chains, reading The Night Before Christmas on Christmas Eve, putting out a carrot and a cookie for FC and the reindeer, sprinkling reindeer dust, Christmas eve box with Christmas pj's, dvd, hot chocolate etc. I love Christmas!

😂 congratulations for telling us the month 👏

We have a christmas picnic in living room with christmas plates ect, make salt dough decorations and stained glass stars to hang in their window, I usually get one of the little ones to lay down on that roll out paper, I draw round them and we turn them into a snowman, lots of sticking cotton wool but they love it, we have a mini christmas disco, we make a candy cane tree whilst usually watching a film, make our own printed wrapping paper, anything that keeps them busy!

We do elf on the shelf but they usually arrive about 10 days into December so it’s not too much stress. (Gives me time to steal ideas from social media as well!)
I usually make a gingerbread house at some point over the Xmas holidays, I always thought of it more as a rainy day activity rather than a tradition, but my 9 yr old told me last year it’s one of his favourite parts of Christmas. So the things they remember and love might not be the ones you expect!

I think my oldest was about 5/6 when we first introduced the Elf. It’s not a real elf on the shelf that creepy little sod only appeared last year because DD 11yo bought herself one. We now have the Elf buddies too.

We have plush style elf’s, they are “cheeky” rather than naughty, they have done lots of cheeky things over the years, a conga line with other toys and teddies throughout the house, snow ball fights with fake snowballs, set up their own nativity with my DDs baby doll in her cot, racing barbie cars etc…

Our Elf’s bring the advent calendars and new Xmas pjs on December 1st, they also bring gifts throughout December, new Xmas hair accessories, pencils, activity books, Xmas themed crafts. We have the Lidli elf family too but they just hang out with the Elf’s Santa sends.

We try not to pack December out, it gets busy with end of year nativity and parties with school, brownies and other clubs. We book in 2 Santa experiences a big one and a local charity one. Last year we booked in Elf the musical as one of my DDs loves the movie, the Elf’s also brought Elf T-shirts and tickets for the show as a surprise.

Our town has a lovely carol service at one of the big churches which is always nice and there is a group of businesses from other towns that do a big sponsored Santa walk, Santa dose a massive tour on his sleigh through local towns and villages so lots of kids go out and enjoy that and add another selection box to the collection. Pre covid the towns businesses would put on a a light switching event with free entertainment. We are hoping it’s back this year.

We spend a lot of time decorating the house, it’s not a day or weekend job it’s done over time.

This thread is making me smile so much 😊
We too have an elf…who came from America in my cousin’s suitcase, so not by choice! However he is a chilled elf, and now my son is 13 I must admit he loves finding ideas online and setting elf up for his little sisters so win win 👍🏻
We do Christmas bedding on December 1st, decorate the tree together with a Christmas playlist on. Father Christmas always drives down our street on his sleigh at some point in December too. Christmas Eve is always the same - buffet food & hot chocolate watching Home Alone! Then the grown ups watch Die Hard once the kids are in bed 😂
Its so lovely reading everyone’s little traditions and Christmas activities!

You can start stuff at any age... I started Santa Sacks when my oldest was 11. They have never questioned it, its like a Mandela effect where they just assume it always happened.

I'm sure my mam did stuff like this too, theres stuff I have no memory of prior to a certain point but my mam insisted we always did so I just accepted and went along with it.

Things we do:

• Putting tree/decor up
• Feeding the 'gonk' (hes invisable, like a mouse he hides out of sight)
• Advent calendar (just standard chocolate)
• St nicks day (leaves their jumper and some sweets in shoe + food for the feast)
• Family portrait day (its just nice documenting it)
• Visit to Santa (just a free one)
• Pantomime
• Xmas eve box (carried on from childhood)
• Christmas dinner
• Christmas crackers
• Sofa gifts (carried on from childhood)
• Wrapped under tree presents (me and DH didn't grow up with these)
• Stockings (me and DH didn't grow up with these)
• Santa Sack (modern add on)
• Family game after dinner (modern add on)
• 12 days (modern add on)

I have tried several times to do Bafana and Wassail/Epiphany but it doesn't seem to work as it clashes with other family events in January. I'm sure some years we have done carrot/milk/alcohol for Santa but to be honest we forget half the time.

There are somethings I wont do like the Elf on the Shelf (we have the much easier 'Gonk' where we don't have to 'do' anything except leave him a snack on the first night) or Reindeer food (dangerous, environmentally awful and attracts unwanted house guests).

I know they've been criticised a bit on here but I don't do Christmas Eve boxes I have a 1st December box. It has the same things in each year so I'm not buying loads of shit every year - Christmas dvds, Christmas books, cookie cutters, craft stuff for making cards etc. basically lots of things for Christmas activities throughout December.

We also don't give the kids their pocket money in December but take them shopping and they have to spend the equivalent on stuff for the food bank. They push the trolley, choose what to get etc, they're not allowed to mention it on the way round. it sounds naff and a punishment because they're not getting money but actually they enjoy I think it helps make them feel part of the whole spirit of giving without expecting anything back.

Every Saturday in December is Christmas movie night and we take turns choosing which one.

My kids always handmake their presents to their grandparents. It's never something bought. It usually means we spend a lush afternoon together Christmas baking.

I do go ott but I like to think I go ott on spending time together and experiences. I love Christmas but I try really hard to make sure my kids equate the magic of Christmas with the effort people make with each other rather than just buying stuff and spending money.

We started a new tradition last year with DS (then 6) and DD (just turned 5) where we took them into town on the train (already an exciting event!) and took them shopping to buy something for each other. They had a budget, I think it was about £10, and they really enjoyed thinking carefully about what their sibling would like.
I was trying to take the focus off “me me me” and instead embrace the “season of giving” side of things. They loved it so much, and were so excited, we ended up caving and letting them give each other their gift on Christmas Eve! So another tradition there too - one gift on Christmas Eve!

This year I’m going to extend it to buying something for me and their dad too, and maybe something for a food bank. It’s easy for kids to get caught up in what they’re asking for for themselves, so I think it’s nice to try and get them to think about others as well.

I would consider a kindness elf who doesn’t come every day and do a special Christmas breakfast at a weekend. It’s easy at Christmas to put on too much pressure on yourself and overwhelm children.

There's a house near us which has the most OTT Lights ( I think they get professionals in ) .
I will make the journey home with DD/DS past the house at least ince . There are always cars parked , looking .

DC are early 20s so not children.

We used to love the National Trust light shows but last year they made it so you had to pay extra for entry - even for members

At £50 per family of 4 - it renders the membership useless and many people didn't go.

We dearly missed it. We went every year since 2013. I have heard from friends who work at this specific NT house that there'll be no light show at all from now on.

We don't actually do too much, my ds2 is autistic and finds Christmas overwhelming and difficult. He does enjoy watching Christmas films and reading Christmas books. We also go to our church's nativity service with Christmas party after the service and the christingle service.

A thing I did that my DCs loved, on Christmas Eve I would put a pair of DHs boots just inside the front door (or near the fireplace) and sieve flour and glitter round them, lift the boots away and it looks like Santa’s boot prints coming in from the snow and magic.

I still do it now even though the kids are teens because they remember how excited they felt when they were little and came down the stairs on Christmas morning and saw that Santa had visited.

Oh my I’m genuinely so impressed with everyone’s energy and creativity for fun ideas with their families for Christmas.
@EsmeeMerlin whatever you do with love is the important thing … connection with your child, through the Christmas stories and films we all enjoy, this is the magic!
My children are grown now but I am hoping to experience this with a grandchild some day.

Reading this thread is the only time I have felt excited about Christmas in August. It’s made me smile

On the 1st of Dec I do a Christmas breakfast (Xmas tree crumpets )on their melamine sets. Whilst their at school I change their bedding to the Xmas sets and decorate their bedside tables with fairy lights and snow on a roll and. Decorations and Xmas story books. This is their favourite thing.
We make decorations for the tree and always add a photo of us from a happy time in the year. We bake and decorate biscuits..we will have a special Christmas trip out to see FC. We do evening drives to see light displays. We always donate gifts to our local children's charity. As you can tell I love Christmas and try to make it as special.as possible.

Christmas is huge in our house and lasts from the 1st to 25th but presents are such a small part. I find it’s those small things that mean the most and make those core memories

We have a North Pole breakfast on 1st, our calendar is envelopes strung up with a chocolate coin, a craft idea or game. We do candy cane hunts, minute to win it Christmas themed games, elf on the shelf we started at 6.5 years last year, a hot chocolate station for the month, a big cardboard gingerbread house, gingerbread house decorating with a friend

Decor - gone is the classy Christmas decs(except for the tree), they can come back when my daughters grown up. I get the rolls of Kraft paper out and create a magical space for my daughter to wake up to on 1st December. This year I plan on decorating each door with a Christmas theme using paper (oh Pinterest can be such a rabbit hole) - it’s cheesy but my daughter loves it. My big project for the year is making 2 DIY life size nutcrackers

My two always loved taking part in the Nativity play at church. DD1 was Herod one year, and relished being a villain.
The year they were both cast as angels, aged 4 and 5, a massive brawl broke out during the performance and the minister had to wade in and separate the children.
All you could hear above the melee was DD1 shouting indignantly “The shepherds started it!”.
Slightly older, they loved the Watchnight service at midnight on Christmas Eve, even though we had to drive home through the hills in a blizzard one year, with the road like a downhill Cresta run.
At home, they insisted on me making a chocolate chestnut log for pudding on Christmas Eve every year, and they always shared an Advent calendar, opening alternate doors.
I think it’s very sad that, for many children nowadays, there is no Christian element at all to the celebration of Christ’s birth, and it’s just a meaningless materialist pile of food and plastic tat. Unsurprising that people have to struggle each year to try and make that more “special”.

We go shopping together to pick our tree then home to decorate.

Rather than a Xmas Eve box, I do it the first day of the school holidays. It has many items that just come out every year; special Christmas books, mugs, cups, pencils, teddies and trinkets etc. we also introduced the elf last year but he comes with the boxes so we only have him a short time thankfully and he goes back Boxing Day to help with the clean up.

We started with a panto last year and booked for this year again.

Our local cinema shows polar express every Xmas Eve and we're doing that this year as my youngest now old enough to sit through a film at the cinema. Will follow up with McDonald's tea for the kids.

We do the illuminations at local national trust early evening the night the kids break up from school/preschool.

General crafts/baking etc all Xmas themed