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?

Ahh it’s sad to see how much hate the elf on the shelf is getting. We got the original one 10 years ago and couldn’t imagine Christmas without him. It comes with a book that say the rules. Every morning he will be somewhere new hiding, that’s it. He just sits on a new shelf every morning. I don’t know why everyone thinks they need to do elaborate things with it. Ours is called Bob Baubles and the kids really miss him when he leaves on Christmas Eve. I set an alarm every night in December for 11pm to remind me to move him. I love hearing the kids wake up every morning looking for him excited. To each his own but I think it’s a lovely tradition. I hope I can pass Bob onto my grandchildren in the future. They’re not children for long ❤️

Years ago : (my DC are 21 amd 23 now so this was years ago )

I made a Sleeping Elf from an old toy with a face drawn onto a muslin cloth and a hat with a bell . Made a little bed from a box and a facecloth. He hid in their playhouse for DS and I to check in on with a candlr in a jar . (Elf ws tired after making toys and Father Christmas was picking him up later)

Candles in jars in 2 lines down the path to guide the sleigh.

One year I poached DS from Nursery for the afternoon and we went to see Father Christmas and buy a decoration and a toy teddy for DD

Sandwhiches for Breakfast from Action Man (wrapped in foil and decorated . DS was not a good eater )

Going to London we started at Oxford Street and walked to Hamleys and had to count the number of Hamleys bags being carried

When I did the big food shop ( this was pre-delivery days) DS DD and DH went to the cinema and I got all the shopping done and in the car .

Christmas Eve either trip to the lake to feed the geese or to the big park to feed the reindeer (they sold little bags of food )

On Christmas Eve DD s;ept in DS room (airbed) so they could open their stockings at 5am , trying to be quiet

We read a really sweet book “How Winston delivered Christmas” it has a chapter to read each day in the run up to Christmas, with such a beautiful ending on Christmas morning. The illustrations and suggested activities are so good, our favourite is the recipe for gingerbread mice. (Hardback is currently only £3 something on Amazon)