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Christmas

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

Original poster

What do you do Christmas Eve daytime?

41 replies

Mamaof1DD · 02/12/2023 18:26

DD was born in May so she’s a little bit too young to understand the festive spirit, but my brother and his wife have two children and we all live relatively close by one another. We’re looking for something to do on Christmas Eve that we can make into a tradition hopefully!

We live in the North East near the beach so theoretically could just do a nice walk, but we do that every day with the dogs!

When DBs children were very little we went to the farm but it now costs £35pp (including babies!) and is a whole experience rather than just a day at the farm. That’s the sort of thing we’d like though.

Does anyone have any idea of nice things we can do as a family with the kids?

OP posts:
everybluesock · 02/12/2023 18:28

Theatre? Some smaller places to lovely Christmas plays rather than expensive pantos

Spaceracers · 02/12/2023 18:28

I try and take mine swimming in the morning to use up some energy. Not weather dependent!

Namechange1990 · 02/12/2023 18:29

alot of the local cinemas do showings over classic Christmas films so we goto that each year

Multipleexclamationmarks · 02/12/2023 18:31

We always go out for a Toby carvery breakfast as a family, potter about during the afternoon then go to church at 6pm. Christmas eve is my favourite day.

MythicBish · 02/12/2023 18:36

We do either swimming or a long walk at country park with a large cool adventure playground for the kiddies. Basically to tire them out as much as humanly possible.
We then get a McDonald's drive through on the way home as I don't want to be cooking or doing dishes and again the kids think it's amazing. Lol
Then bath with special bath bomb and Christmas music playing, pjs and get ready for bed (read night before xmas etc) and put mince pie, milk and carrot out for father christmas.
Then when they are in bed me and DH can relax! Lol

Vroomfondleswaistcoat · 02/12/2023 18:41

When the kids were small we used to go to the local pool when they had a Christmas Eve swim session - I was a single mum of five and it was the best way to ensure they were all clean for Christmas Day! Then we moved to going to the cinema to see a Christmas film; nearest cinema is 15 miles away, so it was practically a whole day taken up just getting us all there, through the film and home again. Then as they got older it devolved into everyone doing their own thing, meeting up with friends or sitting in their rooms wrapping presents and we'd all gather in the evening to watch Muppets Christmas Carol.

Now I'm usually at work, while my phone lights up with the kids all trying to co ordinate Christmas Day!

NewmummyJ · 02/12/2023 18:44

Christingle service at a local church? Free and child friendly and some nice carols, very Christmassy! And a walk to look at the lights and a hot choc for the older ones!

Rjahdhdvd · 02/12/2023 18:45

We’re still trying to find our tradition with this and I like the swimming idea as it would tire the kids out. We did the park and crafts last year which worked well but is weather dependent

theduchessofspork · 02/12/2023 18:47

Ice skating

Lit up winter garden (absolutely loads of these now) - you might find one at a castle or stately home type place where there is crafting or something and then the garden when darker

Small local theatre is a great idea

Carol concert?

mikado1 · 02/12/2023 18:50

Bake cookies for Santa in the morning, into town for the atmosphere and a nice lunch out. Home to relax, showers, pj's, hot choc and bed.

MooseAndSquirrelLoveFlannel · 02/12/2023 18:54

We did a walk across the local common, into town for lunch at a cafe then home for movies.

We still do the same, but except the walk across the common is now a walk to my sisters grave, then into town etc.

Redlorryyellowlorryblue · 02/12/2023 18:55

Late afternoon, walk to look at the Christmas lights? We love that but around here we spoilt!

Classic film and hot chocolate?

Lovelynames123 · 02/12/2023 18:56

How about going to Beamish, you pay once and get access all year so it's cost effective, always something different to look at, dog friendly. Some years you might just go for a couple of hours if it's poor weather, other years make a real day of it

DeathMetalMum · 02/12/2023 18:58

We used to have a membership for our local zoo and would always go after lunch on Christmas eve. Kids would get fresh air and it was always slightly quieter than usual, there was plenty of inside sections to stretch out a few hours. You could tell many other locals who had memberships shared our idea.

Dc are a little older and we cancelled our membership last year so will have to find something to do. Possibly trampoline Park or local inflatable place.

Hedjwitch · 02/12/2023 18:59

Carols from Kings with ice cold champagne.

Favouritefruits · 02/12/2023 19:07

We usually go to the zoo, it’s really quiet and the fresh air and exercise tires the kids out.

TotalOverhaul · 02/12/2023 19:10

We go to a local NT garden. It has a flock of very hungry white doves that roost by the lake and feed from your hand. Not everyone would like this, but DC and I love it. We bring bird seed, wear gloves, and they land on our arms and hands to feed. Magical. It is one of the highlights of Christmas for me.

Caspianberg · 02/12/2023 19:10

Bake gingerbread after lunch. I make dough the day before and pop in fridge overnight. Then next day it’s easy for any age here to roll out and cut in any shapes and bake.
house smells nice, adults drink muelled wine or hot cinnamon apple, and we have lots of gingerbread for the week ahead if anyone pops over.

stargirl1701 · 02/12/2023 19:13

We decorate the Christmas tree in the morning, bake after lunch then go to Christingle at 4pm.

Home for a picnic dinner under the tree after watching the 1960s Grinch cartoon.

Baths for DC, whisky & mince pie out for Father Christmas and read 'Twas the Night Before Christmas.

sHREDDIES19 · 02/12/2023 19:23

When they were very small we took them to the park to get them tired which was nice as it was always so quiet but now we have a new tradition whereby we go to the matinee performance of our local panto. We book the tickets nearly a year in advance and we all love it. Gets us all in the festive spirit then we have time to come home watch a film and enjoy the evening together. Being near a beach sounds amazing though as long as it’s not raining.

Sugarcube84 · 02/12/2023 19:28

I do my Xmas ham and prep my veg. Kids normally bake something and in the afternoon we nip to the pub with the kids for a drink and something to eat. Then all back home and chill watching Xmas films and keeping an eye on Santa.

once the are kids are in in bed dp pours me a baileys and sends me to bed to relax while he wraps my prezzies.

MintJulia · 02/12/2023 19:29

We have open house, and friends and family drop in.

Or if brother hasn't surfaced by then, we might go and shake him out of his office. 🎅

startquitting · 02/12/2023 19:52

There is a tradition in my village for everyone to put up Santa decorations along a path in the forest, so this is what a lot of people do..go for a long walk trying to spot all the Santa’s.

Someone just started it by putting out a few tiny Santa’s who were spotted by children, and people caught on.

If you have a garden maybe you can do something similar in a smaller scale. Or on the beach walk. Go to a second hand store and buy lots of little Santa’s.

startquitting · 02/12/2023 19:57

Or decorate ginger bread houses.

butterfliesandbee · 02/12/2023 20:05

How has everyone time to do all these activities on Christmas Eve? We normally preparing dinner for Christmas Day and tidying up ready for visitors next day?

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