Making Christmas special for older teens.

[GargoylesofBeelzebub]

I thought they (DS 17, DD 15) were a bit past the magic of Christmas and a bit eye rolly over Christmas activities, but last year they said they thought Christmas felt a bit flat.

Any ideas that won't break the bank? Everything I seem to read seems to be for younger kids.

One thing I'm planning to do this year is watch the Christmas specials of the programmes we've been watching like Ghosts for example.

I'm pinching some of these ideas though, and definitely agree about making it a season and having a few little things on the go.

If you live in the North East Beamish museum is lovely at Christmas.

@samedifferent big consideration here too as we have a big anniversary just after Christmas. Where did you choose?

Last Christmas dc1 went on about how it was her last Christmas as a child, so at her insistence we got matching pjs for Christmas Eve, I still do a Christmas Eve box, their advent house and stockings.
We visit one or two NT places, we usually visit York late afternoon and enjoy a wander round the city looking at the lights and the Christmas market.
We have festive movie afternoons and they help me bake Santa cookies.
Every year from them been little I’ve hosted fake Christmas (usually the weekend or 2 before Xmas) where friends and family who we won’t see on the day call in and we catch up and exchange gifts, I’ve already been informed that it’s definitely happening again this year.

We are going to Mexico but we live in the USA so it is a shorter flight for us.
We aren't giving more than a stocking.
The amount of things I don't have to think about this year is huge. Tree, decorations, presents, food, meal plans, activities, table settings the list just goes on.
I do like Christmas but it is a lot of work and although my teens are basically lovely they just aren't kids anymore. They also aren't adults so less stuff works for them.

Panto. I drag mine along but we all laugh so hard! Light up swords and wands compulsory! Also ice skating and Christmas lights.

My DC are adults now but at that age we'd always do a Christmas outing to a comedy play or stand up comedian they loved - something really light-hearted and fun.

We'd watch Christmas films together. They loved getting nostalgic and seeing Home Alone again, or something more suitable for teens like Love Hard (or Die Hard)

Sometimes they'd have a small party - not a proper teenage rave but a handful of close friends over for mocktails and Christmassy food, sparklers and toasting marshmallows in the garden fire pit, with lots of fairy lights strung in the bushes.

Mine will be 16 and 21 this Christmas, and they've both commented that Christmas isn't the same these days! Which it isn't!

Thinking we might try and go to a Christmas event this year, not sure what though. I would like to go away, but DS1 works in a pub when back from Uni and he is expected to work either Christmas Day or Boxing Day, so I may have to be inventive with my ideas!

They still like rituals.
We always go and visit a local stately home decked out for Christmas.
We always go for a frosty walk around the woods and lake, and feed the birds who will eat from our hands when it is cold.
They help decorate the tree.
We often eat by candlelight.
We play carol CDs and Bublé's Christmas album, which they insisted we get :)
They usually come to at least one Christmas service, though they tend to ask to attend Midnight Mass where I can barely keep my eyes open.
We still do stockings first thing in the morning, hung up by the fireplace. Come down on Christmas Day, make coffee and then they open their stockings in front of us. We all love that ritual.

Light walk for the last 4 years
Watching favourite Christmas movie
baking together, DD and I did a mince pie and truffle baking workshop one year, that was a lot of fun and we learnt some tricks as well.
picking out the tree and going for hot drinks and cake
decorating the tree togehter
Making marzipan and gingerbread house

My eldest is 18 and youngest is 11. We still enjoy many Christmas activities. Yes, clearly the Santa Grotto is behind us now, but I'm actually happy about that 😆I've done it for so long and even threw a polar express ride in when they were younger. We love to go to the cinema, watch movies with a takeaway, bake, shopping, trying all the Christmas hot drinks at Costa and Starbucks, and just enjoy how much more relaxed it is now. I also love watching the NBA over Xmas 😁🏀

Oh and I still do the whole new PJs and Xmas eve boxes of course 😊👍

I read one on here a while ago that we might incorporate this year: everyone has a small canvas and paint set (go to The Works, they have them on little easels). Put on a Bob Ross video and everyone paints along. At the end the paintings will all be the same but different, and you've got a lovely keepsake.

DD will be 17 this year. She is always in panto up to and including Christmas Eve. Once it's done we come home, have a picky tea by candlelight/fairy light and watch the Muppets Christmas Carol, The Goes Wrong Show Christmas Carol and Blackadder's Christmas Carol. Christmas day is a PJ and chill day with tea by candlelight and board games. I insist she leaves Santa some wine, which she then tells me off for drinking! She always gets the Christmas Beano in her stocking!!!!

My lot at 17 (nearly 18 at Christmas), 13 and 9

Chipstheeldest is still very much all about the traditions. The stocking, Christmas eve box, new pj's etc

I think it is about the traditions, mine love doing what they did 10 years ago.
Midnight Mass is also a hit, particularly if a few attendees have come straight from the local!

My DC are young adults now, they also like the traditions. We tend to celebrate the season of Christmas as opposed to the day itself.

Nov 30th. Kick off with Advent calendar opening and a hot chocolate bomb. We do a kind of secret Santa but with Advent calendars.
We all head to a carol concert either Royal Albert or local church.
Organise a trip to see some local Christmas lights.
One of mine is into baking, so usually tries out a recipe.
Christmas Eve curry and the wrapping of gifts.
We have a leisurely Christmas day, starting with late breakfast, Xmas treasure hunt finishing with opening secret Santa gifts, board games/escape room, Christmas dinner, NBA Christmas day game then a movie with nibbles.
Mine won't do panto but can be persuaded to see a musical/cinema/experience/Hyde park wonderland on Boxing day.

As they are getting older have a sit down with them and ask for their expectations, you may be pleasantly surprised at what they will take part in.

Some great ideas on here! As much as they may eye roll some festive aspects, if it’s suddenly missing the year after although they might not admit it but I’m sure they’ll be secretly missing it. It’s hard to break a tradition if it’s something you’ve always done. Here are some new ones we added in as the family got older:

• Early the season pick out some Christmas magazines and take a look at the recipes for all that lovely Christmas food and festive baking. Set aside a couple of days or evenings to do some baking and try out some new recipes - or even just some old classics. We always still bake a Christmas cake and it’s a full family affair.
• Trips to a garden centre for a potter around. They usually have lovely cafes attached.
• We do a family trip to M&S and other supermarkets (after having perused their Christmas mags) to get some Christmas goodies and have plenty of picky teas over the festive season. DC always find all sorts they want to try out through TikTok and Instagram etc, always something going viral! Appreciate it’s not everyone’s cup of tea but our family love nothing more than a festive picky tea and cheeseboard and a Christmas film.
• Christmas movie nights still a big hit here. Plenty of festive treats, hot chocolates and no matter how old they get they’ll always have their favourite Christmas films. Try doing a run of Christmas films maybe one a week, e.g The Santa Clause 1, 2 and 3, or Home Alone 1 and 2.
• We do a secret Santa one night in the run up - £10 limit and must start with the first letter of their name.
• Competitive gingerbread house making a big hit here also. Can get the pre-made kits cheap from Home Bargains etc, couple of bowls of sweets (for decoration and occasional consumption!) and whack a Christmas playlist on.

As they’re getting older have a chat with them and see what they’d like to do and if they have any suggestions. Plenty of ideas on the thread but enforced activities probably aren’t going to float their boat. You’ll know what works for your family, but if your DC have voiced their feelings they’re of an age where they can be involved in choosing what to organise and that can be part of the fun too.

What's a Christmas eve box! mine are in their 20s never had one.

I love the charity shop idea

Wish we lived close enough for beamish at Christmas- I bet that's lovely. We have been before but only in May.

It is, you can buy an evening ticket or you can just go late afternoon as it gets dark anyway about 4. Lovely for a wander around even when they've outgrown santa.

We're taking our teens (16 and 18) to see a show, Stranger Things, in London in early December.

Will hopefully get to do some Christmas shopping and take in all the lights, atmosphere etc.