What Christmas -y things do you do with tweens/teens?

[HelloCheekyCat]

DD (12) told me that she doesn't want to go to the panto anymore because she found it a bit boring this year and she felt too old.
She still loves Christmas though so I'd like to do something next year (or this year if we have time) which feels festive but a bit more grown up, does anyone have any ideas please?

We're going to see the lights at Dunham Massey, and DD is going skating (though it's with Scouts, nobody else wants to!).
They asked to make gingerbread men and DD has suggested a house which we usually make over the holidays (but I've yet to find a good kit).
The church has a Christingle service which they seem to still like, and we might go and help make them. They also have a Narnia afternoon.
I'm not sure we'll see the local professional Christmas play though there are plenty of tweens who go, we don't really do panto, DS has some sensory issues and they are often really loud.
There are usually other Christmas plays though - we went to a couple at Salford Quays before. Plays are tricky for this age so we see whatever we can grab that isn't too babyish or has adult themes. I'd like to try and see Christmas Carol That Goes Wrong some time.

When my DDs reached that point we swapped to going to the local theatre's non-panto musical, which worked well. Also any trip involving a coffee shop with hideously expensive festive hot chocolate seemed to go down well. I think the change is hard on mums as you can feel the traditions of childhood Christmases changing.

Cinema trip for a Christmas film (The Red One this year, which is a funny action based film), we go to out local pottery painting place and paint a decoration for the tree, light trail (they are happy to do it if I tell them they can have a hit choc and food at the various places around the trail!), theatre trip.

Dd still likes her Christmas mugs coming out and a few extras for hot chocolate being available. (I am trying to find some form of non-lactose cream in Brussels at the minute...). And also her fluffy Christmas blanket.

She generally likes to take a skating trip (Scouts used to go, and often school or a bunch of friends as well).

And while we don't read stories anymore, she still loves to snuggle on the sofa (under fluffy blanket) to watch Christmas movies.

Dd is not a girlie girl at all - but likes to do some baking. And despite seeming to gang up with DH about there being too much decorations, she was quite upset last year when I wasn't there until the last minute (I am overseas for work for 4 years in Europe) and DH didn't bother to put any up. So this year, they are both coming to me and she plans to go to the Christmas markets before they close and has also been checking that I've gathered the makings of a tree (Pooh poohed me looking in a Dutch department store when we were on a uni open day trip and she was doing a session of it solo, but wanted to go back with me the next day to see what else I could add to the bits I got).

And she always wants a turkey - even the years it's just 3 of us. Which we're happy to do and have lots of ways to manage leftovers (it's not unusual to have a big turkey curry or turkey pie in late spring from the 2nd breast we've frozen once cooked, and we are no longer sick of turkey leftovers so it's delicious!).

Oh, and she wants me to take long ways home when out shopping etc, to go past the houses we know will be lit up. So even though it's not in pjs with travel mug of hot chocolate, it's still important to her - but don't dare suggest that we just go on a drive to see them. That wouldn't do at all. 🤣 Teenage brains are strange (but they go back to normal - she's now 18 and wants to spend time together and chat again!).

I like the sound of a light trail, there's a cheap neArby but I made the mistake of asking if she wanted to go & she said no 🙄i might just book it anyway!
She wants to make tree decorations with the cat's paw so a pottery painting outing would probably be enjoyed.
I'll have a look at other theatre options for next year, she enjoys musicals and I think she'd like the ballet
We're planning to see wicked over the holidays, but i think I'd rather see The Red One having looked it up so thank you @SplendidPendips for the tip.
She does love a bit chocolate so I'll make sure there's one involved when we do something 🤗

Thanks everyone

We do one big outing, this year is Horse of the Year, but next year we will be back to the ballet (the Royal Opera house is streaming in some cinemas up to Christmas so you could fit it in this year too if funds allow). We did a light trail last year and I think we’ve all missed it this year so back to Kew next year. Ice skating? Hot chocolate afterwards, late night shopping when carols are sung in the department stores, festive afternoon tea? We now have a selection of things that we can dip in and out of each year (too expensive to do them all every year).

A show rather than a panto. Christmas fairs, drive round the streets counting lit up houses, late night shopping. Christmas Bingos, my preteens love bingo, I’ve even bought bingo cards to play Christmas Eve, we’ve each been given 5 to buy bingo prizes.

My teenage boys still love making a Gingerbread House! We often visit a National Trust property that has been decorated for Christmas in the holidays.

We do lightwalks and ice skating - but it's a tradition with friends so maybe ask her to invite someone?

Baking - often a gingerbread house and she still loves decorating simple biscuits

Buying the tree, one new ornament and ending in the cafe with cake and hot chocolate

Carol concert or a show

Making some decorations

Baking? Making place settings and a menu for the Christmas table? Cinema trip? Do you have any younger relatives? She may like to do the more childish things in the guise of taking little o ones.

I found our local panto had got a bit boring so we are going to see one in the city with some big names in it for a change this year. Also do a light trail but they hate that - but if a running joke.

My teenage nephews love making Gingerbread house, they already told me that's what they're looking for this year. Last year we also made christmas slideshows with music and christmas card collages, because they wanted something "tech". They aren't fond of theater or musicals, so even their parents never take them, let alone me.

i thinks it’s hard when they are older as there’s less options to cure the boredom, DS 16 used to loved everything Christmassy growing up, last year was the last year he came out to watch Christmas movies with me and I didn’t even know it. Dd12 is a bit more receptive. She went with the school to a panto last year and loved it. I however I don’t like them, she loves watching a Christmas movie a day with me, on Wednesday she’s going with DP to a light show as I also find them boring. We are baking cookies, we do drive around in the car and look at house lights, she loves that. We do Christmas karaoke on roxi. I enjoy it whilst I can b3cause there will be a time she won’t want to. She loves all our Christmas traditions so just holding on as long as possible.