Christmas Eve entertainment ideas

[Careerdecisions]

We usually go to a fun fair on Christmas Eve, tickets are all booked but DS (14) isn’t feeling well. We will change the date and go another time. Got another two children to entertain though and who are feeling a little disappointed. Don’t want to leave DS for too long but we could go somewhere for a couple of hours while he rests up in bed. What are your Christmas Eve plans?

We went swimming in the morning.

Then played a few rounds of a board game while enjoying a hot chocolate with the full works, including Baileys for me and the late teen. They're both upstairs now while I'm about to catch a nap.

After lunch, we'll bake the fruit cake for tomorrow, I'll prep the red cabbage and then we'll settle down for Home Alone. The teen will be at work by then. Then probably more board games and some video games. Painting tonight while the little one is in bed and I'm up waiting for the eldest to come home from work at almost midnight.

We always go to the cinema, most of them are showing classic Christmas films alongside the new releases.

Depending on what shops are open/what you're able to get (and on the age of your other kids), here are some ideas:

• Christmas t-shirt making. Get some fabric pens and some plain white t-shirts - they can decorate the t-shirts while listening to some Christmas tunes. They can then wear the shirts tomorrow!
• Christmas 'wreath' making - cut a bit of card in a circle, give the kids some colouring pens and let them make a wreath!
• Christmas 'gift bags'. This is an especially nice idea if you have guests/you're visiting family - you could buy some plain paper bags and let the kids go loose on them, colouring in a Christmas design for each guest (bonus points if the kids personalise the gift bags for each guest to make it feel 'special'). Then you could pop a Christmas card for each guest in the bag along with some chocolate coins, just something cheap. But it's a nice little easy 'extra' gift to give, and it's from the kids which is always nice.