Looking for advice for a Christmas trip to England with a 5 year old🎄

[BlackFlowers]

Hello lovely Mumsnetters!
I’m originally from Northern Ireland but live abroad now, and I’m absolutely desperate for a proper UK Christmas this year! We’re planning a trip from Christmas Eve to January 4th and would love some local recommendations.
Our itinerary:
• Christmas Eve to New Year’s Eve: Cotswolds area
• New Year’s Eve/Day: North Oxfordshire
• January 1-4: London
I’m particularly looking for advice on:
Christmas Day food: Should I brave the food shopping after we land on Christmas Eve, or does anyone know of restaurants/pubs doing Christmas lunch in the Cotswolds area? We’re a family of 3 including one very excited 5-year-old.

Child-friendly activities: DC lives in a hot climate city and is absolutely desperate to see “proper countryside” and farms. Any recommendations for places that might be open over the Christmas period? Thinking farm visits, nature walks, maybe somewhere they could see sheep/cows up close?

General cosy recommendations: We’re after that quintessentially British Christmas experience - cosy pubs with log fires, Christmas markets if any are still running, beautiful villages to wander around, that sort of thing.

Any suggestions would be absolutely wonderful! I just want to give DC (and myself!) a magical Christmas
Thanks in advance! 💚

Covent Garden is gorgeous at Christmas - they do a surprise snow flurry every hour on the hour which is magical (not sure if it will be on in Jan?) - I took my young adults one Xmas day but didn’t tell them what was going to happen and it was magical. There is a Christmas light trail around CG you can Google.

Take them to the top of St Paul’s Cathedral and a river boat a few hops along the Thames from there past Big Ben & London Eye. Most of the markets close by Xmas eve but maybe look at festive hot chocolate children’s afternoon teas at London Hotels

I also took mine to see The Polar Express in 3D at the imax and watching them spontaneously jump up from their seats trying to catch the snowflakes made me cry (this was when they were little - not young adults).

There will always be a Panto - The Palladium usually does a great one - also Hackney Empire.

We have taken ours on historic guided walks - last Boxing Day we did one called A Dickensian Christmas which was fun - again not sure what’s still going in early Jan - but think NYD is the Thurs ? So probs stuff still going on over the weekend. Go to the wonderful Royal Parks if the weather is good - or off to Greenwich, Hampton Court (both have great skate rinks - as does Somerset House in central London. You have all of the deer in Richmond Park and Bushey Park wandering around which would be festive.

Hogwarts in the snow? Maybe they are too young ….

https://www.wbstudiotour.co.uk/whats-on/hogwarts-in-the-snow/

M and S Christmas food brochure is now out! https://christmasfood.marksandspencer.com/#intid=hp_hp-herocar1_260123_1_btn_shop%20now