Between Boxing Day and start of childcare

[GingerKombucha]

I have a 22 month old and 4 year old. We're all going to be off work, pre-school etc with no childcare from the 20th December to the 6th January. We've got lots of exciting plans until Boxing Day but then almost nothing. I'm trying to think of fun ways to fill the days. We can afford day trips and activities but not to go away this year. When I was a kid, I remember filling this time either watching movies or going on long walks, maybe with some shopping but my little ones are too small for this. Can anyone think how to fill 12 days - can either be trips out or activities at home? We're in London but happy to drive about an hour. I want it to be fun and stimulating, especially for the older one as she becomes a nightmare without sufficient activity.

Shows at The Little Angel Theatre are perfect for a 4yo https://www.littleangeltheatre.com/whats-on/

museums
beach
parks
swimming
play with new xmas toys
clear out the old toys
pantomime (depending on your 22month old)
christmas lights will still be up, go for a walk and early dinner out one evening
a 4yr old should be able to do a decent walk or take bike/scooter for them

Stretch out some of the Christmas activities, more of a 12 days of Christmas approach. Mixing up gingerbread, then rolling and cutting gingerbread, and then decorating gingerbread can fill quite a bit of time! Do a Christmas jigsaw, read some more Christmas books, make some more decorations.

If your four year old is the sort that can get engrossed in an activity, the relatively quiet days are great for leaning into that – build a giant block town, go for the elaborate role play game with an entire creche of cuddly toys, go through a pile of paper and glue sticks and felt tips making endless pictures, whatever she's interested in.

If she has relatively close friends from school/nursery, it's worth seeing if any of them are around and fancy meeting up at a play park or soft play once the main family days are over.

Take them for a bus ride. If this isn't how you usually travel, they will hopefully enjoy the experience especially if you sit on the front seat upstairs! Similarly, take a train ride if this would be new to them. Or the London Transport Museum is good for little ones.
Lots to see and learn at London Zoo.
Local farm or petting zoo.
Walk in the woods with a treasure hunt that you have made up, eg find five different trees/flowers/twigs/animal footprints sort of thing. Collect things you can make a collage out of at home, or bring back some pebbles to paint.
Trip to the toy shop/book shop to spend any money received as presents. Or Build A Bear Workshop might be fun.
Cookie/cupcake making at home.

This is a great reminder, I went there a couple of years ago and it's lovely and they're doing 'Me' by Emma Dodd which both my children love - will book that right away.

Discover centre Stratford
farm or zoo
a stroll in central London, all the lights will be there still
soft play and swimming!
don’t forget they will have new toys so time at home will be exciting!

This isn’t too far from London and definitely suitable for small children https://www.eorailway.co.uk/events/epping-ongar-lights-express/

When mine were this age we did nothing exciting before Christmas, it was all after the 25th except for the Christingle service/school nativity play/school visit to Santa.
There's a steam train near us that does Santa rides that carries on after Christmas.
We have a family tradition of beach with wellies on the 26th/27th weather depending.
We now go to the Christmas lights at Dunham Massey during this period (but no way would I have taken them as preschoolers).
We did a couple of years of spacing out Christmas presents but gave up on that when it became a faff!
Our local non-panto theatre show would be great for a 4 year old (pantos are way too noisy!).
We would always try to go to church the Sunday between Christmas and New Year because the crib is still up (and if you go after the 6th, the wise men have arrived) but there aren't the crowds.
We make a gingerbread house (usually with a kit), which was initially with my DNs who are a bit older and DC1 could go to the shop with them to buy sweets, and stick a few one, then it was DC2, and then both of my two once the DNs became too cool.

Bablands is a great resource and she’ll do a
newsletter for activities in December.