Christmas run up older children

[MagicThanks]

We are officially out of the Santa visit era.
The run up used to be full of things like this for younger kids, but they are now 10 and 8 and things have shifted. Too old for Santa and not interested in panto.

Just wondering what kind of events and activities your family enjoy with older primary/pre-teens?

We have booked Kew Gardens light trail and will stay overnight and are going to Hampton Court Palace the next day.

Im also going to see A Christmas Carol with DD and MiL.

I think we’ll still go to our local garden center which is amazing at Christmas and pick out a new ornament each. We also love walking the dog after dark to look at the lights on houses.

What will you get up to with slightly older children?

We’re staying at Silverstone, so we’ll be going around the track (DS1 will be taking his new car that he bought) and then watching it from the balcony. We’ve also booked a light up trail with the wider family, which I’m really looking forward to. We’ll definitely do a garden centre trip too, as I love looking at all the Christmas decorations and having a breakfast there.
We normally go to the theatre as well, but unfortunately we’re away for a week for a special birthday this year, and then it’ll be straight into Christmas.

Great thread. I'm in that phase as well. Seemed so much easier about gifts and things to do when they younger! We usually do the Kew Trail but having done it a few years in a row the novelty has worn off. Any ideas for panto for older kids?

Ginger bread house decorating with my 18yo while watching cheesy Hall Mark Christmas movies then decorating the tree with our favourite Xmas music on. And yes we are also doing the lap of lights in Silverstone with her driving and staying over in the hotel. Other than that it will be a few festive markets etc

Ours are older but we don't do activities before Christmas as there's usually stuff going on before at schools (Christmas fair, concerts etc. including my music group concerts). This year though we're going to a dramatic reading of A Christmas Carol in early Dec.
We go to a lights trail at an NT house, and the DCs go skating at a pop up rink, and sometimes to the theatre (not the panto) between Christmas and New Year.

Couldn't afford to pay to go anywhere . Going to the Christmas tree farm to choose a tree. Going to the garden center. Drove around looking at house Christmas lights. Going for walks in the woods collecting pine cones, conkers and chestnuts.

Dc are 9 and 11 here, we're still doing panto.

Possibly a light trail. Otherwise its activities at home, baking, making cards, decorating.

Sounds like we live in a similar area OP. Are you doing the ice skating at Hampton Court? And could I ask which garden centre you’re referring to? Garsons Farm is also wonderful at Christmas for decorations as well as food and toys!

I have 3 DC - 18, 14 and 8 - so trying to find things that we all enjoy is quite a challenge. Everyone’s favourite thing is going into London to see all the amazing shop fronts and Christmas displays followed by a nice dinner out. And ice skating always features.

We’ve never really done pantos, but have done a few lovely plays. A Christmas Carol was wonderful and I do still love the Snowman. I’m thinking of just taking my youngest to see that this year.

Another little tradition we have (although generally on New Year’s Eve rather than Christmas) is a trip to a picture house style cinema - one with sofas and you can have food and glass of wine brought to you! We tend to get a bit dressed up and make a ‘thing’ of it!

Visit to a Christmas market? Not local but a day trip to Winchester for the market is lovely.

Just to add, my DS is almost 18 (birthday before Christmas) and still says the run-up to Christmas is his absolute favourite time of year and still finds it magical. His favourite things are cosy nights in with the fire on, watching films, playing board games, nice comfort food, baking things. It doesn’t have to be going out and doing stuff. I think in previous years I overloaded the run-up to Christmas with various activities and they preferred cosy nights in!

We splashed out 2 years ago and went to the Palladium and it was pretty extraordinary (Jennifer Saunders!!)

They still love baking , we normally do sugar biscuits for Santa but might have a go at a full gingerbread house this year.
im not sure they’re old enough to appreciate a Christmas market yet. Was thinking winter wonderland but it’s £££££££

@CoffeeChocolateWinewe’re SE London, we’re staying overnight with friends who live in Richmond. Lovely garden centres nearish us towards Sevenoaks/ Swanley

Ice skating is also a good shout. Also cinema!
I do tend to over plan and then we all just want cosy nights in.

We’ve been going to the panto at Richmond Theatre for years with our children who are now 15, 13 and 9. They still all enjoy it there!

Dc 10 & 13. No panto, garden center, maybe a light trail- although the price of our local ones are just silly! Ice skating, cinema, indoor activities, forest walks, a few days away with family - cant wait!!

We do a Christmas market in a local city (Worcester).
A trip to the garden centre for breakfast and a mooch around the Christmas display
A National Trust house
We always put the tree up while watching a Christmas film
Baking, Christmas cake decorating
Crafting

We have done a light trail, but it chucked down and it was pretty miserable (although the mulled wine at the end helped 🤣)

Ikea do amazing gingerbread house kits which are good for a range of ages - you can decorate/assemble with more or less skill! They’re a real bargain as well, less than £20 for the kit and icing glue

My 10 and 13 yo DSs are usually so knackered after the autumn/winter term and their football 2-3 times a week that they just want to chill out and stay in the warm watching films and playing at home. Maybe go to the local park if not raining. I also work on the NHS and usually only get the bank holidays off over the two weeks of Xmas. DH works from home. Maybe I’m a bad parent for not organising activities 🤷🏻‍♀️

Festive themed afternoon tea

Ours will be 10 & 8 this year, we’re still doing a Santa’s visit and have booked the polar express. Definitely thinking this is the last year our eldest will believe. We have booked a NT light trail, tend to do it every couple of years, panto (our local one is great and enjoy it as much as the kids), a trip to Beamish museum, and a smaller local event either small market and some rides, snow machine etc.

We’ve been going to Winchester Christmas market with ours (or separately now they are old enough to go without us) since they were younger than yours. Go after dark for extra atmosphere and fewer people. Park and ride is straightforward and you can walk in from one of them as it’s only a mile or so.

Cutting your own tree at a Christmas tree farm.

Panto - only one of ours likes it so I just go with her and the others don’t bother, keeps the cost down. In fact a lot of our family life is like this due to ND, so for several of the things mentioned only one DC would enjoy them, so breakfast out, afternoon tea, movies ar out unless we split).

Open topped bus tour of the West End lights in London was a big hit but SO cold.

I've got a 10-13 year olds so get it...

We always book a show, but not panto as they've never been keen.

Our local cinemas do old Christmas movies for £3.50 a ticket (Muppet Christmas Carol, Elf etc) and they love going to see them on the big screen. Usually have lunch or dinner out afterwards too.

My favourite tradition is "Gingerbread House Day" where they each get to invite a friend over, they get a gingerbread house kit each (this always blows their minds!) and loads of sweets / icing for them to go nuts with. Christmases film on and pizzas etc for lunch. We've done it for the last few years and they love it.

I saw it on Instagram and it's one of our favourite things to do, especially since they're older now.

They also have their own tree in the dining room that they decorate themselves without any help from us... it's always completely mad and filled with all the decorations they've bought over the years. They still love getting a new decoration each year too x

That sounds lovely i may have to copy that

We do a local light trail sometimes and a cinema trip for Christmas films

I definitely recommend christmas carol goes wrong for older dc. My 2 dd laughed so much as did me and dh. A little bit different from a traditional one and not panto for those who arent fans

Ah the gingerbread house? It's so lovely - the lady who posted it on Instagram had young adult DC and said it's been a big part of their Christmas for years...made me a bit weepy as it was so special!

totally nicking Gingerbread House Day. Thanks @SussexLass87

Oh that's fab!

My older son named it "Gingerbread House Day" after Paddington's "Marmalade Day" in the film 😆