Christmas Eve Boxes Inspiration

[XStitcher87]

What do you all put in your Christmas Eve boxes? I have a 1 and 3 yo. I usually do some PJs, a Christmas themed book, a cuddly toy and something edible. I’d love some ideas for older kids as we do them with our cousins or if I’m missing any tricks with my little ones.

Also I realise Christmas Eve boxes are a fairly new phenomenon, so if you don’t agree with them that’s fine but let’s keep this an inspiration thread!

Just do the same thing but with a fidget instead of teddy, then it’s still a lovely simple pleasure and doesn’t become higher pressured as they age

Have teens now, we still do Christmas eve boxes, they've not been about presents so much as traditions. They have:

The same Christmas book since they were tiny. We used to read it as the bedtime story. Obviously they don't have bedtime stories now, so it's a silly tradition now to tuck them in at some point in the evening and read it in daft voices.

The same christmas plate to put the carrot and mince pie out on

A box of elf doughnuts to leave out with the carrot and mince pie (elf doughnuts are cheerios dipped in icing or melted chocolate with sprinkles on top. We make them on Christmas eve morning and they go inside a matchbox that I covered with wrapping paper - can't forget the elves)

A bag of reindeer food (muesli) to throw on the garden

Something cosy (teddy, fluffy socks, pj's)

A snow globe. Bonus points if it's themed to an interest or thing they did that year. Love a snow globe, we have a great collection now!

Oh, edited to add... Their empty stocking goes in it too, to get hung up later

I put Christmas crafts in as well so it’s stuff they can make on Christmas eve

Be inspired to consider the environment and skip this overconsumption 😁

The best advice for Christmas Eve boxes is keep it very simple. I have stuck with the same formula for years (my oldest is 18 but youngest is 8 so still loves it!). It then becomes an endearing tradition but no high expectations 😂 I do PJs (occasionally I might deviate to a onesie or oodie is they are outgrowing), novelty hot chocolate bomb, I used to do a Christmas DVD in the early years but that seems alien now so I tend to switch between a Christmas themed book or game, and I also put in reindeer food. I just decided that if I do any more than that it becomes like a second stocking and I’m not going down that road!

Elf donuts is such a cute idea. I’ll definitely be stealing that.

If it's things to do before the "big day" then doing it as a "December 1st" box is better because you have a longer time to actually do the activities and get more use out of them.
Your children are still little but crafty things like make your own decorations are nice.

It's a 'Merry Pot Noel' for one and all in the Ramsey household.
No wrapping or boxes required, just a large kettle of piping hot water. As we sit, with our long-handled spoons, around the television and watch disaster on disaster befall the cheery folk of Walford.

We do something to do, something to eat, something to drink, pyjamas and a bauble for the tree 😊 I also put a Santa letter and bath bomb in for my little boy 🥰

Have a think about what the purpose of the box is in your family. For us, I wanted something to keep the dc busy while I prepped veg for Christmas day, and to encourage them to get in the bath and settle down to bed. So we always had an activity like a sticker book, bath bombs, pjs and snacks to have while we watch a movie.

For my 3 year old I'm doing a hot chocolate spoon and marshmallows, her mug (she already owns), the night before Xmas pop up book (she already owns), her stocking to hang up (she already owns), and a Xmas sticker book/activity book to do in the afternoon of Xmas eve
I might put in another edible treat this year like a mini tube of smarties or something
I'm 40 and we used to have new pyjamas on Xmas eve every year so I see it as similar to this.
If she needed pyjamas I would put those in but she's already got a few pairs that will last her through winter

I’m in my 30s and when I was small my next door neighbour used to buy me and the other kids from the family on her other side next door gift bags each with new Christmas PJs and a selection box in and a teddy, one year she put a troll doll in that had a Christmas hat. She gave them to us on Christmas Eve.
Whenever I see the Mumsnet kick offs about Christmas Eve boxes I think about my old neighbour lovely Rosie and imagine she’d be thrilled to be the pioneer of such a controversial tradition 😂

I followed Rosie and do new PJs, some nice choc, but I throw in a bathbomb. A few years ago now I didn’t do my eldest a Christmas Eve box and just gave him posh chocs. His best friend text me and said something to the effect of - bloody hell lauren, even rose west did Christmas Eve boxes for her kids! 😂
So now my eldest is very much an adult now I still have to do him one.

My DCs are teen and a young adult, each Christmas Eve we have read the same book since they were tiny (twas the night before Christmas), this tradition developed from me reading it to we take turns reading a page each.
They get new pjs just like I did as a child and I normally put reindeer dust, sweets and hot chocolate.

Thats actually lovely 😍

I never started Christmas Eve boxes because of the consumerism aspect. And the thought that once you start it its hard to stop and the thought of always having to come up with ideas. Then I had a Christmas Eve baby which makes Christmas Eve complicated enough.

Absolute hero! These are great ideas and I shall be stealing some, if not all of them. Thanks for sharing

Same book every year - my 37 year old pop up version of The Night Before Christmas. Also new pyjamas, a Christmas decoration, fancy hot chocolate sachet and sweets/chocolate.

The last few years I have done a book, soft toy, pyjamas and some chocolate but am definitely going to be making the elf doughnuts and reindeer food with them as an activity. I also love the idea of making the same book a Christmas tradition as we have so many of the Christmas books already.

We never had Christmas Eve boxes. When we were little we would get our smallest present on Christmas Eve to try and ease the excitement a little bit. We stopped doing that when I was 10. We would put out mince pies and sherry for FC but never did reindeer or elf foods.

A new toothbrush and some festive bubble bath

I didn’t know this was a thing. We put out cookies and carrots and a glass of milk as our Christmas Eve tradition.

Mine are in their twenties and we don’t do boxes but the elves always pop by on Xmas Eve and check the house is ready for Father Christmas. They leave new pjs and choc coins (or similar) for everyone!

Mine are each getting:

Pyjamas
Slippers
Enamel mug with their name on
selection box
a new fluffy towel in their favourite colour

Then to share:
A book to read before bed
A board game
Bubble bath

Oh and we do snow foot prints with flour and “Santa” always uses the downstairs toilet which they find hilarious

I do a first December box.
A Xmas item of clothing, this year I bought second hand Xmas jumpers. Last year was dresses. The dresses still fit. Some years it’s PJs.

One year was Xmas duvets (I do 1st December so the items last all month) and the Xmas duvets return on 1st December as part of the box.

A Christmas book reappears each year (Exeter street) which they love even tho they are older. Plus a smaller paperback Xmas short story collection.

I make an advent calendar which contains lots of old toy advent calendars they had when they were younger. Playmobile reindeers, Lego Santa’s etc. They make a scene with them on the windowsill. I rotate who gets what each day (so you may get playmobile on day one and Lego on day two).

Basically I bought things when they were little but kept them and made them into a tradition. They LOVE the old things appearing. I store the Lego bits in a musical M and S biscuit tin, which they also get excited about.

New bauble each for the tree. My tree is not matching though. It contains a random selection of items.

So my recommendation is get some things that you can reuse annually. Take them away on Xmas day and bring out the next year.

Just to add - I do the Icelandic tradition of a book on Xmas Eve (kids are big readers). Xmas Eve is a day of doing very little -a church service, reading and hot chocolate and spending time together. Xmas day is busy and we often visit people so it’s nice to have a day that is quiet.

It's a long-standing tradition in my family since I was a child, as a way to keep us busy Xmas eve and happy to get ready for bed so I always include a craft/doing type present, special bath/bedtime things like jelly bath crystals/bath bombs, new flannels. Then its a memory box of the same things we only bring out at Christmas eve like the pp said: Santa's special plate, Santa's special cup, the stockings with their names on I got when they were born, the beautiful Christmas books, a few special Christmas baubles, and I keep little Christmas things they've made over the years in there because they love seeing them again.