Grandchildren Staying Over

[italianmountains]

I am lucky enough that my children and grandchildren are almost always with us for Christmas Day. However, this year to my delight they are coming Christmas Eve and staying overnight, therefore waking up to Christmas morning at our house. It's the first year since my children were that age that we will be doing the Father Christmas thing! Their mum (my daughter) and I have agreed to follow the traditions they usually do (which is actually the same as were done when my children were small). We will all have matching pyjamas, leave cookies for Santa, stockings first thing. But we also want to do even more to make it magical for them too - ages 5 and up by the way. Any ideas for the night before or the morning, food ideas, decorations? Would be grateful for all or any ideas. Will also have teenagers too.

On Christmas eve sprinkle reindeer food outside - and look for santa (the International Space Station passing in the sky).

You can sprinkle 'snow' on a hard floor to create santa footprints which i think is cute

Santa tracker on TV
Christmas movie before bed ( switching regularly to the Santa tracker)
Sprinkle oats outside for reindeer food

Christmas morning put a colouring table cloth out for breakfast and everyone can colour or find some colouring place mats.

We never have a plan or put pressure on the day, it’s fully led by our DDs.

at that range of ages I would do something that will be fun for those that believe, and those that don't really.

One thing that I do for my son is a little treasure hunt type thing in the morning, where one of his presents has been hidden, and there is a clue at the bottom of his stocking. You can make it as hard or easy as it needs to be depending on the age, but I find it gets them running around excitedly for a bit as they figure out and search for the missing present.

Doesn't matter if they are 5 or a teenager, it can still be exciting.

We put out a carrot for the reindeer as well as a drink and mince pie for Santa. Leave a few pastry crumbs and the stump of the carrot with tooth marks in it (scratch with a potato peeler or similar).

I actually walked around a small town once when my kids were young, with another friend and her kids, and we sang Christmas Carols looking up at the sky and trying to spot Santa. Only works if it's safe to walk around in the dark and if you don't mind singing in the street :) It was a magical night, a core memory for them.

I bought a garage door sized picture of Santa in his sleigh which is the first thing the dc saw when they arrived for Christmas.
We also walk around a few roads that have lovely lit up front gardens.
Personally though I think Christmas Eve needs to be as calm as possible in the hope the dc get to sleep.

You’re so far behind us on the clock that, if you want the tv on, look on YouTube for Carols in the Domain. There’s one every year. It’s an outdoor carols by candlelight from Melbourne with all sorts of well known talented people giving it their best. Very family oriented.

Snuggle with that, something nice to eat and drink and sing along.

Once all ready for bed watch Carols by Candlelight in dark with candles. Last minute wrapping, cooking etc. Sip milk and. Ibble on reindeer food.

Scatter a few dates on the patio - reindeer poop.

• Decorate a gingerbread house.
• Make or paint Christmas ornaments.
• Make paper snowflakes.
• Write thank you notes for santa.
• Set up booby traps for santa (think pice of string trip wire attached to a bell).
• Drive around and look at Christmas lights. (Get a nice coffee shop hot chocolate with all the flavours, whipped cream, marshmallows, flake etc).
• Have someone sneak outside and ring bells under the kids window.
• Knock on a few neighbours door and give them a gift while singing Christmas carols.
• Midnight Mass.
• Everyone in the family act out a mini nativity play or the kids can do a nativity puppet show.
• See if there is a nearby nursing home or something similar who would welcome visitors.
• Go to the local food bank and donate food.
• Take the star off the Christmas tree, hide it somewhere in the house, send the kids to look for it.
• Play charades and who and I.
• Get a pice of paper and fold it into thirds give everyone a pen and pice of folded paper, tell them to draw a head hide the drawing then pass the paper around, tell everyone to draw a body hide it then pass the paper around, tell everyone to draw legs, then laugh at the funny drawings.
• Slow down the opening of gifts, have people take turns, it really stretches out the excitement.
• Make a Christmas 2026 time capsule, have them write favourite gift, activity, food, funny memories, put in the hat from the cracker or something similar.

Someone else has already suggested it but we do a present hunt every year. So ‘Santa’ leaves one present in the stocking with a little note saying that his naughty elves have hidden the rest and they need to go and find them all before they can start opening. Then each present has another clue with it. Usually make them go all around the house and even into the garden to make it all last as long as it can.

They all know now that it isn’t Santa - but no one cares. It’s fun. It’s tradition.

Gourmet hot chocolate bar was always a big hit when there was different aged kids at our Christmases, kids can choose the toppings etc and make a special drink. Older teens can have a few drops of baileys in theirs.

A fun game we used to play was everyone got a special ornament, two at a time people would leave the room and you would hide their ornaments on the tree somewhere (in the back of the branches), then they'd come in and race to find their ornaments. First one wins. This works best if you have a big tree!

A hot chocolate bar is also a massive hit here while we watch the Polar Express. We also decorate gingerbread to leave for Father Christmas and do some crafting for the table, like place cards.

We were lucky enough to have GC (and my DD) to stay every Christmas from 2 years old (18 this year so prob won't happen! 😒). We liked to keep the Eve cuddly and peaceful, the house looked magical when they arrived about 4pm with favourite decs and some new and named baubles to put on tree. Special tea with hot choc/marshmallows later, usually watching the Polar Express. Then bed with a lovely edition of The Night Before Christmas (it came out every year). In their room there was a snow-globe type Santa and sleigh (it was lit up and the snow swirled). GC loved the familiarity and magic of it all.

See if your local church has a crib or Christingle service

Read the night before Christmas and/or watch Home Alone or Muppets Christmas Carol (sometimes they show these at the cinema over Christmas)

Go out for a walk, or drive depending on your area and the weather to see the local lights. We used to buy our children Christmas bath bombs and then they'd have a festive bath before bed

I forgot, we sometimes play Christmas bingo on Christmas Eve, a full house wins you a small present to unwrap.

How lovely! Nothing to add, but enjoy!

We have Christmas eve picnic in the lounge for tea with a Christmas film on. DD6 especially loves it and teen DSS and DSD are always keen too. We sample lots of the M&S range of party food and last year we finished with melted chocolate pots with Strawberries, raspberries and shortbread to dip.