I want to make Christmas really special this year, any ideas?

[Disenchanted3]

I don't mean expensive decorations or the very best gifts, I mean little family things to do or little toucches that really make things special.

This year my 2 sons are old enough to understand what Christmas is (5 & 3) and last year was a bit of a disaster as far as Christmas was concerned as I gave birth on Christmas eve so was, as you can imagine, a bit tired on the lead up to Christmas and completely knackered on Christmas day. I didn't even watch them open their gifts as I fell asleep with tiny DD!

Open to suggestions on ANYTHING, from little gifts, to games to tips for the Christmas dinner!

Thankyou!!

create a tradition - can you go to a Christmas Eve service, watch the Snowman togetrh at teatime ,take a post dinner walk in the park, bake festive biscuits and take to neigbours or family, decorate a bauble to hang on the tree for each child.

On Christmas Eve we put a little Christmas stocking / hat at the end of DD and DS's beds with a few little presents in which they bring in to our room when they wake up at 7 on Christmas morning and open in / on our bed. It means you don't all have to rush downstairs straight away, can come to slowly and take your time.
Is there a Christmas Eve afternoon carol concert where you are?
We also have a nice but light lunch / starter at around midday as kids need food then but we don't want big Christmas dinner too early. We then have proper dinner later in the afternoon.

Not specifically Christmassy but my Dad used to do a bit of a treasure hunt around the house on Christmas Day with a present at the end. His clues started off being really simple when we were v young and got really complicated by the time we were older! This year, I plan to do a mini one with some new books at the end for my DSs - about the same age as yours. Thought maybe I would make some kind of bookworms for them to find with the next clue - they love finding stuff thats hidden! No idea how well it will go down with them but me and DH are quite excited by the thought of it!!!
Last year I used the new PJ's/making cookies for FC/watching Polar Express on Christmas Eve traditions - all gleamed from MN!

Last year I followed a suggestion on here and had an activity for each day of advent - either free or very cheap and along the lines of; feed the birds, sing your favourite Christmas song, go and look at Christmas lights (there's bound to be a street near you that goes to town!), tell a Christmas joke, make paper chains, etc.

It was really nice!

I did that too, Dunder. My DCs are 9 and 5 and they loved it.

The trick is to make the ideas simple, imo. So no matter how stressful or tiring a day you've had, you can find the energy to do the activity . Also, plan ahead and make sure you have everything you need to hand in advance of doing the activity with the children rather than hunting around for glue/scissors etc whilst they are left waiting (and bored)!

Making reindeer food with porridge oats and glitter on xmas eve, baking together, A drive around local lights. Then come home sprinke reindeer food all over outside then Xmas elves secretly ring door bell parcels of new pj's and xmas film/book arrive.

no family rows

I am doing the Xmas Eve new pjs this year after reading about it on MN.

Today (1st Advent!) we made Xmas plätzchen (German butter biscuits) and decorated them together.

I normally have an Adventskranz, an advents wreath with 4 candles on it. One candle is lit on each of the 4 Advents Sundays then all the candles are lit on Christmas Eve.

DH is German so I have pinched a few of the German traditions.

I like the Advent Calender idea, with things to do each day .