Not done anything Christmassy with DC :-(

[Peanutbutteryday]

We have a 3YO and a newborn and we haven’t really done anything Christmassy with DC1. I’ve just been surviving and also had the flu. But now I’m out the other side I feel like I’ve let down DC1 and feel upset about it :-( I was going to take DC1 to an event but it was when we had flu so cancelled. Any suggestions for Christmassy ideas next week? Also anyone else in a similar situation and not done much?

You've still got plenty of time. They're 3. They don't really have a great concept of time at that age.

Bake Christmas biscuits, put up the Christmas decorations if you haven't already, book to see Santa somewhere (garden centres might still have availability and they usually look very Christmassy with all the decorations they sell). See if you can get pantomime tickets even if it's after Christmas that you go. Go for a walk and collect some Holly, ivy etc to make a table decoration or wreath.

It's not just going to happen so you need to decide what you are doing and when but there's still enough time to organise things.

Get her to help decorate a Christmas Tree/ make paper snowflakes to put in her window and make some Gingerbread - you can make a paper template to cut round if you don’t have cutters .

Agree with PP, 3 is little. You don't need to go big on Christmas 'events' at that age. if anything it can get overwhelming for them.

Put a cheesy Chrismas medley on (youtube has loads) and have a Christmas disco in the lving room.

Mine always love an evening walk in the dark to look at all the Chrismas lights on other people's houses.

Thanks everyone and @ImFineItsAllFine thanks thats actually been in the back of my mind I think she’d get overwhelmed at all the social media stuff I’ve seen. She’s had a lot of change with the arrival of dc2 and being unwell. Can’t win can we 😂

It's not compulsory. We do a light trail type thing every year but that's because it's DD's birthday choice. Probably wouldn't bother otherwise. Only done a FC visit a couple of times and it was a bit rubbish.

Pop to a garden centre and look at the decorations for sale there, have a nice hot chocolate and go home and decorate the tree. Christmassy and low cost.

Just go on a walk to see some lights. Make hot chocolate after and watch a Christmassy programme/film.

3 is so little that everything and anything is amazing.

Just because you haven’t got anything expensive booked for Christmas doesn’t mean you haven’t done or can’t do anything Christmassy!

We have a toddler and a newborn and we have done a Santa’s breakfast (booked while pregnant, thought it would be lovely, was actually hell-ish) and my daughter was just as happy decorating gingerbread biscuits at home yesterday😂

Same! I had full intentions filled up an activity calendar on November 30th full of fun things to do, then everyone got poorly (scarlet fever) money has all but run out and I’ve lost the plot!

You've got loads of time and she's only three so easy to impress!

You can make some Reindeer food (dry porridge oats and glitter).

Go for a walk to see the local Christmas lights, maybe have a checklist of things she needs to spot (a Santa, a snowman, an elf etc).

Go to the library for some Christmas books (or just read any you have at home).

Watch a Christmas movie with some popcorn.

Do some Christmas arts and crafts e.g. paper chains or cut out a tree and paint it and stick bits on, make Christmas cards (and play postman delivering them), make a reindeer picture using handprints.

What does Christmassy mean to you? For me when my kids were small it was making paper snowflakes and paper chains for the tree, all kinds of simple baking, a movie (at home or the cinema) with popcorn and a treat type drink. We went into town to see the lights )no extortionate Christmas market though), did a Santa at the local garden centre.

Now it’s pantomime, hot chocolate, still baking, long dog walks, candles and the fire. She’s so young that Christmas will be whatever you make it and will be special regardless.

If you can afford it there are lots of Christmas shows on at the moment. They are relaxed and you could bring the newborn.
If money is an issue, there are events run by local coucils. Ours have been doing Christmas fairs and fun days, and craft activities in libraries for free.

Personally with new born and bugs I would tone it down. I think we get sucked into stuff on social media. This year I vowed to do less. Mine are 3 and 5. We decorated tree and made some decorations (done decs a few times 😂) went for a walk to look at Xmas lights. We have booked Santa day out for Sunday (booked in August 🤦‍♀️) and done Christmas baking and will probably do a bit more. Everything is so expensive and they get so overwhelmed (as do I!!)

Thanks everyone some lovely low cost and low overwhelming ideas for us to do next week ☺️

At age 3 to 5 a popular Christmas thing is to get a couple of paper plates, a pair of child-safe scissors and a glue stick and a couple of the free Christmas Food and Gift magazines from Tesco, Lidl etc.

Then let them cut out their “ideal Christmas dinner” and stick the food on their plates . My kids loved doing that.

Ooh @ElfieOnTheShelfie banking that for Monday! Thanks

We don’t do a huge amount. We have visited Santa while shopping and looked at the decorations and lights on the street. DC is 3.