Christmas Day?

[Futurascope]

I now have a teen and a preteen and it feels like time for our Christmas Day traditions to change! We used to wake up, open stockings, go for a walk, eat Christmas dinner, then open and play with presents for the afternoon.

It looks like they will have fewer presents, and not really toys this year - more like hair straighteners and sports equipment type of stuff.

Any ideas what we can do on the day itself to still make it feel special?

thank you!

If you like playing board games, then perhaps one person could buy a game for the family to open and play after dinner.

Board games. Lots of food!! Film and more food!! Those things aren't age defined....

Watch a nice film you all like. Play an escape room type board game at home. Make cocktails/mocktails.

Invite a friend round for Xmas dinner.

Exactly the same as you do every other year but during the time the kids played with toys, insert some games. Loads of great family games available, in our house Rapidough, The Logo Game and articulate are favourites. Also jenga and dobble. Maybe buy a couple of games this year and then make a new Christmas tradition of buying a new game every year. We've accumulated loads of great games doing this and now often have games night throughout the year because of it.
Also, add in an extra half hour of screen time in the afternoon for them to message friends.

Thank you all, I thought board games might be the answer! We already do that regularly, so was looking for something different. I like the idea of a new board game each Christmas Day though - then it makes it a bit different!

We open presents, have lunch and then the rest of the afternoon is spent watching films, eating turkey sandwiches and generally just relaxing.

Trips to see Santa's have been replaced with things like theatre trips, ice skating, an RHS garden with illuminated lights.

Christmas becomes different as they get older but it can still be fun.

I'm not at the stage yet where they want to be out with their mates all over Christmas rather than at home. That might be trickier to still keep special. I guess DH and I will have to start some new traditions just for us.

Perhaps do a quiz? You could ask everyone to think of ten questions each and then you all get a turn to host your round.
As someone else said, an at home escape room type board game would be good as well!

If you fancy a board game that is a bit more techy (and can involve players playing remotely), take a look at Outsmarted.