Making a budget Xmas a bit more exciting- ideas please!

Bumpmakesfour

Ohhh I LOVE the idea of a treasure hunt!!!I'll have a week or less old baby at home so was looking for ideas to occupy the kidlets a bit more than usual.My guys are up far far farrr too early..DS with his aspergers was sooo wound up and got up at 1.30am last year:eek:So trying to think how to resolve that one too.
Anyway!! can anyone who does the treasure hunt elaborate a bit please,re the clues you do etc and I can try to get my baby brain in gear and sort it out.Thankyou xx

7roland8

Could also make a big thing of decorating the table ready for lunch - get them to help make napkin holders, place cards etc - even crackers - then they can spend time arranging it nicely with candles etc.

knobbysbird

Mine open stockings then we have breakfast and get dressed then do the main pressies under the tree( which seems to take five minutes whether they have one present or ten lol) The highlight of our Christmas though is when they perform the panto they've written- including their own lyrics to their favourite pop songs and advert breaks...etc- made props for and rehearsed since school broke up for the holidays.

cheeswright

presents are not really the focus of our christmas and for several years since the kids were old enough we have filled christmas morning with silly activities
the definate favourite is
competative hat making !
everybody is gived the same basic white cardboard crown and has untill lunchtime to come up with the best way to decorate it...
although we do have a lot of craft bits around the house I have been staggered by the increasingly sneaky inventivness involved in this...
some have been obvious - feathers - holly - fircones paint sequins tinfoil sweet wrappers...all sorts of christmas wrappings and paper

there have been some interesting disasters too...like wet car paint in the hair ! no you really should tak it off before spray painting it !and someone decorating it with beer bottle tops and being sooooo far from sober by lunchtime

people have even been caught sneaking in decorations

kingfisherblue

Just a thought - what time does Christmas Day start? In our house, no one is allowed out of bed before 7am. It can be a long and exciting day, but by evening, tired kids become grumpy. So we have the rule that before 7am, it is still night time. One of my children has special needs, but he doesn't get up too early as I just tell him it is the middle of the night. OK, he might not settle down to sleep again, especially if it is around 6am, but he and my other two children are still not allowed to get out of bed until 7am. I'm not really a grumpy mum who doesn't want their children to have fun - I love seeing the kids open their presents, but breaking their routine just leads to bad tempers and tears IME. So this year, as other years, Christmas day doesn't begin until 7am.

TudorRose

When my children were little, many moons ago, I did the same as kingfisherblue.
I made it a rule that we got up at 7 or 7.30am (can't remember which) so that the day started near to our usual getting up time. This worked well & my two never resented it.

After stocking & present opening the children used to play with their presents, then we had lunch, watched TV, more to eat and then bed. May sound boring to some people but it wasn't and was very relaxed.
This worked well if we went to see my parents or if they came to us.

cleggie

I think i may let the kids stay up late on Xmas eve so that they sleep in until 7am then, on Xmas day.
Thanks for the ideas everyone, keep them coming!

7roland8

Yes staying up late a good idea - how about some Xmas movies - do you have a car? when they think its bedtime go for a drive to see chirtsmas lights.

cleggie

I have bough a Quiz book (aimed at their ages roughly,8-12) anf thought that we could have that quiz together on Xmas Eve, and then go and have a drive around to look at the Xmas lights when its about 8pm (thanks for that idea 7roland8).
Have a little shandy before bed (and wine for me!) and then some Xmas stories.
Sounds lovely!

7roland8

Sounds very nice Cleggie - and you are focusing on them - which is the most important thing.

I always think if Christmas morning goes ok - then lunch and a game and its teatime and you can flop by the TV and kids usually tired too. Do you hand deliver cards around your neighbours? Instead of doing it before you could save it for Christmas day in case you were desperate for a walk/excuse to get out.