Ideas please for December fun leading to xmas

JenniO

Hi all, want to tap your brains please for ideas.

Every year I try to make as many days in december as possible special and with a christmassy theme. Some nights I have my little 4 year old daughter, some nights just me and my partner , and some nights I have his kids over 2 which makes 3 kids all under 12.

I am looking for ideas please. I have a few of my own so you get the idea here and to maybe add to your own traditions....

1. Make Christmas sugar cookies with DD
I plan on painting egg whites on the outer edges of plain round sugar cookies and mixing red and green food coluring with dememara sugar (2 separate sandwich bags and give a good shake) and cover the edges with the colours just for something different.
Also use different cookie cutter christmas shapes to make cookies another day with DD.

2. Romantic night I
A night wrapped up in blankets in the dark in front of the lit christmas tree and the fire, with a few savoury nibbles, whilst cracking nuts and drinking wine. Christmas music on in background and we just chat.

3. Christmas crafts with all 3 kids
I plan on doing crafty stars with lollipop sticks glued at ends to form a star and the kids will glue jewels or draw on them. We can add transparent thread to them and they can use them as xmas tree decorations.
I'm also going to do paper plate christmas trees - cut a slice into the paper plate just up to the middle and shape like a cone. glue cone together and kids will glue jewels or other bits and pieces to make a xmas tree.


PLEASE GIVE ME MORE IDEAS AS I SAID, I LIKE TO DO ONE THING EACH DAY OF DECEMBER THAT'S A BIT SPECIAL. The kids and partner think i'm 'awesome' for it. :cool:

Shoey1610

My ideas are:

1. For the 4 year old writing and posting a letter to santa

2. For the older ones Christmas Movie night, choose a christmas film together and make non alcoholic christmas punch/mulled wine and make red and green popcorn

3. Make a christmas shoebox for one of the shoebox charities

4. Christmas dancing night where you put on christmas music and just dance and be really silly together

5. Make christmas cards

That is all I can think of!

Hapless_2

Make decorations out of hama beads, they do glow in the dark and glitter ones now.

mirandamayhem

oh darn it, I'm getting all weepy at reading the cute ideas!
I think I'll have to do this!
carol singing around the neighbours houses?
Making reindeer food and putting in little packages and writing notes on to give to their young friends?
making popcorn garlands out of red and green popcorn while watching the christmassy film?
Where abouts are you? We have westonbirt near us which has a winter wonderland type thing to visit at night
http://www.forestry.gov.uk/forestry/infd-778cus
We're having a family meal and then going along with the extended family one weekend.

SugarSpun

Walk around the neighbourhood and award prizes to the best decorated houses?

kethry

Its Sinterklaas (Feast of Saint Nicholas) in the Netherlands on 4th/5th Dec. Its a huge holiday over there, a big children's thing, and they do lots of little things. You could do some things around that time - if you google Sinterklaas you should find some websites in english.

HTH - and have fun with it!

keth
xx

JenniO

I live in Middlesbrough. Not sure we want to go walking round the neighbourhoods by my house but! yes other ideas from my christmasses past:


1. Family night looking at Christmas lights
Drive around with little ones in back of car wrapped in blankets. Keep thermos of hot chocolate in car and drive around looking at xmas lights! sometimes we'd even pull over and just stare (good time to pour hot chocolate too!)

2. Romantic Night II
Make homemade egg nog and eat pannettone in front of xmas tree (with xmas songs in background. Lots of candles strewn about.

3. Family guitar night
We play guitar so we have a christmas guitar night and attempt to play christmas songs (got them off internet and printed out) while the kids sing.

4. Romantic Night III
Cheese board and crackers with port or sparkling wine in front of xmas tree with you guessed it, christmas music on in background and candles.


I do a calendar by the first of December for myself and surprise the family each evening with what we'll be doing. They look forward to it just as they would opening an advent calendar every day.

alimac23

1. Go to a pantomine
2. Mini Christmas party with games e.g. pass the parcel, musical statues with christmas music
3. Carol services
4. Building a gingerbread house (you can get kits)
5. Visit Santa - indoor shops open late in Dec

This is a lovely idea - making lovely memories for your kids x

dlb

Make a xmas box for each of the kids which they make and decorate theirselves.
This box is then used each year to put a xmas decoration in that the child gets to pick each year (this can be a great outting each year hunting for the one they want.) Each time the decoration is put away they write their favourite xmas memory from that year on a small card.
Then when the time comes for them to leave home they already have xmas decorations of their own, and each time they get them out it will remind them of christmas as a child.

Jammygal

We always have an advent party on Dec 1st after putting up external Christmas lights. We eat mince pies and have Christmasy nibbles; myself and oh tuck into the mulled wine as well! We listen to Christmasy music and get excited when we turn on the lights!
I give the kids their advent calendars and they are always given a new Christmas book as an early pressie.

louise24769

Hi There,
We have a tradition each year of watching good Christmassy films. We started when we got married 12 years ago and still are! Mind you the dvd's we like to watch have grown considerly bigger over the years and with the addition of 2 boys more children focused!
Good fun though!
Louise