Here at Yuletide Wishes, we believe that Christmas should be all about children. They are the most important people, the stars of the show, the VIPs at the main event. The more magical you can make it for them, then the more memories you will create for all of your family.
Let’s be very clear about something right from the start. Christmas does not have to be perfect. In fact, there is no such thing as a perfect Christmas. We know that this time of the year can be stressful enough for parents. Please do not add to this stress by having unrealistic expectations of yourself and of others. You do not need to spend a ton of money to give your children a Christmas they will never forget. It is not about impressing your neighbors, your extended family, or their friends from school. This is all about giving them a set of experiences that they will love at the time look back on fondly when they are all grown up.
A magical Christmas is not defined by how much money you spend; it is determined by the moments you spend together as a family. This is where our Top 10 Ideas try to be different. None of them are focused on spending massive amounts of money, and none of them are done to impress other people. They are all cheap and easy to do. Some of them do require a little effort, and a few will need you to spend a small amount of money. That said, none of them are impossible, and you do not have to attempt everything on our list. Just pick a few that you like the most or those you feel you can do easily.
In no particular order, below are our Top 10 Ideas for making Christmas as magical as possible for your children.
1. Sleep under the Christmas tree the night before Christmas Eve
We believe this is perfect for doing as a family on the evening of the 23rd of December. It is a great excitement builder as you will all spend the night dreaming of what joy Santa will be bringing the evening after this one. After all, who does not enjoy camping out and dozing with Christmas lights twinkling in the background? Spread out lots of pillows, cushions, and blankets and leave the fairy lights switched on to twinkle throughout the night. If the lights are too bright, then you may want to switch a few of them off to help the little ones drift off to sleep. Start the night with a Christmas movie or two and some festive snacks. This will help everyone get in the right mood as well as getting those younger eyelids drooping a little!
2. Grow a candy cane plant
Are you sure you really know where candy canes come from? Allow us to let you into a little secret; they grow from special seeds – just like Christmas trees! The only difference is that they will only grow after sunset on Christmas Eve and need a sprinkling of glitter to ensure they are ready for the morning. Get your children to ‘plant’ some small sweets in a pot, sprinkle them with glitter and then plant some candy canes in their place once they have gone to bed. Your children will be delighted and amazed to find these treats waiting for them on Christmas morning.
3. Go for a walk and admire your neighbor’s Christmas decorations
The best thing about this is that you can do it several times by visiting different streets in your neighborhood. We find it is better to wait until early evening when it is getting dark, and the air is a little crisper. Wrap up nice and warm, fill up a flask with something to keep you warm, and then walk around admiring the hard work that other people have made, making their homes look festively fabulous. Why not pick the house that has your favorite decorations and get your children to put a note through their letterbox saying why they liked their home the most? They can include a drawing or a certificate awarded for being the house with the best decorations.
We do these walks several times in the week leading up to Christmas day. The children love getting wrapped up and being out after dark. It also helps to tire them out a little before bedtime, so the later you can do it, the better.
Want some ideas for things to add to your flask? If you are feeling hungry, then why not try some spiced carrot soup? Or, if you’d prefer something to drink, then how about mulled wine for adults and mulled apple juice for children?
4. Prepare a Christmas Eve box
Want the magic to begin a little early? Then why not prepare a Christmas Eve box? This can be as simple or as complicated as you like. The only rule we believe you should follow is to not open it until after sunset. Think of it as a scene setter. Something to help your children get through those seemingly long hours before bedtime when their excitement is at a fever pitch. A Christmas Eve box should contain items that will keep them distracted until it is time to sleep.
How you present the items is really up to you, and, as always, it can be as straightforward or as complicated as you like. Some people just wrap the things as presents, some will add them to a Christmas stocking, and some will actually use a box made especially for their child. We love to use a wooden box with the child’s name on it. The box can be bought or homemade but utilized every year, they will soon become a part of your family’s Christmas traditions.
We like to have at least one item from each of four broad categories:
1. Something to do;
2. Something to wear;
3. Something to eat and drink;
4. Something to watch or read;
1. Something to do should be an item to keep them entertained as well as helping to build their excitement. Consider adding a puzzle, a board game, or some sort of craft activity to help keep your little ones occupied for a while. We also like to include some bubble bath so they can have a nice warm bath before putting on their pajamas.
2. Something to wear usually means a new set of festive pajamas. Ideally, this should be a matching set for the entire family! It can, of course, also mean a new pair of slippers, a fancy dress outfit, or just a fashionable outfit for older children. If you are on a tight budget, then why not consider making something instead? This can be as simple as a hat with tinsel around it or some fancy reindeer ears.
3. Something to eat and drink can be for your children as well as for Santa and his reindeer. A comforting mug of hot chocolate is always a brilliant way to help people feel all festive and relaxed. Some popcorn and other snacks are also great to nibble on as they carry out an activity or watch a movie. Try and avoid giving them too many sweets or chocolate, though, as you will want them to sleep at some point that evening!
4. Something to watch or read is a perfect way to finish off the evening. Watching a Christmas movie as a family or reading a book just before bedtime is a great way to help get those young eyelids drooping a little. It helps everyone relax and, if you are lucky, they may even drift off to sleep during the movie, ready to be carried carefully up to bed.
Don’t forget, it is not only children who love to receive a Christmas Eve box. Why not create one for someone you love to open once the children have gone to bed? You’ll find more ideas and information in our article Creating a Perfect Christmas Box.
5. Go carol singing
Children love to sing, and being able to singalong with others will make the occasion even more special. So why not go along to a carol concert? There should be plenty of events in your local area. Most will also provide a warm drink and mince pies to add to the festivities. The concerts can range from small local singalongs to professionally lead concerts. Both are great, but just make sure you follow the advice of Buddy the Elf: “The best way to spread Christmas Cheer is by singing loud for all to hear!”
6. Make reindeer food
Santa’s reindeer work pretty hard, pulling his sleigh. So it is only fair that they should be given some food to help keep their strength up for the long night ahead. They really enjoy oats, seeds, sweets, and a dash of Christmas spices all baked together into tasty granola. We recommend leaving the food alongside any treats you leave for Santa (clearly labeled, of course), and he will take it outside for his reindeer. We should warn you, though; they are pretty messy eaters, so you are highly likely to find bits of granola all over your garden the next morning!
7. Go for a festive drive around town
There is something very comforting about being inside a nice warm car while it is cold outside. We are not talking about the last-minute run to the shops to buy the one item you forgot. Nor are we thinking of the rushed trip over to friends and family to deliver gifts. This should be a journey taken at a slower pace and definitely without a sense of urgency! Dress up in our warmest pajamas, pack a flask of something warm and turn up the Christmas music. Then find somewhere quiet to drive around while admiring the Christmas lights and singing your heart out to your favorite Christmas tunes.
8. Do some Christmas baking as a family
We know what you are all thinking, and you are right. It is a lot easier to bake without your children and to get it over with quickly. But where is the festive fun in that? Children love to help create things, and some festive baking is the perfect opportunity to let them make something they can be proud of. If you are baking a cake and have younger children, then consider making the cake on your own. Once it is ready for decorating, then that is the time to get your children involved. Cake decorating is the fun part! If you have older children, then challenge them a little and get them to bake their own cupcakes from scratch. Of course, festive baking is not all about cakes. It can include biscuits, nibbles, and other savory treats.
9. Jingle your friends
Christmas really is a time for giving. So why don’t you give away some cookies and treats to your friends and neighbors? If you have baked them yourself, then great, but, as always, these can be treats that you have bought as well. Of course, if you have the time, then getting your children to help make some treats to give away is a way to help them get in the Christmas Spirit
Now the fun part of all this is that you are not only going to be giving away some small treats, but you are going to be doing so anonymously. The beauty of doing it this way is that the recipient will have no idea who the gift is from. This means they will then be under no pressure to reciprocate with a gift of their own.
Going back to what we said at the very beginning about Christmas being a stressful time (especially for parents), people who receive gifts often feel the need to do the same in return. You and your family get to bask in the warm feeling of having brightened up another person’s Christmas in a small way. Your friend or neighbors, on the other hand, get to enjoy the treats that you have left for them with no expectations about having to match or exceed your gift.
One way to give the treats is to place them in a container with a simple note saying “from your friends/neighbor” and then leave them outside their door for them to find the next morning. A far more enjoyable way is to place them outside their home, ring their doorbell, and then run away and discreetly watch at a distance as they find the treats. This last method is known as ‘jingling,’ and it adds an extra element of fun for your children if they can see them finding the gift you have left for them.
10. Nighttime storytelling
We all love a good story. Whether you still read to your children or if they are old enough to read to themselves, reading together as a family is a truly magical experience. It is even better at Christmas because of the lights and decorations around your home. We suggest that you bath your children and get them dressed in their pajamas before you begin. If you have a fire then put it on. If not, you can either download an app on a smart television or YouTube also has some excellent crackling fireplace and stormy night videos. These work really well to create a relaxing atmosphere and will get everyone in the right mood.
Reading Christmas themed stories will add to the spirit, but any tale your child enjoys is, of course, perfectly acceptable. The only caveat we would add to this is that The Night before Christmas should not, in fact, must not be read until Christmas Eve!
We hope you enjoy these ideas and that they help make your next Christmas as magical as possible. It is the simple things that make Christmas a truly magical experience for any child. Feeling safe and loved and is all any child really needs!