Christmas Eve is often more magical for children than Christmas Day itself. A few small traditions make it feel special and help everyone calm down enough to sleep. Here are the ones families come back to year after year.
A Christmas Eve Box
A box left on the doorstep or under the tree with new pyjamas, a Christmas book, a hot chocolate sachet and a small treat. It sets up the evening and gets everyone into their pyjamas early.
Reindeer Food
Oats and a little bit of birdseed sprinkled on the garden for the reindeer. Avoid glitter, which is bad for birds.
Track Santa
Follow Santa’s sleigh on one of the online trackers in the early evening. It is a great way to say “he is getting close, time for bed”.
The Last Door
If you have been playing The December Dilemma through advent, door 24 on Christmas Eve is the one where everything comes together, ready for the final door in the morning.
A Family Game
After tea, play something together: a board game, a card game or a short escape room on the TV. Old McDonald’s Farm is free, takes ten minutes and suits little ones.
Leave Something Out For Santa
A mince pie, a carrot for Rudolph and something to drink. Children love checking the plate in the morning.
Read A Christmas Story
The same book every year, read in bed by torchlight. The Night Before Christmas is a classic for a reason.
For The Grown Ups
Once the children are asleep and the presents are wrapped, there is usually an hour left. Silent Night is our Christmas Eve ghost story, set in a house where a little girl went to hide on Christmas Eve 1953 and was never found. Best played with the lights off and the volume up.
