9 Festive Activities to do in the Run Up to Christmas

December is here and we are starting to get in the festive spirit with lots of festive fun. It seems that more and more are putting up there Christmas decorations and trees at the start of the month. It is a bit early for me as we now have an unofficial rule that the trees don’t go up until Chloe is home from University. However as the last few weeks of term approaches I have been busy planning our festive activities to do in the run-up to Christmas.

Activities to Keep Children Busy the Week Before Christmas

Christmas films

Christmas for many is started with the long anticipated release of Frozen 2. A little Elsa magic gets everyone in a wintery mood to enjoy the colder months of the year. We haven’t yet managed to see it but it is certainly on our list of festive fun things to do! However, you couldn’t beat a trip to Lapland I guess!

I am lucky that Erin doesn’t need to be entertained all hours of the day. We will watch some films in order to help her switch off and relax.  This will also give me a few hours to work before I switch off for the Christmas break.  The films we watch will include Polar Express, Elf and this year I am going to introduce her to my favourite Miracle on 34th Street.

Sensory play festive fun ideas

Pretend snow like Instasnow is a great way to let the imagination have some fun even if we don’t get any real snow this Christmas. Pop in some figurines or lego figures and recreate your own magical stories. All children love pretend snow and watching it double in size.

Christmas crafts

Stock up on craft activities from The Works.  We have already made the advent crafts including the advent calendar.  Erin always tells us that The Works is her favourite shop. I can’t blame her as she can always find low-cost things to make and do in there. This year she started early with making cone trees.

Ice Skating

Erin had a go at skating for the first time a couple of years ago. We have a similar small rink at The Gloucester Quays so we plan to go and have another go this year followed by hot chocolate somewhere nice. My teenagers always go once school has broken up and it has become a bit of a family tradition now.

Go away for Christmas!

One year I would love to get away before Christmas, imagine finishing school and heading away to spend some much needed time relaxing in a family log cabin holidays in Lapland. You could enjoy the activities in the snow, then return to your log cabin which includes relaxing in comfy chairs or (in some cabins) by the wood burning fire or in the private sauna. I would love to do this before the madness of Christmas or begins or that lull in between Christmas and New Year.

Get out in nature!

If Lapland is a little out of your budget, head out to a local forest and enjoy a wintery walk. Whilst you are there you can gather some natural resources and make a festive wreath or decorations. We love spraying pinecones with glitter spray. Take the dogs with you and enjoy the fresh air.

Make Christmas cards

Erin loves craft so we have also bought some greeting cards from The Works. This will easily take her morning to work through.

Festive Baking

When we were at Lapland Father Christmas told Erin that he loved gingerbread. Therefore we will make some to leave out for him on Christmas Eve. You could make a lovely hamper or Christmas box as a gift for family and friends.

Visiting family

Christmas is all about family and so once school has finished she will have time to come with me to see her great grandad who is now in a nursing home.  We are also doing a reverse advent and sponsoring a local family this Christmas.  We need to drop our hamper and presents of at our chosen charity and hopefully someone will benefit with some Christmas cheer that they were not expecting.  This also reminds my own children just how fortunate we are and teaches them that we should be helping those having a tough time this year.

These are my nine ideas for keeping the children busy in the lead up to Christmas day. How do you keep your little ones entertained in the run up to Christmas?

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