Category: Christmas Eve Box

Christmas Eve Excitement

Not long now until Christmas and Christmas Eve. Have you got your Christmas Eve sorted?

Christmas Eve Boxes

Maybe you are going to get Christmas Eve boxes or Christmas Pyjamas?

Of course, you may have had a difficult time this year 2020, with Covid and lockdowns? Maybe you are having to cut back greatly for Christmas, compared with other Christmases and perhaps you are even having to redefine Christmas?

Make It Special

If so, is there anything you can think of that would help make Christmas Eve special for you and your family? Something that doesn’t cost anything, even if you have to prepare ahead of time? Maybe have a sofa night, wrapped in a warm blanket, sipping hot chocolate and watching a film? Maybe watching the Norad Santa tracker showing where Santa’s sleigh is? You can check out the Norad Santa Tracker from 1 December 2020 here. You may be able to find something in a local charity or goodwill shop?

Foodbank

If you are totally stuck for food and other necessities, as many people are this year, then check out your local foodbank. I know that my local foodbank is preparing to help out a number of people and families this year, in different ways, including volunteers preparing a plated Christmas dinner for those alone and hampers for those with very little.

Neighbors Friends And Family

If you are OK for Christmas and Christmas Eve, what about your neighbours, friends and family? Is there anything you can do for them at what may be a difficult time?

The film and song below were created some years ago and I love this song about Christmas Eve. Maybe you will enjoy it also?

And a quieter song from the Florin Street Band if you are feeling more reflective for Christmas 2020

50 Activities You Can Do For An Activity Advent Calendar

Activity Advent Calendar

If you want to do activities with your children this Christmas in place of having a bought advent calendar, here are some ideas (actually, there are 55):

    1. Make your own Christmas calendar. Find 24 small containers, decorate them and put them together in a formation that pleases you, using glue or sticky tape. The simplest shape for an advent calendar would be a rectangle, of 6 boxes long by 4 boxes high or 8 boxes by 3. Add small knobs or buttons for handles.https://www.merrychristmascountdown.com/
    2. If you don’t want a regular shape, create several small “presents”, number them and use them to create Santa’s sleigh.
    3. Another kind of wooden advent calendar would be to use those little trucks you get in toy train sets and number those from 1 to 24 with labels.https://www.merrychristmascountdown.com/
    4. If your containers are all the same size and rectangular shape, you could paint them green and build them into the shape of a Christmas tree, for instance. A Christmas tree shape can be made by placing 3 rectangular containers side by side as the base, then adding a layer of 6 boxes on top of that, then a layer of 5 boxes on top of that, then 4, then 3 then 2, making a triangular shape, then topping the tree with the final box, making 24 boxes in all.
    5. You could be adventurous and try creating a 3D wooden advent calendar, with 24 separate boxes. Create the bottom layer as a  rectangle of 3 boxes wide by one box deep. That uses 8 boxes. Add two more identical layers on top of that to make a house shape using all 24 boxes. Now create and decorate a roof from cardboard or wooden popsicle sticks to fit over it.
    6. Alternatively, make and color Christmas shapes like stockings, stars, trees and hearts and hang them on a line with small pegs. Add a code on the back of each one and hide the coded “gifts” or activities somewhere. Or you could make bags or shapes from material and hang those on the line.
    7. Another possibility for a Christmas advent calendar is to make one using a large sheet of card, then sticking cutouts from old Christmas cards on the front as flaps to open. Again, you can write a code inside if you don’t want little fingers opening the doors ahead of time to see what is coming up. https://www.merrychristmascountdown.com/
    8. Whichever kind of advent calendar you make, number the boxes or shapes from 1 to 24 and put an activity in each container in random order (except for those that MUST occur on a particular day, such as a visit to the pantomime). Activities you could put in the box could be:
    9. Add a new Christmas decoration for hanging on the tree.
    10. A packet of pot pourri flowers or smell and some pine cones or wooden balls or shavings for making your own bowl of pot pourri.
    11. Pantomime tickets – even if you were going to go anyway, it makes it seem even more special to have the tickets appear from the advent calendar.
    12. Write or create Christmas cards for local friends or relations. (Don’t leave that one too late for cards that need to be posted.)
    13. Visit a theme park.
    14. Go to your local leisure centre and go swimming or try an activity you don’t do normally.
    15. Pick the Christmas tree.
    16. Make decorations for the Christmas tree.
    17. Decorate the Christmas tree.
    18. Visit someone who lives alone or in an old people’s home (check first that it is OK).
    19. Consider inviting a lonely neighbor or friend to join you for Christmas Dinner and create an invitation card for them.
    20. Make a small basket of goodies and leave them at a neighbor’s door with an anonymous message of goodwill.
    21. Make Christmas biscuits or mince pies and decorate them.
    22. Make a present for someone.
    23. Draw up your list for Santa.
    24. Declutter an old toy or book ready for new toys coming at Christmas.
    25. Pick out a good toy or book you could donate to a local charity.
    26. Visit the charity shop to donate.
    27. Visit Santa or Santa’s grotto.
    28. Go and see the Christmas lights being turned on, or take an evening walk to view the Christmas lights in the dark.
    29. Go out and collect pine cones for a display.
    30. Paint or decorate the pine cones with gold or silver paint. Stick them on sticks and put them in a vase as a display.
    31. Use a Christmas oil on the pine cones to make it smell Christmassy.
    32. Join a Christmas carol service or put on some Christmassy (or favorite) music and dance around the house.
    33. Buy a toy with small pieces (not for toddlers under 3 years of age) such as Lego or Playmobile and put different pieces in different advent boxes, so it builds up into a set over a few days.
    34. The twelve crafts of Christmas. Make something Christmassy on each of these days.
    35. The twelve kindnesses of Christmas. Visit someone on each day and take one of the Christmas crafts to give to them. It could be an elderly or disabled neighbor, a relative, someone in a senior citizens home, etc
    36. Look for a charity craft fair in your area and pay a visit. Make a donation even if you don’t buy anything.
    37. Write a letter to Santa and find the address to send it to, to receive a reply.
    38. Make it a “Giving” advent. Each day of advent, add a tin or packet of food to a box to hand into your local foodbank for a family that won’t have much at Christmas. Make sure you hand it in early enough for distribution in time for Christmas.
    39. Create or buy a present for a child who won’t have much this Christmas. Find a local charity that distributes these kinds of gifts.
    40. Visit your nearest library to choose Christmas books.
    41. Make salt dough and create Christmas shapes for hanging on the tree.
    42. See if a local park or facility is creating a Christmas wonderland or adventure for walking through or visiting.
    43. Get together a family date night pack with hot chocolate, popcorn and snuggly blankets and watch a Christmas film.
    44. Visit a Christmas market.
    45. Go for an evening walk around your neighborhood and count how many Christmas trees are lit and on display.
    46. Plan a Christmas Eve Box and make that item 24 on your calendar.
    47. Make reindeer food.
    48. Bake Christmas Pies for Santa
    49. Track Santa’s sleigh from 1st December (it doesn’t work before then) with Norad and watch it get closer to your house.
    50. Add a Christmas coloring page and pencils or crayons to the Advent calendar. You could get some Christmas colouring books.
    51. Rock Painting with a Christmas Theme. You can make a small pile of Christmas themed rocks at your doorway. Try using glow in the dark paint.
    52. Wear family Ugly Christmas Sweaters.
    53. Make a “Santa Stop Here” sign.
    54. Print out the “Night Before Christmas” poem and read it together.
    55. Get a new board game for Christmas and play it.

Christmas Eve Box

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The Christmas Eve Box

You or the kids too excited to settle to anything on Christmas Eve? Hard waiting for Santa to arrive? What about preparing a Christmas Eve Box to make the waiting more bearable and have a Merry Christmas Eve?

It’s a great new tradition that you may want to start for yourself or your own family of a box or bag to open on Christmas Eve. It doesn’t have to contain anything massively expensive. It can be one box for each person or one for the whole family. Certainly a family bag or box could help lessen the overall cost.

www.https://www.merrychristmascountdown.com

Some Ideas For Inclusions

You may want to put in Christmas PJs, or onesies to start off the Christmas spirit and keep everyone warm and cosy. You could also include a movie, especially a Christmas themed one, plus some candy, hot chocolate, etc. If you’re going to have hot chocolate, you may also like Christmas Mugs to go with them. There are four of these kind of mug, so you could choose the same one for everyone or a different one for each person. Here are Mug 2, Mug 3 and Mug 4 to check out. It’s easier to include single items, like movies, if you use a family box, rather than individual boxes, though if your family are at the stage where they don’t want to watch a movie together, you may decide to include games for various machines and then perhaps individual boxes would be better.

Less Expensive Items

Christmas socks.

These can have non-slip soles for running around shoe-less, without slipping and sliding on polished floors. You can go for non-Christmas themed socks, such as superheroes, or cartoon animals, or Christmas themes. Non slip socks are available for men, women and children and can be a useful gift for a senior in a hospital or care home.

Music

Christmas music playing softly in the background can be a great way of keeping the whole family calm, while still excited about Christmas. There are many compilations you can buy as CDs or download straight onto a player. And if you want to listen to Christmas music for free, try these original Victorian themed Christmas songs, available online.

Books

There are many children’s books about Christmas, whether religious or secular, depending on your preference. Or why not treat yourself to a Christmas themed book? A number of genres include stories with a Christmas setting or theme, including romance, horror, crime, etc. There are also Sudoku puzzle books for beginners or for people who need Extra Large Print Sudoku Puzzles and Bold and Easy coloring books and cozy coloring books available with Christmas themes. If you are buying coloring or puzzle books, remember to include pencils or crayons, plus a safety sharpener and perhaps an eraser. If your box includes electric toys, remember batteries.

Pet Presents

If you have a family pet, you may wish to include them in the Christmas Eve celebrations, perhaps with pet treats or even a Christmas costume, if your pet would wear it.

After Christmas Events

Your Christmas Eve box may be the place to surprise the family with an after Christmas event, such as Pantomime tickets, or a visit to an ice skating rink or even a ballet or concert. If you like to take a holiday at Christmas, then your Christmas Eve box could be something light to take along with you on holiday, leaving the Christmas presents back at home ready for your return. You can still carry Christmas with you.

Christmas Eve Splurges

Your Christmas Eve box could also include things to do with Christmas, like art for the Christmas tree, such as painted slates or wooden shapes to hang on the tree. These are novel decorations that you can either purchase from a local artist or buy blank to decorate yourself. This could be an activity to keep children occupied and provides keepsakes for that particular Christmas.

Other Christmas Eve Box Gifts

Depending on the age, gender and composition of your Christmas Eve gathering, you might include gifts like jewelry, silver photo frames, tickets for a holiday, or even non-monetary gifts such as paper promises of time spent with someone. Some really desirable gifts might be an evening’s baby sitting, a promise to wash the dishes (or fill the dishwasher) or tidy a room or declutter a cupboard, or even read a long story over several nights to a child. These do not cost the donor any money but provide very welcome gifts., because you are giving the gift of your time and attention.

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