6 Things To Do On Christmas Eve For A Special Day

Ho Ho Ho! It’s time to break out the Christmas jumper’s and get ready for Santa, tonight’s the night!  Christmas Eve is the perfect time to create traditions and build family bonding with some festive fun. Sometimes, it can be challenging to come up with something for the whole family, so we’re going to bring all the fun filled ideas that will have everyone feeling Jolly!

Christmas Eve Ideas For The Whole Family

We’ve checked our lists for ideas that work for the whole family, from grandparents to the newest of additions, each activity can be adapted to keep young and old entertained.

1. Christmas Movies!

One sure fire way to get everyone in the Christmas Spirit is by cosying up with a Christmas movie. Whether you need a Christmas giggle, or you want some wholesome Christmas magic, there is something for everyone in a Christmas movie… keep reading to see some of our favourites!

Elf: In this hilarious 2003 classic, Buddy, a human, is raised amongst elves at the North Pole. When he discovers that he is not an elf, he travels to New York in search of his biological father. This hilarious festive film will have the whole family giggling as they watch Will Ferrell as ‘Elf’.  If you love the film why not extend the fun with an Elf board game!

The Polar Express: Now what would Christmas be without our beloved ‘The Polar Express’? This heart-warming movie follows a young boy as he boards a train and embarks on an incredible journey to the North Pole to meet Father Christmas. His life takes a turn as he encounters people that make his journey memorable. This beautiful story is sure to tug on your heartstrings and get you in the festive spirit just in time for the big day!

Arthur Christmas: When Santa’s gawky son Arthur learns that owing to a technical glitch a little girl’s Christmas gift has been misplaced, he sets out on a mission to deliver the present before it is too late. This lovely Christmas tale is the perfect family comedy to get everyone giggling on Christmas Eve, and to show little ones’ that Christmas is about giving, just as much as receiving.

The Christmas Chronicles: Siblings Kate and Teddy Pierce hatch a scheme to capture Santa Claus on Christmas Eve. When the plan goes awry, the kids join forces with a somewhat jolly Saint Nick and his loyal elves to save the holiday before it’s too late! This fabulously festive family comedy is the perfect way to spend Christmas Eve before the excitement really begins!

2. Christmas Crafting

If you’re looking for the perfect way to keep your little ones entertained this Christmas Eve whilst you prepare for Christmas Day joy, then what better way to kick start the fun than with some Christmas crafts? Super fun and budget friendly, the only limit is their imagination. You could start by creating them a Christmas Goodie Bag to open on Christmas Eve and encourage them to create a festive ornament for the tree! Whether it’s an origami snowman, or even a pipe cleaner candy cane, children will love discovering what they can make and seeing their creations on display this Christmas, we have craft sets and painting sets to start the creative cheer.

Christmas Wreaths: A Christmas Wreath is the perfect way to get into the festive season and keep the little ones busy, plus, there’s so much room for creativity! You can make a classic branch wreath, use leaves, or even get creative with bright and colourful baubles. The brighter the better! Little ones will love seeing their amazing creations on display for everyone to see this festive season. This boosts creativity in your children and makes them excited for more than just gifts this Christmas, encouraging them to learn the true meaning of Christmas and why we celebrate each year and decorate the house from head to toe!

Christmas Dinner Place Cards: Children love to feel involved and helpful at this time of year, so encouraging them to make Christmas Name Cards for the dinner table this Christmas can make them feel special! They can use a variety of coloured pens, cards, and even stickers to make them look super festive and feel excited about eating dinner as a family on Christmas Day. You can find an array of colouring sets perfect for making the name cards or maybe a modelling dough character would be a fun and tactile alternative this year?

3. Family Board Games

Everyone loves a good board game… and what better way to create family traditions with a game this Christmas! Here we list some of our favourites that everyone will love.

Monopoly Disney and Pixar’s Lightyear Game: Disney and Pixar’s Lightyear Edition Board Game takes players on a journey with Buzz Lightyear and an adventurous band of misfits on a hostile planet. Inspired by the hit movie, Lightyear, players race to build Towers and Bases as they move around the board collecting favourite locations. Players take actions shown on the Hyperspeed and Crystallic Fusion cards… but watch out! They might just lead down the path to Zurg.

Monopoly Squishmallows Board Game: Squad up with the plushiest version of the classic family game you’ll ever play! This original Squishmallows Collector’s Edition of Monopoly lets players buy, sell, and trade their favourites from the Classic Squad to the Fantasy Squad, including Fifi the Fox, Rosie the Pig, Leonard the Lion and Benny the Bigfoot! Pick from one of the iconic custom Squishmallows tokens: will you choose the Headphones, the Rainbow, or the Feelin’ Mallow logo?

The Grinch Christmas Trivia Game: If you are a fan of Christmas, then this is the perfect game for you! Answer the included trivia questions correctly and move forward to have the chance to grab the most presents off the tree before the Grinch gets to them!

We have a great range to choose your perfect family moment, maybe a card game for a quick, fast paced round of fun or for a cosy evening of gaming fun choose something from our family games. If you need something to distract the younger family members there are interactive activity games or easy to play children’s board games.

4. Christmas Eve Boxes

If you’ve got little ones, Christmas Eve Boxes are the perfect way to bring home the festivities on the most anticipated night of the year! Nothing beats the joy on their faces as they open up their Christmas Eve treats… the beauty of a Christmas Eve box is that it can be personalised to anyone. Some things to include could be a new pair of Christmas Pyjama’s to wear that night, some cosy socks, a sweet treat, a small stocking filler or a new Christmas Story to read with mum and dad. These are all budget friendly and are the perfect way to create memories that will last a lifetime. Read our special article for more Christmas Eve Box inspiration!

5. Places to go on Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve is about more than just being excited for Father Christmas, it’s about the season of giving and celebrating with those around us and heading out on a special family activity is a great way to start the festive period

Christingle Service: What better place to go on Christmas Eve than to a Christingle service? A Christingle is made from an orange and decorated with red tape, sweets, or dried fruit (we know which the little ones will choose!), and a candle. Each element has a different meaning and tells the true story of Christmas. Encouraging children to get involved in this lovely tradition teaches them the true meaning of Christmas, and to be grateful for everyone around you this, and every, Christmas time.

Take a wintery walk: Get out those winter coats and welly boots and take a family walk this festive season. There is so much to see and do around your local area, and kids will love exploring and seeing the beautiful decorations that the neighbourhood has to offer. Some homes go all out Christmas, and everyone is sure to love the bright lights and tinsel on display. This is the perfect family bonding experience and allows the whole family to have a mutual, joyful tradition to continue for years to come.

Visit a Christmas Market: We all love a Christmas Market. It is so lovely to take in all your surroundings and experience the joy of others at such a special time. Take in your surroundings, what can you smell, see, feel? Christmas Markets are always jam packed with different types of snacks… time to explore with a Christmas taste test! They are also a great place to buy last minute Christmas Gifts from around the world. Traditions vary from country to country, and you can find some beautiful gifts and decorations – you might even find a nutcracker!

6. Getting ready for Father Christmas, and Rudolph!

The excitement of Christmas Eve is enough to have anyone leaping for joy, and what better way to prepare for Santa than to leave out Milk and Cookies! Santa loves a sweet treat and needs all the energy he can get to deliver the presents in time. You can even leave a carrot for Rudolph – we’ve heard it makes his nose brighter! This can be the start of a lovely family tradition.

If there’s anything we love about Christmas, it’s spending time with our families. We hope that we’ve helped you to create some festive traditions that will last a lifetime, and if you’re looking for more traditions from across the world, we’ve got you covered, in our  article ‘A Guide to Christmas Traditions Around the World’.

Read our disclaimers.