Keep the magic alive this Christmas with festive activities that won’t break the bank
1. Sleepover in the Living Room
Create a core childhood memory with a special treat like a living room sleepover the night you put the Christmas tree up. Set up some air mattresses downstairs and fall asleep in the glow of the Christmas tree while reading festive stories. Having all the family sleep together as a one-off will make children feel safe and loved making it the perfect free activity.
2. Decorate with Paper Chains
For the most part we left gaudy Christmas decorations behind in the nineties but have you ever noticed how kids love anything that is bright and loud? Making paper chains to decorate their own bedroom with is a great festive task as it keeps their hands busy during the weeks leading up to the big day and means you don’t have to splash out on any additional decorations for their rooms.
3. Visit your Local Garden Centre
Some of the best Christmas scenes can be found at garden centres, of which the region has plenty. Combine a shopping trip with a visit to see the Christmas decorations on offer. Some even have fantastic play areas where you can while away an entire afternoon.
4. Post your Letter to Santa
Make the act of posting your children’s letter to Santa more of an event than usual. Schedule in a morning to sit down as a family and write everyone’s list together before heading out to the post box. To make it even more of an occasion take a trip into Belfast to visit Santa’s official post box located at 2 Royal Avenue. This is a free event that is staffed by elves from the North Pole who will help your kids enjoy some special Christmas arts and crafts.
5. Christmas Jigsaw
Depending on the age of your children, and the space available to you, set up an area of your house with a festive jigsaw that the family can work on together throughout the season. If your children are younger, then smaller puzzles that can be assembled at the dinner table while you’re cooking are a great option too. To keep costs low scour charity shops, Vinted, or Facebook Marketplace for Christmas scenes that fit your family’s budget and ability.
6. Christmas Light Walk
It might not seem like much to us adults, but spotting Christmas displays when out and about is an exciting aspect of Christmas for our children. Taking a walk around your local area to look at the variety of lights and displays on offer will make for a magical evening. Not only will it fill you with the Christmas spirit, but walking also has additional benefits for our mental wellbeing, just remember to wear lots of layers and something reflective, if possible.
7. Festive Baking
No matter where you fall on the spectrum between burning toast and fancying yourself as the next Mary Berry, Christmas is the time to get in the kitchen and whip up some sweet treats. There’s something inherently Christmassy about the act of baking whether you’re making a simple cookie recipe or icing a Gingerbread house, and the activity can be as inexpensive as you make it. Choosing to buy the raw ingredients can be a larger initial outlay than a pre-mixed box but there will be plenty of leftover ingredients so the cost per bake is much lower.
8. Visit Santa at your Local Shopping Centre
Once you’ve posted your letter, make sure Santa definitely gets the message by visiting him in person. There are plenty of places across the region offering Santa sessions over the month of December but local shopping centres are often the most cost-effective. Either free or with a small donation, the shopping centre Santa experience comes without a lot of the bells and whistles found elsewhere while still providing a magical experience for children.
9. Christmas Movie Night
Have you ever heard the age-old saying that children would rather have your time than money? Well, movie nights are one of the cheapest ways to spend time together as a family. Cuddle up on the sofa, put out some snacks, and turn all the lights off except Christmas tree while watching a film picked out by the kids.
10. Make your Own Christmas Cards
Rather than buy Christmas cards this year, make your own. Family will much prefer to receive a personalised craft from the kids and it’ll save some money too. Bonus points if your children are old enough to need minimal supervision while they cut and paste.
11. Visit a Carol Service / Nativity
Nothing gets you into the Christmas spirit quite like belting out some carols from your childhood. These are often free events so check our local church websites and Facebook pages to find out details and timings.
12. Handmake Christmas gifts
There is something special about receiving a handmade gift, especially as the giver will have been thinking about the receiver while making it. You don’t have to be an expert crafter either, there are plenty of tutorials available online for making simple bath salts, fudge, wax melts, and chutneys. However, if you do have a creative hobby, now is your time to shine!
13. Make your own wreath
While taking a winter walk forage for some materials to create your very own winter wreath. For this you will need vines or shoots to create the rounded base, tree foliage or ivy and holly to make up the wreath, and added decoration such as pine cones and berries.
14. Visit the Library for Christmas Books
While books are always a worthwhile investment, buying lots of Christmas-themed stories can add up. Take a trip to the local library to see what is on offer and stock up on some festive reads. The best bit is you can refresh your Christmas library reads as many times as you like in the weeks up to Christmas rather than nursing one book all December.
15. Kitchen Disco
Crank up the Christmas tunes and get dancing! Put a smile on everyone’s faces by throwing a kitchen disco complete with your favourite festive music. It doesn’t have to be a prolonged dance-a-thon, it can even be as spontaneous as you like, but we guarantee the kids will adore it.
16. Hot Chocolate Station
Make an integral part of winter that little bit more special by setting up a hot chocolate station for the month of December. It doesn’t have to be Instagram-worthy but by including some fun toppings such as sprinkles, chocolate chips, or even candy canes, the kids will adore it. It will also be an integral part of any festive movie night going forward.
