Today’s Activities
You can do any of these tasks, in any order (but we've suggested a timetable).
Take as long as your little ones want for each task, let them use their imaginations!
Please share your creations with us on social media.
Christmas Day
Hello and a happy Christmas to you all! What an exciting day it is going to be!
My name is Sarah and today there will be plenty of activities for you and your family to do together. I can’t wait to get started!
We are going to look at Christmas traditions, there are decorations for you to make and you can help me lay the table too for our Christmas dinner!
So, enjoy your day with your family and if you have any photographs of things you have made today, I would LOVE to see them!
Have fun!
9.30am Activity:
Christmas Traditions
I just can’t wait to open my presents! Do you know why we give presents at Christmas?
It is also traditional to hang a stocking up on Christmas Eve so there might be a few more surprises to be had!
I am sure you managed to leave a mince pie and a glass of milk for Santa and of course a carrot for Rudolph too. They will be very thirsty on their journey around the world so it helps to leave something for them.
Can you think of anything else we do at Christmas every year?
Grown Ups:
Discuss with your children other traditions which occur each year in your home such as having crackers at the dinner table and decorating the Christmas tree. You could put a unique tree decoration on your tree or hang some chocolate between the branches and see who spots the decoration first!
10.30am Activity:
Make a Cracker
I don’t know anyone who doesn’t like a cracker at Christmas! Sharing a cracker will mean that only one person might get the little present inside. Mind you, there is always enough to go around. It is always exciting to try and guess what might be in there. Will it be chocolate? Or a toy?
I will show you how to make a simple cracker but don’t tell anyone what I have put inside! It will be a surprise!
Grown Ups:
You will need a cardboard toilet roll tube, wrapping paper of your choice, glue and Sellotape, and any decoration such as ribbon or tinsel to pop on the outside. Don’t forget to add a little surprise inside the cracker before you seal it up. A few sweets or a small toy would do the trick!
Let your child help with adding the gift, sticking the paper or perhaps counting how many crackers you need for everyone.
1:30pm Activity:
Make a Table Name Setting Decoration
When families get together for Christmas it can be difficult to know where everyone should sit around the table for dinner. I will show you how to make a simple name setting decoration using scraps of material and scrabble letters! If you don’t have any scrabble letters don’t worry, as you can just write your own name on the front. Be as creative and imaginative as you like – after all it is your Christmas!
Grown Ups:
Scraps of material, glitter, cotton wool, cardboard and tinsel can help to make these place names. This is where your child can practice their handwriting and write their own name on their decoration. Siblings can write the names of other family members and with help, they can place the decorations around the table. Have they got enough table settings? Maybe they can help you count!
2:30pm Activity:
Set the Table for Dinner
In this activity, I am going to need a bit of help!
I have a plate, cup, knife, fork, spoon and table name place decoration and I need to put them all in order in the correct place. Can you help?
Grown Ups:
This can be practiced beforehand. How many people are there going to be sitting down for dinner? Perhaps your child can help you count out the correct number of plates, forks or cups. Can they remember which side the knife goes? Where should they put the spoon? This will encourage independent skills and counting too.
If you've finished these and still have time for fun...
If you have a few toilet roll tubes left over, why not have a go at making your own Christmas character? Use up and recycle any bits and pieces of wrapping paper, buttons, cotton wool, gift ribbon and any other suitable craft items. You might want to create your own character from your favourite Christmas movie but whatever you decide, have fun as a family creating something together!
Grown Ups: You will need a range of items plus scissors, glue and Sellotape. Another fun option is to get everyone to create a character and once completed, each of you has to guess what character it is! Have fun!
Story time:
Mince Pie Surprise!
After a day of family fun, why not sit back, relax and listen to a bedtime story. This story is all about Timmy and Tabitha visiting their auntie on Christmas Eve. There is a surprise in store for the children!