Those of you with children - What traditions do you have with your little ones? It's my daughters first 'proper' Christmas this year and I'd love to start some traditions as my family didn't really have any growing up so not sure where to start... (I've already booked a Santa visit at the zoo
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-Santas grotto at a Garden centre in the days prior
-Christmas Eve in pjs watching movies, making hot chocolates, playing with lego and play doh, maybe a trip to the park if they need to blow off steam
-turn the clocks forward an hour in the afternoon without the kids noticing as bedtime will be constant delays
-set out a mince pie, a carrot and a glass of milk for Santa the night before
-sprinkle “reindeer food” (bird seed and edible glitter) outside on the front lawn
-whilst I’m reading a Christmas story at bedtime, dad sneaks outside to jingle some hand bells softly and the kids get excited that Santa is on his way
-stockings appear at the foot of the bed for the morning, filled with a terrys chocolate orange, some fancy pens for school, and a few stocking filler small gifts (kids open this whilst parents get an extra half hour in bed!)
-dad has to go downstairs first to check if Santa has been whilst the rest wait upstairs
-carnage ensues, gifts are opened with mum looking pleased and dad looking just as surprised as the kids, followed by bacon sandwiches and chocolate for breakfast, Buck’s Fizz for the adults
We don’t have a Christmas Eve box or new pyjamas tradition as so many do, I do try to make sure we have some pjs in a festive colour or tartan for that month but no pressure if kids want a onesie instead, we just have a very chilled, low demand day as a family with nowhere else we need to be.
A tradition my parents had which was quite nice was to take us all out for a Christmas Eve dinner at a pub with a kids soft play. It means they didn’t have to prep or wash up and we were full and knackered when we got home. I don’t do this as my child is sen and struggles with the overwhelm but I’ve often thought it’s a great idea for others to try!
for my daughter and Disney for my son. He had one last year and loved it, completely forgot about his chocolate one for about 9 days
One tradition I've started is visiting the Luminations. They do various spots around the UK. We either go before Xmas or on NYE. He won't sit still through a film or a pantomime, so this is a good alternative, as he can follow a trail, and it lasts quite a while. Last year I got him a Christmas craft kit from The Works. He loved it and played with it for hours in the run up. I help him write a "dear santa" list that we take to the post box. We go to a grotto too. I refuse to do anything fancy though. I priced a couple of experiences and they were coming in at over £200! And they always sell out quickly. It's crazy. You don't seem to get much for the money either. I'll probably get him a fancy calendar this year, rather than an Xmas eve box. Because he just wasn't interested in it at all. 
