How to Get Into the Christmas Spirit
As it won’t be long now until we’re into November, you may be definitely starting to think about Christmas. It’s just round the corner now, so here are some of the best ways you and your family and friends can get into the Christmas spirit!
Find your perfect Christmas tree
Get all the family together and take a drive to your nearest tree farm. It would be hard to not feel Christmassy at all when you are surrounded by all those lovely fresh Christmas Trees! Make it a family decision to pick your favourite, you can then all have more festive fun at home decorating it!
Drive to see the Christmas lights
As we get well into the winter months, pack all the family into your nice warm car and take a drive round your local towns/city to see the Christmas lights. Public Christmas lights tend to be switched on around November time, and if you plan enough ahead you may even be able to make it to the actual switch on event. Most towns and cities hold an event with many special guests as the Christmas lights are turned on. This may be a really good choice that the whole family will enjoy!
Make a countdown chain
This is a great family activity that will definitely get everyone excited for Christmas! Activities like this are particularly good for small children as they’re very easy to do and they can get stuck in! Make a chain connecting strips of paper together that mark each day up to Christmas, chat with your family too as you’re working discussing what you’re most looking forward to this Christmas. You can use standard red and green paper or card or get a little bit more creative using wrapping paper, or get the children to draw their own Christmas images on each strip.
Visit Father Christmas!
Nothing get people in the mood more than visiting the big man himself! Children particularly will love this activity of course getting to talk to Santa and the elves and receiving their own gift. It will really give them a Christmas to remember and grownups will love it as well, seeing the children’s faces light up when they get to meet him! If you live in the Yorkshire area, check out our other blog sharing all what is happening over Christmas locally, including many venues with a Santa’s grottos!
Get together to decorate the Christmas tree
After you have been to pick your tree, get the family together for a cosy night in to trim it with all your favourite decorations. Play some Christmas music as you decorate to really get really Christmassy. Another nice idea that will make you feel extra cosy and festive is to drink your favourite seasonal drink while you’re busy such as hot chocolate, maybe peppermint flavour, or perhaps something different for the adults such as baileys or mulled wine! It sounds like the perfect festive evening!
Have a Christmas movie night
Here is another great idea for a cosy family evening. Get everyone together around the TV, pop some popcorn or choose another favourite snack, huddle together and enjoy a festive film. There are so many to choose from such as Elf, The Polar Express, Miracle on 34th Street or White Christmas, there is bound to be one that everyone will enjoy.
Homemade Christmas gifts
It’s always a lovely surprise when family members or friends receive handmade Christmas gifts. There are so many ideas out there that you can try, and that all the family can work together on. Gifts made in jars are particularly nice and ones that children can easily get involved with such as snow globes, candles, baking mixes, hot chocolate kits etc. and the recipient will be really impressed with your originality! Other handmade gift ideas include homemade soaps, personalised jewellery, bookmarks or clothing items, if you’re handy at knitting why not try the usual hat, scarf or gloves, or try something different such as a pillow or cushion cover, tea cosies or mug warmers. There are hundreds of ideas to choose from, so get creative this Christmas!
Make Christmas ornaments
These can be made to hang on the tree or just to put on display, but children will love to see their creations placed for all to see either way! There are so many creative ideas out there to try, they can be made from paper and card, pine cones and other festive foliage, other materials you have around the house such as felt or even things like dried pasta that can be painted! Whichever method you pick and whatever type of decoration you wish to make, children will love getting involved with this activity and will get the whole family in the festive mood!
Help other people this Christma
What other way is best for spreading Christmas cheer than to help other people in need? There are lots of charity programmes local or nationwide that you can get involved in, many programmes running in schools, churches or other local organisations, such as the Operation Christmas Child shoe box donations, text Santa, Save the Children Christmas Jumper Day and volunteering at local homeless shelters etc. There are so many people in the UK and around the world that are less fortunate than ourselves, so it would be lovely to help someone out this Christmas, and give them one to remember.
We hope this blog may have given you some new ideas on how you can get into the Christmas spirit, and excited for Christmas as much as we are here at UK Christmas World!