Festive feeling: 10 ideas for Christmas family days out

1. Christmas markets

First on our list for Christmas family days out is visiting a Christmas market. These are perfect for the full family as there is something for everyone to enjoy. We recommend a creamy hot chocolate and a delicious Bratwurst when visiting a Christmas market. Other things to enjoy there include:

• Stalls – food, drinks, homemade gifts, decorations
• Ferris wheel
• Ice rink
• Entertainment

2. Ice skating

A great Christmas day out for kids is ice skating. This is a great outdoor activity your children will enjoy. Most ice rinks now have equipment to help even the youngest children learn to ice skate. Ice skating can be fun but it’s easy to have a few tumbles until you get your balance. Turn it into a competition and see who the best skater is.

3. Pantomimes

Are pantomimes a great day out for the family? Oh yes, they are! They are something that can be enjoyed by all ages. It’s an exciting experience visiting the theatre and watching a performance on stage. Especially for children as they will love the costumes, characters and lighting. Some performances include:

• Cinderella
• Sleeping Beauty
• Aladdin

4. Visiting reindeers

Adults and children will enjoy this outing together. It’s not very often you get to see reindeers, so it makes sense to visit reindeers at Christmas time. This is a magical experience you can enjoy as a family. You can stroke, feed and take pictures with the reindeers. Why not ask your children to pick out names for the reindeer? Rudolph is already taken.

5. Visit Santa’s grotto

The best Christmas day out for kids is going to visit Santa. Every kid loves the chance to meet Santa in person and tell him about all the presents they would like. It’s a fantastic experience that will have the kids talking for days. They will be so excited when the elves invite them into the grotto to see Santa. Although this activity is more for children, as a parent it’s a great feeling seeing the smile on their face. This is a great family tradition you can keep up year upon year. Of course, you must get a photo with Santa and add it to that collection each year.

6. Snow days

Not all Christmas family days out have to be expensive. Some of the best things you can enjoy as a family are free. For instance, why not make use of a snow day? Get wrapped up and enjoy some time in the snow. You could go sledging, make a family of snowmen or make snow angels. Make it even more fun and have a snowball fight. Who can make the best snowballs? After all the fun in the snow, warm up with a tasty hot chocolate.

7. Sleigh riding

If you’re still searching for Christmas days out for kids, this a perfect one. Just the idea of a sleigh ride will drive your kids wild with excitement. Many places offer sleigh rides, through woodlands, parks or farms so it’s with having a look at what’s out there. Your child will be so happy as they ride through the wonderland with twinkling lights guided by reindeers. They’ll feel like Santa. This festive activity will make Christmas more magical for your child and create a memorable experience. A sleigh ride through the cold crisp air snuggled with a blanket sounds perfect to us. You could video the experience and watch it back later or post it on socials and share it with friends.

8. Visit a Christmas lights switch on

This a great event for all the family to experience together. The Christmas light switch on is the official countdown to Christmas.

Your children’s face will be ecstatic when they see the lights on the Christmas tree light up. It will give them that sense of joy that Santa will soon be here. The switch on is a great opportunity to grab a delicious hot chocolate. You can warm up whilst watching the glistening lights. The whole family will feel the magic of Christmas. It’s a tradition that can be kept up year upon year.

9. Visit an arts and crafts centre

Another great Christmas day out for kids is visiting an arts and crafts centre and letting them get creative. Kids love getting messy with paints and glitter. They love making their own creations. Over Christmas time there are plenty of centres offering the chance to create some festive themed arts and crafts. Whatever the children make, you could hang on your tree, around your home or gift them to family and friends. Some good arts and crafts activities include:

• Decorating baubles
• Making Christmas cards
• Making Christmas ornaments
• Making a Christmas wreath

10. Pick out a Christmas tree

A day out all the family can enjoy is picking the perfect Christmas tree to display in your home. You can buy trees from a farm or woodland. Pick a tree you all love and talk about how you will decorate it when you get home. After you’ve picked the tree, you could go for a walk around the farm or woodland. Make the walk more fun by seeing what wildlife or plants you can spot. Why not take a family selfie with your new tree?

Still need more Christmas ideas?

We trust you enjoyed reading our guide to Christmas family days out. We hope we have given you plenty of suggestions for you to experience as a family.

If you love all things Christmas related, why not take a look at Lacus Island? There is plenty for your little ones to do.

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