Our top 7 tips for preparing for Christmas

1. Work out your budget

The first stage of preparing for Christmas is to establish your budget. It is also important to stick to it too. The last thing you want is to go overboard and spend way too much! January won’t be a fun month if you’re struggling with your funds.

You should make sure you sit down and take the time to see how much you can spend on Christmas. This isn’t just presents either. You should work out how much you can spend overall, then break it down.

Consider looking online at the prices of foods and ingredients you may need if you are hosting the dinner. Then, decide on how much you are going to spend on gifts. If your pockets are tight, remember that handmade gifts can be extra special. So, why not check out our blog on crafting ideas you could do for some personalised Christmas gifts?

If you aren’t all set for decorations, you may want to put some money aside for those as well. Perhaps you have a new home, and you want a fresh set of decorations. Shopping for decorations can be a lot of fun, so its’ worth considering. The little ones are likely to enjoy this part too.

Once your budget has been decided, you can move on to the next stage!

2. Organise with family who is hosting

Got a big family that involves different households? Getting everyone together at Christmas can be a struggle, but it is what makes Christmas so magical. So, when you’re preparing for Christmas, you should talk with family to find out who is hosting what. Perhaps you or a family member will host Christmas dinner. Maybe you’ll see more distant relatives for another dinner on Boxing Day. It is important that this is decided in advance, so everyone can be prepared. It also makes the rest of the planning a lot easier.

3. Fill out a calendar

Once you’ve arranged who is doing what, it can be good to keep track of it via a calendar. This means you can stay on top of the various tasks that may need to be done. This could be shopping for certain ingredients. It could even be buying a few extra chairs for Christmas dinner. You won’t want grandad rocking around on a wobbly stool.  This is also an opportunity to add a fun Christmas countdown.

4. Plan out presents & shopping

This is where having a budget is important when preparing for Christmas. Make a note of who you need to buy gifts for. Then you can note down how much you are spending on each person. This will keep you organised and reduces the risk of overspending!

5. Prepare certain foods early

If you need to bake and cook for your family, it is best to do what you can early. It can also be a lot of fun to make treats with your kids when preparing for Christmas. We have several blogs on baking ideas, and they’re super fun!

Hint: always check the size of your oven before planning certain foods, especially the turkey!

6. Plan a day for wrapping

You should make sure you put some time in your calendar for wrapping presents when preparing for Christmas. That is if you wrap presents, of course. You don’t want to be doing a mad wrapping dash on Christmas Eve!

There’s nothing better than seeing a little one’s face light up as they unwrap their gifts. But if you’re worried about being  , we have some ideas for how to find the balance.

7. Plan a day for decorating

It is also worth choosing a day for decorating the house. We suggest a day when the whole family are home and can enjoy the fun together. If you need ideas for decorating, we have plenty! We even have craft ideas for making personalised decorations. Making decorations can be a lot of fun. You could also check out our printables for more fun activities.

Summary

Now, let’s recap everything we just covered, so you remember the best ways of preparing for Christmas.

1. Work out your budget
2. Organise with family who is hosting
3. Fill out a calendar
4. Plan out presents & shopping
5. Prepare certain foods early – add our snacks etc
6. Plan a day for wrapping
7. Plan a day for decorating.

Don’t forget to check out our other blogs on everything to do at Christmas. Whether it’s arts and crafts fun, baking treats, decorating ideas and more. We guarantee you’ll find a heap of fun to get stuck into this Christmas!

Need ideas for activities?

Finding activities to do with kids can sometimes be a challenge. If you are looking for ideas, we have more at Santa Academy. Our app launches in November 2022! You can download several activities from our activity packs. We have several to choose from, inspired by our different factions. You can learn how to care for pets and practice PE with Reindeer Recruits. Learn how plastic damages the environment and how different cultures celebrate Christmas with Fairy Fellows. Make slime and candy with Elf Ed!

Keep up with Santa Academy

You can find new stories every day on the Lacus Herald! Your little one can stay up to date with all their favourite characters, as well as the latest news. At Santa Academy, your little one can join Reindeer Recruit, Fairy Fellow or enrol into Elf Ed! Lacus Island features 70+ characters, 50+ buildings, 19 unique shops and its own TV and radio stations.

Lacus Herald

Many children have missed out on their learning due to the pandemic. We know how crucial it is to help kids catch up. That was one of the reasons for launching our learning resources. Our resources aim to keep kids reading and give families something they can enjoy together.

We know our resources have been a great help to those home-schooling children. So, we are not stopping there! On the Lacus Herald your kids can catch up with their favourite characters. As well as continue their learning in a fun environment. Designed to be enjoyed by the whole family.

Santa Academy – The Novel

This year, our author Jill will be releasing her first novel through Hudson Publishing Company. The novel will feature many of the lovable and hilarious characters many are now familiar with. You and your kids will love reading along to uncover the origins of Christmas. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to stay up to date with news and releases!