10 tips for a magical kids Christmas

Christmas is many children's favourite time of year and there's plenty you can do to make the holidays even more special for little ones. Here are our top ten ideas for bringing that extra touch of magic to your Christmas.

1. Get in touch with Santa

No Christmas would be complete without a trip to Santa, and you can usually find a grotto at your local shopping centre or public garden, so your kids can give their Christmas wishes to the big man himself. Don't worry if you can't get to Santa, because he will write to you! You can write a letter with your children and post it before the 6th December to: Santa, Santa’s Grotto, Reindeerland, XM4 5HQ. Include a stamped, addressed envelope and the Royal Mail will make sure he replies.

2. Decorate the tree together

The moment you put up the tree you really know it's Christmas, so make an event of it and decorate your tree together.  Kids love putting their own stamp on the tree, so why not let them choose some cute decorations themselves, or get your hands on a crafting kit and make your own hanging ornaments? The tree is also a fantastic way to celebrate the previous year. It's a great idea to collect decorations throughout the year from the places you visit together, so when it comes to hanging them up you can remember all the fun you had as a family!

3. Bake festive snacks

Everyone has a favourite Christmas treat and nothing will get you in the festive mood quite like making your own cookies and cakes! It's a great time of year to get your kids involved in the kitchen, so grab some Christmas-themed cookie cutters and get baking. If they're too young to help out with the tricky parts, they can still contribute with icing and cake toppers at the end. You could even bake the mince pies you'll leave out for Santa!

4. Make a festive treasure hunt

If your children are finding it hard to wait for the big day for their presents, you could satisfy their appetite with a treasure hunt! Tell them Santa has popped in early and left a present hidden somewhere, then give them clues that will take them around the house and (if it's not too cold!) the garden, and finally lead them to the grand prize that they get to open early. Make it something that'll keep them occupied for a while - like a game of tiddly winks or a crafting kit - so they'll really feel like Christmas has come early, and if you're feeling extra generous you could even attach a sweet to each clue!

5. Get online

The internet has some great resources for kids who just can't wait for Christmas to arrive, and they can really add an extra touch of magic to your holidays. Starting in December, keep track of where Father Christmas is at all times with the NORAD Santa tracker - you can even watch him get closer and closer to you on Christmas Eve. For Rudolph fans, there's the adorable live reindeer cam: tune in at the right time and you might even spot Santa going through his letter box!

6. Have a day out

Your little ones will really know it's Christmas when they're outside feeling the nip in the air, and this is a great time to take advantage of activities you can't do at any other time of year. Whether it's just a walk in the snow, spending an afternoon sledding at your local park, or going to see a festive light display, getting out and about will help everyone feel the Christmas spirit. Just don't forget to wrap up warm!

7. Read them Christmas stories

Everybody loves to watch their favourite festive movies at Christmas, but you just can't beat reading a good old-fashioned Christmas story. If you really want to splash out, find 24 short Christmas books, wrap them and pop them under the tree, so that every evening in advent your children can unwrap a new book and you can read it to them. If you'd rather save pennies, just find your favourite stories and read to them on Christmas Eve - it might even help to calm them down and get them to sleep before Christmas morning!

8. Leave evidence of Santa

The fun really begins on Christmas Eve. Get your children to help you put out a snack and glass of milk (or brandy!) for Santa and, if you're feeling really adventurous, lay two rows of t-lights in the back garden as a runway for the reindeer. Then, once they've gone to bed, you can leave some evidence of Santa's visit for them to find the next morning: use flour as 'snow' to make footprints near the chimney, put a reindeer's half-eaten carrot in the garden, and don't forget to leave behind a few crumbs from Santa's snack!

9. Decorate the living room overnight

Once the little ones are in bed, you can also add a sprinkle of magic to the living room. Suspend paper stars from the ceiling and add your own cut-out paper snowflakes, so it looks like a blizzard has broken out indoors. Pile all the presents under the tree, hang up the stockings by the fire and, on your way out, cover the doorway with wrapping paper so the kids can burst through on Christmas morning. Just imagine their faces when they see the living room has been transformed into a festive grotto!

10. Make your own traditions

Christmas is all about families, so the best way to make the holidays magical is to create your own traditions. Whether it's new PJs on Christmas morning, buttered toast by the fire or board games as a family, find something that you all love to do together and make it your Christmas tradition.

At this magical time of year, DotComGiftShop wishes you a very merry Christmas!