From snuggling up together on the sofa to watch a favourite Christmas film to rustling up some seasonal treats in the kitchen, the festive period is the perfect time to have fun together as a family. Here are a couple of ideas to get you started:
Plan a family film night
From Elf and Love Actually to It’s a Wonderful Life and A Christmas Carol, the Christmas movie has reached iconic status when it comes to festive traditions we all love. And some films we just never tire of. “Every year, we all settle down with plates of festive food on our laps to watch The Polar Express together on Christmas Eve, and every single year it makes me cry,” says Amanda O’Halloran, mum to Orla, six, and Gabe, three.
Television technology has come on leaps and bounds in the past few years, and it could be time to take your festive film viewing to the next level. The Frame TV from Samsung turns your humble living room into a home cinema, with a 65” 4k ultra HD display and high-dynamic-range technology. When it’s not playing the latest blockbuster, it’s earning its keep, displaying a selection of downloadable art pieces or photographs.
Rock around the Christmas tree
Decorating the Christmas tree together while listening to some classic Christmas music on the radio marks the official start of the family’s festivities for Cathy Winston, mum to Minnie, six. “We go shopping together for a real Christmas tree and then come home and crank up the Christmas tunes – the cheesier, the better,” she says.
“We have the perfect playlist for the occasion too, and once we’ve hung the last of the decorations and finished rocking around the tree, we curl up with hot chocolates and mince pies.”
Have a festive family bake-off
Fans of TV’s most entertaining baking competition will be gathered around the gogglebox to take inspiration for their own kitchen endeavours this Christmas. And, whether you’re a family of star bakers or complete kitchen novices, getting out the recipe books and whipping up a batch of mince pies or some cookies for Santa is guaranteed to get you feeling festive.
Baking a Christmas cake together is an annual tradition for Sinead Kirkpatrick, mum to Johnathan, 10, and Grace, eight. “Once all the ingredients are mixed together we take turns stirring it from east to west to represent the wise men coming from the east to visit the baby Jesus,” she says. “We’re messy cooks, so the kitchen looks like a bombsite afterwards, but the house smells absolutely delicious.”
Get together for gaming
Gathering around the games console might not be a classic festive family tradition, but it can be a popular option for parents with teenagers. For Tamsin, mum of Tabitha, 14, Christmas is the perfect chance to enjoy some quality gaming time with her daughter.
“Santa can always be relied upon to pop a family-friendly video game under our tree, so huddling around the games console in our pyjamas is a standard start to our Christmas morning,” she says. “This year we’re really hoping he brings us Marvel’s Spider-Man.”
Above all, a magical Christmas is about making memories, and even the smallest traditions can help. Try encouraging the kids to buy some gifts, however small, for other family members, and help them experience the joy of giving at a time that can be dominated by receiving.
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