It’s time to break out the arts and crafts – we’ve included some of the best Christmas activities for all the family to participate in, even the Scrooges!

• How do you make Christmas fun for kids?
• How can you make Christmas fun for you?
• Family-friendly Christmas party games
• Tips on throwing the best Christmas party at home

Christmas crafts are notoriously messy; glitter on the floor, fake snow in your hair, tiny bits of paper snowflakes scattering the floor. However, despite their reputation, Christmas activities are an integral part of the festive fun, and they don’t always have to be messy!

We’ve rounded up the best Christmas activities for the little ones – and the big ones – to enjoy this December. Whether you’re hosting a children’s Christmas, or you’re planning on having a few friends around for a memorable festive drinks evening, we’ve got a few ideas that will make all ages feel merry.

How do you make Christmas fun for kids?

The lead up to Christmas

Advent calendars at the ready – it’s time to start the countdown to Christmas! We’ve already explored the story behind your Advent calendar – why not take some inspiration from this blog and make your own traditional Advent calendar? You can make this into a fun family day outing; grab a flask of your favourite hot chocolate, wrap up warm, and explore the winter woods, collecting foliage to use for your Advent calendar.

Don’t worry if trekking in the woodlands isn’t quite your thing – you can easily create your own Advent calendar straight from your home, using anything from old wooden crates to toilet roll to build it. This Christmas activity not only lets your little ones – and you – show off your creative flair, but it also raises those festive spirits, making the lead up to Christmas feel all the more magical.

Christmas activities for kids should be fun, and the little ones should also be able to reap the rewards of their hard work, which is why Christmas baking is one of the most enjoyable Christmas activities to participate in. Bake festive-themed Crimbo cookies to hang as decorations from fir trees, or whip up some cupcakes and use our chocolate buttons to dot snowman smiley-faces on top of the icing.

To get you in an extra festive mood, we recommend incorporating Christmas flavours into your baked goods. Chocolate orange brownies are delicious to snack on in the evening or to enjoy warm alongside ice cream; melt a bar of our chocolate orange slab and drizzle it over the baked brownies for an extra wave of zesty orange and deep cocoa notes. Or, stir in cocoa powder for an indulgent, rich chocolate cake: top with our Jolly Penguins for an adorable and delicious decoration.

Christmas Eve

Excitement fills the air on the 24th – even though it might be a busy time, make sure you don’t forget the Christmas activities for kids. Christmas eve is always a memorable time for both youngsters and adults, which is why it’s important to set aside Christmas activities for them to enjoy.

Board games are always brought out over December, but make the one on the night before extra exciting. Prizes are always a good way to bring out the more competitive side of Christmas activities – The Winter Puddings Sleekster recreates some of your favourite winter puddings in chocolate form. Winners can expect Treacle Tart, Gooseberry Crumble, Chocolate Orange Pot and more!

Christmas Eve boxes are also an exciting way to get them feeling even more merry – fill boxes with festive treats, Christmas activities, accessories and more! Christmas pyjamas are also a great way to make you all feel snug and cosy as you settle down in front of the TV to watch a festive favourite.

You can also fill your Christmas box with Christmas stories to tell the little ones as they wait for Santa to visit them, or festive jokes to put a smile on their faces! No Christmas box would be complete without an edible treat – start the celebrations off with a bang with our Mini Chocolate Christmas Crackers. Expect to find a joke, a hat and, of course, a chocolate creation inside for them to indulge in. The Christmas Sleekster also makes for a wonderful surprise in a Christmas Eve box – expect hollow milk chocolate festive friends, nibbly chocolate drops, sumptuous caramel chocolates and more.

If you have last-minute Christmas prep to get on with, thinking up Christmas activities for kids is a great way to preoccupy them so you can wrap those presents without worrying about whether they’ll barge in. Letter writing to Father Christmas is a great way to distract them: make sure you get the Christmas crafts out so they can adorn their letters with glitter and sequins galore!

Christmas Day

The big day arrives, and the day is filled with present opening and feasting. However, there comes a point when the little ones get a little restless – the presents have been unwrapped, the food has been eaten, so what next?

Thinking up Christmas activities for kids keeps them occupied, which is perfect for when the adults want a tipple – or two. Get them started on thank you letters, or encourage them to draw pictures of their favourite Christmas moments. Of course, there’s no harm in letting them settle down in front of the TV to watch a merry movie. Stir up a hot chocolate and let them relax after a long day of Christmas thrills. If you can’t quite stomach any more food or booze, feel free to join them – sometimes, the madness of Christmas takes it out of all of us by the time evening comes around.

How can you make Christmas fun for you?

It’s easy to get swept up in the rush of Christmas, but make sure you take some time out for you. Christmas shouldn’t be a stressful time; even if you have lots to tick off your Christmas list, don’t forget to let yourself indulge every now and then.

Evenings are the perfect time to relax: light an aromatherapy candle and breathe in the warming aromas as you sink into a hot bath. After, replenish your skin with a pampering session by getting your favourite body butter and face mask.

Booze and chocolate seem to go hand in hand – make Christmas fun for you by starting your own cocktail-making evening for friends and family. Mix Mint Chocolat Cream Liqueur with a spirit of your choice for a short drink over ice, or mix our Salted Caramel Cocoa Vodka Liqueur with Irish cream for a salted caramel martini.

Family-friendly Christmas party games

Everyone loves traditions, but Christmas activities can get tedious after a while. To keep everyone feeling lively, why not create a few new traditions by coming up with some new Christmas party games?

After a day of Christmas crafts, playing pin the nose on Rudolph while blindfolded is a laugh for all ages – especially after the adults are a bit tipsy! Or, hold a broom horizontally and have family members stuff pillows up their shirt for a challenging version of Santa limbo.

Having your own Christmas treasure hunt is also an exciting prospect, especially for the little ones – hide goodies around the house and leave out clues for individuals, or teams, to find. Our Just For You Christmas Hamper is the perfect treat to find – these goodies can be hidden around the house for kids, and kids at heart, to discover; just make sure that you choose the age-appropriate chocolates for your guests.

We always think a chocolate-tasting event is a fun family event – we’ve got a guide on how to host a chocolate tasting right from your home. Turn it into a Christmas activity by holding a blind taste test on the most festive flavours. The Grand Wreath lets you sample tastes such as bittersweet Burnt Caramel Tart, warming chocolate and ginger Winter Sidecar, tangy Blackcurrant Cheesecake and more.

If you want to keep everything a complete surprise, our Chocolate Tasting Adventure lets you sample our chocolate creations alongside a glass of bubbly. Don’t worry, we have child-friendly chocolate tastings, too; our Children’s Chocolate Workshop lets little ones decorate their own chocolate slab and gives them each a goody bag to enjoy.

Tips on throwing the best Christmas party at home

We’re sure you’ve been to a fair few Christmas parties, but how do you make yours memorable?

Theme

Centring your Christmas party around a festive theme is a great way to raise those merry moods. Hang up decorations for a Winter Wonderland party, pipe miniature cupcakes with green and red frosting to evoke feelings of Santa’s grotto, or simply tell all guests to wear ugly Christmas sweatshirts for a garish and slightly tacky night; whatever you choose, we’re sure your guests will love it!

Drink

What Christmas party would be complete without booze? If you have a large number of guests over, instead of laboriously pouring out drinks into dinky cocktail glasses, why not make several jugs of your tipple of choice and encourage guests to help themselves? Our Chocolate Cream Liqueur pairs beautifully with vodka and coffee for a mocha martini.

Food

Of course, you can’t invite guests over without giving them something to snack on! We understand that a full-blown meal isn’t always the best thing for a party, especially as you don’t want to be slaving away in the kitchen all day. The best way to satisfy hungry appetites is by serving little nibbles: crips, nuts, and finger foods always go down a treat.

Our Large Dipping Adventure combines indulging with a Christmas activity: make memories with loved ones as you dip into molten pots of milk, white, dark and caramel chocolate with cookies, nuts, marshmallows and more.

Christmas activities

Setting aside some time for a few Christmas activities is always a fun addition to the night, especially after they’ve had a few martinis! Pick games which can be easily played by all ages; charades or guess the Christmas song are always festive classics. Whatever Christmas activity you choose, we’re sure your night will be one to remember.

So, get the Christmas crafts out, plan an evening of Christmas activities, and make this December the merriest one yet!