Where Can I Take My Kids In December?
Want to take your toddler out on Christmas days out without spending lots of money? Here are some Christmassy ideas to get the whole family in the mood – all without breaking the bank!
Looking for festive fun to feel the Christmas Spirit with your baby or toddler?
It’s never to early to book a Christmas class on Happity. Find one you’ll love here.
1) Visit A Garden Centre
Your local garden centre at Christmas time will be just as exciting as any toy shop for your toddler, believe it or not! With Christmas trees and decorations all on display – and often spanning multiple rooms, too – your toddler will feel as if they’re entering a winter wonderland.
Santa’s grottos can be fun too, but if you don’t want the expense this year, find a less busy time when the grotto is just there for your children to look at as part of the fun of looking around. About an hour before closing time can be perfect for toddlers! Farms or farm shops can also be a good call. Or take your toddler with you when you go to buy a Christmas tree – if you’re choosing your own to be cut or bagged, this can be especially fun.
“We literally spent hours in the local garden centre one Christmas – round every corner there was a giant reindeer, or polar bear, or lavishly decorated Christmas tree to stare at.”
– Liz, Team Happity
2) Go On A Christmas Trail
You’ll find that many town councils or local businesses decorate shop windows or put out lifesize models of snowmen or other Christmas decorations for children to find. Treasure hunts can be a fun and low-cost afternoon out for the whole family. If your child struggles walking that far, take plenty of snacks, as well as a buggy or scooter for them to dip in and out of walking and resting!
“Churches sometimes have an ‘advent’ event for kids – where you walk around houses seeing different Christmassy lit-up windows. Lots of them in Covid and we loved them!”
– Emily, Happity Co-Founder
3) Wander In A Park Or Stately Home
Many properties will decorate their houses and gardens for Christmas. They may operate a timed ticket session at peak periods, but for National Trust properties you should be able to get in for free if you have a membership, or for the usual charge if you don’t. Think Christmas trees in every room, storytelling, traditional decorations, toys and presents, music from the chapel, spiced mulled wine and baking smells wafting up from the kitchen. A treat for your toddler’s senses! You will be able to make crafts in some places too.
Even if some places charge for ‘light shows’ in the garden, you should be able to find a ‘free’ bit to visit with your toddler. Click here to see what’s on near you.
“Making paper-chain decorations in the basement of an old stately home was a hit with both children. We could smell spices, orange and cinnamon from the room next door.”
– Liz, Team Happity
4) Book A Christmas Session Or Party At A Regular Class
Many classes and franchises will go all out with a Christmas theme or bookable Christmas party this time of year, totally aimed at and suitable for your toddler or baby. Look here for Hartbeeps, Jo Jingles, and Baby Sensory Christmas sessions.
“Libraries will often do free story times where Santa comes and reads to the children, and at ours they both got a book as well which was cute.”
– Lisa, Team Happity
5) Watch A Santa or Tractor Parade
Check out local groups and social media for times of free light-up Santa parades. The beauty of Christmas parades is that once you know the route, you and your toddler can find a good spot to enjoy the magic, particularly if they find busy town centres a bit too much. For some people, this can be a side street in towns and for others, literally the end of their road. Some places have also started doing tractor parades and encourage charity donations.
“There is a charity that organises Santa and his sleigh to be pulled around the village by a tractor, which we love. They put a map up on social media so you know when it’s coming to your street, or you can just listen out for the music. All the children get really excited about this!”
– Kate, Team Happity
6) Find A Christmas Tree Festival
Christmas tree festivals have become even more popular over recent years. Usually hosted in a church or community centre, you can have the fun of wandering around to see all the decorated trees on show in exchange for a small donation. Often local nurseries, schools, nature groups and community groups will decorate a tree, so it’s even more exciting if your toddler has contributed to a specific tree.
7) Catch A Christmas Switch-On
What could be more Christmassy than snuggling in an extra-warm coat and heading out into your nearest town or village to see the big switch-on? Soak up the atmosphere, enjoy the festive music and maybe sample some local produce. If your toddler isn’t a fan of crowds, try going for a Christmassy walk at a different time of the day, look for window decorations in shops or stand in a quieter place if you know a parade is going to pass through.
“The year they had reindeers in the market square was fascinating for our toddler.”
– Liz, Team Happity
8) Find A Christmas Fair Or Market
From craft fairs to German-style Christmas markets, you’re sure to find something to capture your toddler’s interest, particularly if you go for a less busy time of the day. If you live in a seaside town, see if anything’s happening on the pier or seafront.
“There is a town park nearby that will always host an event or two at Christmas which are always free. They do have a few stalls which have a small charge or donation – usually something crafty or something to eat.”
– Kate, Team Happity
9) Crunch In The Frost
Grab a pair of wellies and take advantage of the ever-changing weather and seasons. If there’s been a frost overnight, first thing in the morning can be the best time to get your toddler out and about stomping around. Look for frosted cobwebs, leaves and twigs with a covering of ice on them. Many toddlers will find their familiar park or local play area even more fascinating when it looks different. For a more structured activity, try a scavenger hunt of objects coated in frost and admire all the different patterns. Or get your toddler’s imagination going as they pretend to be dinosaurs or giants making huge frosty footprints in the grass.
“If our toddler was getting a bit of cabin fever at home, we always enjoyed just seeing what we could find out and about.”
– Liz, Team Happity
10) Do Christmas Crafts At A Local Museum
Many local museums open up their doors in the holidays to welcome in toddlers and younger children for Christmas crafts. If you feel your toddler isn’t quite ready to join in, they will often supply toys for ‘younger siblings’ if you have an older child who wants to make something Christmassy.
“A lot of museums do cheap/free Christmas exhibitions or craft activities (for example, the British Museum).”
– Alex, Team Happity
11) Enjoy A Nativity Or Sing In a Carol Concert
Look out for Christingles and carol services, particularly family ones aimed at children. Some even have a live nativity!
“We go to a few Christmas nativities; one in the village which has a brass band and carol singers, then one in town on Christmas Eve which has a little nativity – all free, just donations.”
– Kate, Team Happity
12) Go To A Nature Group
Many nature and outdoor play groups run all year round. Christmas stories and crafting will be popular all through December, so wrap up warm in thermals, gloves and a hat, to join other toddlers and parents who love being outdoors in all seasons.
“Making a wooden Christmas decoration to hang on a giant wooden reindeer was a real highlight for our toddler at Nature Tots.”
– Liz, Team Happity
13) Gather Materials For Wreath-Making
If you’re a fan of the Christmas wreath, why not get your toddler involved? Go for a forage for holly, laurel leaves and pine cones. With your toddler holding a basket and helping you spot things (maybe show them pictures or draw a quick visual list together), this could be your most Christmassy activity yet as you go full-on Victorian!
14) Watch Ice Skating
Many swimming pools turn their premises into ice rinks this time of year. While you may want to pay to have a go at skating with a ‘penguin’ or prop to hold on to, why not skip the cost and watch instead? While your toddler is young, they will probably find this even more exciting as they enjoy watching the antics of older children and adults twisting, spinning (and falling!) on the ice. Do a quick Google search for ice rinks near you this festive period.
Perhaps there are a few festive places you’ve always wanted to visit with your children? Famous ‘pop-up’ ice rinks include the one outside the National History Museum in London, now converted into an urban space for wildlife. The garden is open all year round except Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day. It’s free, too. Check out our blog for more places to tick off your bucketlist this Christmas.
15) Do A Lights ‘Drive-By’
If you’re heading back from somewhere, a quick ‘drive by’ of the local lights can produce a lot of ‘oohs’ and ‘ahhs’ in toddlers!
“Some cities also have a Christmas light bus tour.”
– Alex, Team Happity
16) Stay Local And Go For A Walk
Have fun looking at Christmas lights or decorations wherever you are! Your local neighbourhood can be a great source of free festive fun for your toddler as many families will put pop-up reindeer, snowmen or other decorations in the garden. Try checking mum Whatsapp groups for a ‘house lights map’ and see if you can find the street with the ‘best’ Christmas lights with your toddler. Often the most interesting decorations are just around the corner from you.
“We love walking the dog in the evening to see all the Christmas lights and decorations. In the village they also do a window advent so you get the map from the church and find all the decorated windows – there are some really great ones!”
– Kate, Team Happity
17) Get Creative Indoors
If you need to stay at home, try some toddler-friendly Christmas activities like making paper-chains, snowflakes or Christmas puddings out of playdough. Look here for more crafty ideas.
“We also always buy a gingerbread house kit (£5 from Asda) and make one together – always love that! Or we make star biscuits with boiled sweets melted in the middle.” Emily, Team Happity
“Try making your own Christmas baubles or cards – shops like ‘The Works’ sell extremely affordable craft stuff.”
– Alex, Team Happity
18) Save Money If You Do Pay For A Toddler ‘Experience’
Whether it’s a trip to Christmas Legoland, a Santa train ride experience, a lights show or other ‘official’ winter wonderland, chances are at some point over the next few years you’ll be tempted to part with some larger amounts of cash. But you can still make savings by choosing off-peak times like weekdays and looking for special toddler-parent offers. Always book ahead for the best deals by looking online. Or if you have a Merlin pass, the Christmas season may be a good time to use it!
On the day, opt for packed lunches, reusable water bottles and travel cups over cafe food or street stalls, which is often pricey. Try and stick to your original ticket rather than signing up to upgrades or queue jumpers.
Also check out Christmas offers for British Garden Centres here.
“The Merlin attractions are also a good shout, because they have a lot of availability and typically don’t sell out until quite late into the season (if at all).”
– Sara, Team Happity
What Is The Average Spend On A Child At Christmas UK?
You might be surprised to learn that, according to a 2022 survey by YouGov, the average Brit spends £300 on presents with NatWest estimating this works out at £50-£100 per child. While some parents enjoy splashing the cash at Christmas time, here are some top tips to reign in your budget and leave more money for other things:
- Reuse – Check out your local reuse group on Facebook for unwanted gifts, toys, books and clothing.
- Reduce – Your toddler won’t remember if they have five, ten, or twenty things in their stocking. Wrap up things individually to create more things to open.
- Recycle and Repurpose – Make an agreement with your kids to swap toys with other parents or donate regularly to a charity shop.
- Reassign – If grandparents or relatives really like spending money on your children, rather than them choosing a random present, why not ask them for an experience gift like an RSPB or zoo membership?
- Remake – If your toddler really loves that flapjack recipe, or chocolate brownies you make, why not have Santa wrap some up in tin foil and leave in the toe of their stocking?
- Refocus – Enjoying fun days out with your toddler, and festive time with family and friends will help take the focus away from presents and onto experiences.
- Regift – Try the idea of ‘making room for new toys’, but if they get upset, don’t push it.
Look here for more budget-busting ideas.
Want to get out and about, have fun with your baby or toddler, and meet other parents?
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