It’s easy when they’re little – find a Father Christmas experience that delivers a hearty helping of magic, or even a good-quality farm park that offers cuddly animals and strings of twinkly lights, and that’s your family Christmas activity sorted. When they get past that stage, it can feel a little trickier to deliver a treat or day out that captures that same festive feeling – and we’re in that place too, now that ours are in the teenage and tweenage years. So here are a few suggestions for Christmas activities for older kids to suit a range of tastes – and hopefully deliver some of those festive feelings without any complaints about how they’re “too old for this”!
Harry Potter Studios – Hogwarts in the Snow
We did this last year, and it was fabulous. We have two big fans of Harry Potter, and had visited Warner Bros Studios before to see all the incredible film sets, costumes, props and special effects secrets from the movies. When I saw that they decorate the Great Hall, Diagon Alley and the stunning Hogwarts Castle especially for the season, I knew that Hogwarts in the Snow would be a perfect festive treat – especially now they are that much older and able to appreciate so much more about the making of the films. This year it’s running from 16 November – 19 January, and booking has just opened this week.
Booking slots for Hogwarts in the Snow opened up just this week, so hopefully there is still plenty of choice. And if you’d really like to splash out, they also offer an amazing opportunity to have Dinner in the Great Hall, just like a Hogwarts student – there are family and adult-only options available for that (but I can’t guarantee there are any spaces left!).
Christmas Movies In Concert
All sorts of these films in concert happen around the country, from big venues to small, and from Love Actually to The Muppet Christmas Carol. Last year we were very lucky to snap up tickets to see Milton Keynes Sinfonia play the soundtrack of The Snowman (fortunately I’d packed plenty of tissues, because it was absolutely incredible!).
This is what we’ve chosen for this year – Home Alone with a full orchestra! Google “Christmas Films in Concert” and it should throw up a whole range of suggestions near you.
Christmas Light Trails
Ideal for kids with more mileage in them than the littlies, a festive light trail can provide all the magic of a Christmas outing – especially if it’s somewhere that’s also offering a Christmas market to mooch around, and somewhere to let off steam too. So many of the large stately homes put on indoor and outdoor Christmas light trails, and sometimes they’re themed – Wrest Park are putting on The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe this year, Waddesdon Manor are doing Sleeping Beauty, and Blenheim Palace are visiting Neverland.
Many of them also offer Christmas markets, ice skating and other wintry treats – so you can really plan a full day out.
Christmas Lights Bus Trip in London
If you’re in reach of the capital, this can feel like a real treat – and you can do it for whatever cost suits you best. There are official bus tours to see all the lights around Regent Street and Oxford Street, or you can hop on a standard bus that takes in those streets along the route, at a fraction of the cost.
My personal favourite – and perhaps one for the more sedate and discerning young person in your life – Covent Garden. The lights and the huge tree are just beautiful, there are some fabulous little shops to poke around, and there’s usually something to draw a crowd: street magic, artistry, juggling, and one year I even encountered an opera singer!
There are several ice skating rinks to visit, and the annual Winter Wonderland extravaganza in Hyde Park: rides and rollercoasters, an ice slide, and live shows, all bookable in advance.
Pantomime
It may feel like pantos are designed with younger children in mind – but cast your mind back to some of the jokes that get the adults chortling while the punchlines go flying over the little ones’ heads, and you realise that they’re designed to appeal to everyone!
We’ve got a few options in Milton Keynes, and we can’t wait for the Dreams N Wishes one – they’re putting on Beauty and the Beast at The Venue in Walnut Tree, where every seat has a brilliant view! There are various dates and times from Friday 20 December to Saturday 4 January, and concession prices available too – it really is the best little panto in Milton Keynes: Dreams n Wishes Box Office
I think this is the perfect treat for this age group, as well – they are ready for something new and more grow-up, and as the older jokes start to dawn on them, that’s exactly what they get. But they still get to cling on a little bit to an old Christmas tradition – and that’s just what makes growing up so beautiful.
Christmas magic changes as they get older, just like birthdays, summer holidays and the first days back at school. But if you can find the right Christmas activity for older kids that captures your imagination as well as theirs, you’ll move onto the next phase of their love for the festive season – and make some more of those tingly Christmas memories together.
