Any Christmas outings this year?

Have you had any nice festive outings with mindees or your family this year, or do you have any planned? Christmas markets? Santa? Switching on of Lights? Bus tours? Events? Pantos?

I don't have anything planned this year, which is most unusual. Our local lights were switched on last night and it's usually a sweet, small scale but very much a community event. We didn't go because DD had sewing club and I had my Early Years Christmas meal, so a bit sad that we missed it. DD can't stand traveling and so we're not planning on travelling to anything other than very local events this year. I can't stand crowds and so was never tempted to do Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park, or anything on that scale. Lots of people seem to go into central London to see all the window displays, but the travelling would possibly counteract the joy for us.

We've been to a garden centre and did some Christmas crafts at our National Trust last weekend. They are normally quite good but they weren't so imaginative this year. DD is too old to visit Santa (still believes, just) and so we went along to our neighbouring village to see him riding a horse dressed as a reindeer up and down the high street. He high fives all the kids and it's free, and less intimidating than going into a grotto!

I'd love to take her ice skating, but neither DH or I have done it before, so it would probably be a disaster.

What are you all up to?

No we havent done or got anything planned in fact i dont think any of us are in the festive spirit yet.

Iceskating is good fun or so Im told. Im too chicken too go on :laughing::laughing: dd who first went when she was 7 turned out to be a natural i dont think they worry about falling as much as we do.

We will go to watch star wars at the cinema on christmas eve this is a bit of a tradition for us but I really want to go and see jumangi as well.

We’ve been to the garden centre this morning to see the lights and decorations. We’ve taken part in our village church Christmas tree festival and decorated our tree , and I took them to the village lights switch . Nothing else planned, although my little ones will come with me to watch the bigger ones nativities .

I was invited to a Nursery Christmas do last night - I deliver training and do some consultancy for them and it was lovely to be considered a team member!

Nige and i will go on a Christmas night out - and we are off to see family and friends in Yorkshire ...

Busy enough for us! :clapping:

Hope you have a good one xx

Childminding-wise we've been to see the Christmas displays at the garden centre, and walked round admiring houses and shops window displays. We've been to see the cribs at church, and have been to one Christmas event at school, with a few more to attend, and then a multitude of Christmas parties!

family wise, DD and I went to the ballet last weekend ( Little Mermaid .. traditional Hans Christian Anderson version - stunning ). it has become/is becoming tradition as this is the 3rd year we've been. We've been to an assortment of band and school concerts ( with more to come ) and will be in church over Christmas too.

Our usual Christmas family outing is on Christmas Eve. we used to go swimming and out for lunch with friends, but we moved, and no swimming pools open on Christmas eve here! so we changed to having a long walk along a beach and then lunch out. For the last few years DH has had to work Christmas Eve, so it has been just me and my children, so it will be different this year to have him along! Although, we have a new waterpark thing/place, that we went to between Christmas & new year last year, that will be open, so we might go swimming after all! ( it is even open on Christmas Day, and you could even have your Christmas lunch there !!!! )

We are going to the pantomime between Christmas and New year. We try to go, but don't always fancy the great big productions full of TV personalities who can't actually act!