Waiting for Father Christmas without a screen: 15, 30 or 60 minutes
Choose one small activity for the time you actually have before dinner or bedtime.
You do not need to fill a whole Christmas Eve afternoon. Put three choices on scraps of paper and choose one that matches the time you have left. Each one is easy to stop when it’s time to leave or eat.
Choose a card
- 15 minutes: Give each person a Christmas word and draw it with your eyes closed.
- 30 minutes: Make paper place names for tomorrow’s table; use drawings for anyone who cannot yet read.
- 60 minutes: Build a den from a blanket, read a favourite book and let the child lead a quiet game.
After a busy trip to the grandparents, the 15-minute choice may be plenty. Before bedtime, the den can become a reading place rather than a game that winds everyone up.
Try: “We have time for one small thing together, then we’ll get ready for bed.” Do not tie the end of the activity to an exact Father Christmas arrival.