5 Festive family activities to enjoy this Christmas time

Rosy-cheeked and full of Yuletide spirit, we are welcoming people to Winter Wonderland at Whinfell, Sherwood, Elveden and Longleat Forests. Although we’ve brought in more than 3 tonnes of snow, we still have our fingers crossed for a white Christmas. But regardless of the weather, there will be lots going on at all of our Villages and I can almost guarantee you won’t fall short on things to do. Christmas is a time for family and, most importantly, children.

With that in mind, here are five ideas of things to do with your family, to get the festive spirit flowing.

1. Christmas card making
   This is a nice activity for you all to do around the dinner table one evening. Take some colourful card, glue and scissors with you on your family break. Sit your children down and ask them to design elements of the nativity scene, or for something a bit simpler, snowmen. You can be sure these handmade cards will leave close relatives, especially grandparents, delighted when they fall through their letterbox.

2. Pin the nose on Rudolph
   Using a big piece of paper, sketch the outline of Father Christmas’ most important reindeer, Rudolph. Leave a blank spot for the nose. Use a nice red bauble or draw a big red nose and cut it out. Gather your children around and, one by one, cover their eyes and then ask them to try to pin the nose on the reindeer. The winner is the one who lands closest to where the nose should be. Traditionally, Rudolph likes to be welcomed with a carrot but we’ll leave it up to you as to how you’ll reward the winning contender!

3. Christmas Pudding making
   Most of the accommodation at Center Parcs is equipped with a fully functioning kitchen. Using this recipe, prepare the majority the day before for the best results. It’s traditional to gather the family around the pudding mix and each person in turn stir the cake and make a wish for the coming year. Pop the mix in the oven and patiently wait while the aroma of Christmas fills your Lodge.

3. Sleigh bell hunt
   Surrounding each Center Parcs Lodge you’ll find acres of natural forest. So why not use the environment to your advantage? Go out early one morning and hide some little bells around your accommodation, hanging them on tree branches and roots or even hide them inside your Lodge. Sketch out a rough treasure map and explain to your children that the night before, Father Christmas did a trial run for the big night but dropped a few of his sleigh bells into the forest. Can you find them all

5. Write a wish list for Father Christmas
   This is probably the most important activity and an age-old tradition that children have been doing for years and years. It’s also a nice way to gauge what your little ones would like, on the rare chance they haven’t mentioned it 5,000 times before now! Prepare some authentic traditional paper for them by rubbing it with a wet teabag and rolling up into a scroll. After they have written what they would like, it can be sat next to the fireplace found in your Center Parcs Lodge. If magic has anything to do with it, this will be sent via express mail to the big man himself.

What fun activities do you have up your sleeve for the family this Christmas? Let us know in the comments below.