Christmas Eve box ideas for every age

A Christmas Eve box is a small box of treats opened on Christmas Eve. The idea is to help excited children wind down on the most exciting night of the year, so the best boxes are small and cosy rather than packed with extra presents.

There are no rules. Some families open theirs after tea, others just before bath and bed, and plenty of people do without one altogether. If you like the idea, here is how to fill one without spending much.

What goes in a Christmas Eve box?

Most boxes are built from four simple ingredients: something to wear, something to read or watch, something to eat or drink, and something to do. One of each is plenty.

Pyjamas are the classic thing to wear, because they go straight on and get worn on Christmas morning, in all the photos. Fluffy socks or slippers work just as well, especially if new pyjamas are already wrapped under the tree.

For reading or watching, choose a Christmas picture book to read together at bedtime, or a festive film for the whole family. A book that comes out every year becomes part of the tradition.

A hot chocolate sachet with a favourite mug, a small bag of popcorn for the film or a couple of biscuits are enough. Keep sugar modest if you would like anyone to sleep.

Something to do is the part that does the calming: a colouring book and pencils, a small jigsaw, a simple craft or a card game. Anything that keeps hands busy at the table is ideal for the hour before bed.

Christmas Eve box ideas by age

Babies and toddlers (under 3)

For the youngest, the box is really for the grown-ups, and that is fine. A cosy sleepsuit, a touch-and-feel board book and a soft toy make a lovely first box. Check the age label on everything and avoid small parts. Art materials, including colouring pencils, are often labelled for ages 3 and over, so check before adding them at this age.

Ages 3 to 6

This is the age when a Christmas Eve box feels most magical. Pyjamas, a picture book and a hot chocolate are the core. Add reindeer food to sprinkle on the lawn (oats work well; skip glitter, which can harm birds and other wildlife when it is scattered outside), chunky crayons or pencils with a colouring book, and a torch for spotting Father Christmas from the window.

Ages 7 to 11

Older children like a box that feels a little more grown-up. Try a chapter book or a joke book, a small puzzle or a new card game for the family, a reading torch, or a homemade voucher such as “stay up 15 minutes later tonight”. A more detailed colouring book suits this age well, and grown-ups can join in.

A box for the whole family

One shared box can work better than several, especially with children of different ages. Fill it with a board game, a film and popcorn, hot chocolate for everyone and an activity you can do together, such as a family colouring book or a jigsaw spread out on the table.

Low-cost and homemade ideas

A Christmas Eve box doesn’t need to cost much. Homemade biscuits in a paper bag, a printed “reindeer passport” for the children to fill in, a letter from a grandparent, a family photo to colour in, or a list of the family’s favourite Christmas memories all cost almost nothing.

You can also reuse what you have. Books from the library, a game from the back of the cupboard that hasn’t been played for a year, or last year’s Christmas film all feel new again on Christmas Eve.

How to make the box itself

Any box will do. A shoebox wrapped in Christmas paper is the simplest. A wooden crate, a sturdy tin or a fabric bag can be reused year after year, which saves money and becomes part of the tradition. Write the child’s name on it, or let them decorate it themselves in early December.

If the box is coming from grandparents or family far away, post it in plenty of time and mark it “Do not open until Christmas Eve”.

Tips for a calm Christmas Eve

Open the box at a set time, such as after tea or after the bath, so it marks the start of winding down rather than another burst of excitement. Keep the contents small, because a second round of presents is the opposite of what you want the night before Christmas. And get it ready by mid-December, so you are not hunting for pyjamas in the last-minute rush.

Quiet activities are the secret. Colouring, a jigsaw or a story at the table settles children far better than a new toy that beeps.

Where a personalised colouring book fits

If you want the “something to do” to feel special, a colouring book made from your own family photos puts grandparents, cousins and pets on every page, and gives everyone something to talk about while they colour.

Our book is an A4 portrait colouring book of 8 to 20 pages made from your photos (pencils not included, so add your own). That makes it bigger than a typical Christmas Eve filler, so it works best as the centrepiece of a box, or on its own as the Christmas Eve activity. Because each book is made to order and you check a free preview first, it can’t be a last-minute buy. Order by Saturday 12 December 2026 for Christmas delivery.

For more ideas to fill the holidays, see our screen-free Christmas activities, or our Christmas gift page for dates.