Christmas activities you can do with the kids for free or low cost

What can I do for free or on a budget with the kids this Christmas?

Download our free A-Z of Christmas for tips on Christmas activities for free or low cost, as well as recipes and arts and crafts templates. Here are a few more ideas to help you get started.

• Communicating with your children can be tricky if they’re older and are struggling with verbalising feelings. It might be a good idea to ask your children what it is they want to do this Christmas to offer them the chance to have a say on their terms
• If your kids are happy to open up and get creative, put on some Christmas music, make some cosy drinks and encourage them to make a list of things they’d like to do around Christmas time. See if you can do one thing from each child’s list, but if not you could compromise with cheaper alternatives

Things to make and do

Arts, crafts and baking can be a great way to have fun at Christmas on a budget. It’s also a great way to make memories with your kids, even if it’s a bit messy!

Encourage everyone to get involved with both the process and the clean-up after to help you. Remember to set aside plenty of time for any activities so that you don’t have to rush through them or end up with lots to clean up by yourself the next day.

• Here is our recipe for making gingerbread men from scratch. You can find it on page 6
• If it’s going to be too tricky to bake, you could buy a ginger bread making or decorating kit which includes the plain biscuits, icing and some decorating bits and bobs. If you can’t find a kit, you could buy some plain gingerbread men and then buy the things for decorating separately
• It can be fun to make some Christmas cards with the kids, which you can send to friends or relatives or which they can give to their friends. Kids’ crafts YouTuber Crystal Best has a video on how to make 10 different Christmas cards at home with the kids. Some are more complicated to make than others, so have a skip through the video yourself to see if there are any ideas that stand out to you and then try them with your kids at home
• Scroll to page 8 of our A-Z of Christmas to find out how to make tree decorations
• Scroll to page 9 of our A-Z of Christmas to learn how to make reindeer food for when Santa comes and how to make some glittery pine cone decorations

Festive outings

Even if it’s chilly outside, it can be great to get out and have a walk with the kids if you’re able. Watch them or help them build a snowman if it’s snowing and take time to admire little things like frosty leaves and bird footprints. You could even collect things together like pine cones for crafts.

This can be a great way to get some exercise or see some of the outdoors. Here are a couple of ideas for Christmas activities you can do on a budget or for free when out and about with the kids.

• Having a wander around Christmas markets and stalls can be a good way to get everyone feeling festive without spending money. Stalls and rides can be expensive, so you could spend a morning or afternoon at the markets soaking up the festive atmosphere and then head home for some hot chocolate and a Christmas movie
• Want to visit Scotland’s many ancient castles and abbeys, or cathedrals and forts for free? Historic Scotland are running Historic Sundays from November 2024 until March 2025. This offer gives Scottish residents free admission to Historic Scotland properties on the first Sunday of each month. You have to book your tickets in advance, so book tickets to the historic site of your choice for free here. Keep an eye out as sites can become fully booked quickly
• Many museums and galleries across Scotland are free to enter, check out WhichMuseum’s guide to all of the free galleries and museums across Scotland. Often these buildings are decorated for Christmas, which can in itself feel really festive

Cosy evenings in

After all of the excitement of festive adventures outside and making crafts and baking, it’s time to put your feet up! To bring some festive cheer to your evenings with the kids, here are a couple of ideas.

• If you don’t have hot chocolate, you could even add some sugar or sweet cinnamon to some warm milk to add some sweetness and festivity to your cosy drinks. Put on a Christmas comfort film or some music and put your feet up
• It can be a nice family activity to decorate the house with Christmas decorations together. If you have a Christmas tree, it can be fun to decorate with the kids. If you don’t have a tree, you could hang up or place some little decorations around the house, for example some of the things you might have made with the kids whilst doing your arts and crafts together
• Playing games can be a great way to connect with your children at any time of year, but at Christmas it could be fun to get festive and play as a family. Encourage everyone to get involved, whether it’s Charades, Pictionary, Karaoke on YouTube, board games or the PlayStation, it can be a good way to have fun together. Here are a few ideas for having fun with your children to help you get started.

Festive films

There are some great festive films out there. If you don't have access to streaming services, second hand shops like CEX and charity shops often sell DVDs for £1 or less, so it's worth having a look around for some films.

We've categorised some festive films by age range to make it easier for you to see what might work for you and your family. It might be a good idea for you to watch the film before you show it to your child if you know they've had bad reactions to films before, or to watch the film with them as a family.