Christmas Eve box ideas for kids 2026: what to put in it

If you haven't come across one before, it's a bit like a stocking for the night before. They get it some time on Christmas Eve, while they're waiting for the big day. It keeps them busy, too, which helps when they're too excited to sit still and you've still got wrapping to finish and food to get ahead on.

Every family does Christmas Eve a bit differently, so take the ideas that fit yours and leave the rest. What matters most is that the Santa story hangs together. If the box, the plate and how he gets in tell the same tale every year, your answers will match when the questions start on Christmas morning. That keeps the magic going another year. With an under-3 in the house, swap anything with small parts for something chunkier, or hang on to it yourself. The ideas below go in the order you'd use them.

One present, opened early

We sometimes let the children open one present on Christmas Eve, so the box can be that present, or a little something extra. It spreads things out a bit, so it isn't all crammed into Christmas morning. Keep them guessing with a note on the lid from one of Santa's elves, saying when they can open it.

A quiet puzzle

Once they've had their rummage, give them something to do on their own, because that's when you're busiest. Pick a jigsaw they can finish without help, so they're not asking you every five minutes. For under-3s, go for a chunky wooden one with a few big pieces. RoSPA's toy safety advice says to check the age range, avoid toys with small parts that come off, and keep button batteries out of reach.

A colouring book made from their own photos

A colouring book does the same job, either alongside the puzzle or instead of it. Toodaloo makes personalised Christmas colouring books for children aged 3 and up. Each of the 20 pages is drawn from a photo you choose, from this year or last. You see every page before you pay.

Our guide to the photos that make the best colouring pages shows how different photos turn out. Books are posted the next working day and usually arrive in 3-4 working days. For under-3s, chunky crayons and a simple colouring sheet keep them just as busy.

Homemade reindeer food

Around teatime, they can make the reindeer food. They scatter it on the lawn before bed so the reindeer have something to eat when they land. We make ours ourselves. It's easy enough for children to stir up in a bowl and spoon into a little bag. Use oats, and leave out glitter and raisins. The RSPCA says a lot of shop-bought reindeer food has ingredients that can be dangerous for animals, especially edible glitter. It has its own wildlife-friendly recipes, too.

A Christmas film and hot chocolate

After that, it's everyone on the sofa for a while. Tuck in a couple of hot chocolate sachets and a note with the film you've picked, or two for them to choose from. The Snowman is a good one for younger children because it's short. Leave the marshmallows off for the little ones, as the NHS lists them as a choking hazard for babies and young children.

New pyjamas and slipper socks

We like to give ours new pyjamas on Christmas Eve, so they're in fresh, cosy ones for the photos when they open their presents in the morning. Slipper socks can go in with them. If you'd rather they didn't get lost in the rummage, lay the pyjamas out on the bed instead.

A mince pie and a carrot for the plate

Before bed, the children put out a plate for Santa and his reindeer to find in the night. Ours has a mince pie for him and a carrot or two for the reindeer. If you've got a dog, put the plate where the dog can't get at it, because the RSPCA says the raisins and currants in mince pies are toxic to dogs and cats.

A magic key, for homes without a chimney

If you haven't got a chimney, sooner or later someone asks how Santa gets in. Lots of families without one have a magic key. You hang it on the front door handle before bed, and Santa lets himself in with it. Any old key will do, or a decorative one with a label on it. If your family does it differently, stick with that. With an under-3 in the house, keep hold of the key yourself and hang it up once they're asleep.

A bedtime story

Then it's bed, and the story they've been waiting for all evening. Make it The Night Before Christmas, or a Christmas board book for under-3s.

A torch to spot the sleigh

Once the story's done and the light's off, a small torch lets them look out of the bedroom window for Santa's sleigh. Pick one with AA or AAA batteries behind a screw-down cover, so there's no button battery to get at. With an under-3, hold it yourself.

By then the plate's out, the key's on the door and the house is quiet. The rest of the evening is yours. Once Christmas is over, put the key and the elf's note back in the box, ready for next year.

Questions parents ask

Should siblings share one box, or have one each?

Either works. The things you do together, like making the reindeer food, watching the film and putting the plate out, only need one of each, so they can go in a shared box. Things that are theirs, like new pyjamas or something quiet to do on their own, are better one each. If you go for a Toodaloo colouring book, you can have one each without starting from scratch. Make the first book, then in your basket choose “Make a copy I can change” under it. That starts a new book with the same photos and cover, so you only swap the photos you want to change and put their name on it. Extra books in the same order are 30% off.