Having children has made me look at Christmas in a whole new light. The excitement, anticipation, and magic have returned once again and despite it being late October, I’m looking forward to seeing Ted’s face when he experiences all the magical moments Christmas has to offer. This, technically, is his 3rd Christmas but in reality, it’s his first; he was too young to understand what was going on previously.

I’m looking forward to so many aspects of the festivities but there are 3 that pip the rest to the post when it comes to getting me excited.

First, Pantomime.

My wife has been going to the Pantomime every year for as long as she can remember, and she loves it. It was a full gone conclusion that she wanted to continue this tradition with Ted and I was fully behind her; especially once I found out that actually, they’re just as entertaining for adults as they are for children.

I recently spent the day the with my local theatre, Assembly Hall Theatre Tunbridge Wells, on their pantomime press day. I was able to meet the cast and have a sneak peak into what this years show, Snow White, has to offer. The cast was full of energy, which will no doubt permeate into their performances on stage creating a truly magical show.

If you haven’t been, a Christmas trip to the pantomime will be truly magical for any child; I can’t recommend it enough.

Secondly, Ice Skating.

Not every town has an ice skating rink, but in my local town, Tunbridge Wells, one pops up each year. I just know that the reason Ted has been so active over the summer is to strengthen up his legs and work on his stability ready for the skating rink at Christmas.

This activity is such a lovely thing to do. We head down, get our skates on and enjoy our session on the ice closely followed by a hot chocolate and mulled wine. Wrapping up warm and doing something that the whole family will enjoy is really special and what Christmas is all about.

Thirdly, Christmas Eve Boxes.

A what? I asked the same thing when my wife suggested it too, but, it turns out that it’s one of the best things Christmas has to offer.

Personally, I find everything up until Christmas Day Lunch, the most exciting. It tends to head downhill from about 2pm on Christmas day when excitement is concerned and the pinnacle has to be Christmas Eve evening. It gets to about 5pm and we bring out the Christmas Eve box; a box filled with goodies to make Christmas Eve the most magical and exciting evening of the year, by far.

We fill it with the following:

• Snuggly PJ’s
• A Christmas film on DVD
• A small present
• Nibbles
• Nibbles and sherry to leave for Father Christmas
• Of course a carrot for Rudolph
• The magic key so Father Christmas can get into the house without getting arrested for breaking & entering
• A special tree decoration to add to the tree

This box is such a wonderful addition to our Christmas traditions and celebrations. We love it and the children love it regardless of their age.

These 3 magical Christmas moments make up our Christmas. We do all 3, without fail and they really do help us create the best Christmas experience for our children.