Christmas Eve Box Ideas for Kids (That Aren't More Plastic)

A Christmas Eve box is opened on the evening of the 24th, and everything in it is for that night: something cosy to wear, something warm to drink and something to read before bed. It takes the edge off the waiting, and it gets everyone into bed. The best boxes are small and simple — and the same box comes out every year.

The classic four

1. New pyjamas. Matching ones for the whole family if you like the photos. Buy a size up for little ones; they’ll wear them all winter.
2. A hot chocolate kit. A sachet, a few mini marshmallows and a candy cane to stir it with.
3. A bedtime story. The heart of the box. Read it together once the pyjamas are on, and it becomes the book that comes out every Christmas Eve after.
4. Something for Santa and the reindeer. A carrot, a mince pie and a little card to leave out by the fireplace.

Make the story theirs

A Christmas story where they are the one who saves the day is the thing children remember. In our Christmas Storybook, a little lost reindeer and Santa’s sleigh stuck in the snow need your child’s help on Christmas Eve — drawn from your photo, with their name in every rhyming verse. It’s written for children of about three to eight.

For babies and toddlers, the Baby’s First Christmas Book is gentler: the tree, the snow and a sleepy nap under the lights. And for the littlest ones on any night of the year, the Goodnight Book says goodnight to the whole sleepy world.

Order a printed book early — see our Christmas last order dates. If you’ve left it late, a PDF edition can be printed at home and tucked into the box.

Ideas by age

Babies (0–1): soft socks or a sleepsuit, a cloth or board book, a small soft toy, and a photo frame for the first Christmas Eve picture.

Toddlers (1–3): pyjamas, a torch for a “reindeer hunt” in the garden, a short picture book, stickers, and a cup of warm milk instead of hot chocolate.

Children (4–8): pyjamas, a hot chocolate kit, a Christmas Eve story, a festive film to watch together, a bag of reindeer food (oats and a few sprinkles — no glitter, it harms birds) and a letter “from Santa’s elves”.

Older children (9+): cosy socks, a new book or comic, a board game for the evening and a hot chocolate with all the toppings.

Making the box last

• Use the same box every year. A sturdy wooden or decorated cardboard box with their name on the lid becomes part of the tradition — not something thrown away.
• Keep it small. The point is a calm, cosy evening, not a second Christmas morning.
• Add one thing that stays. A book, an ornament or a note with the year — so each box leaves something behind.

Questions people ask

What do you put in a Christmas Eve box? Usually new pyjamas, a hot chocolate kit, a bedtime story and treats for Santa and the reindeer. Some families add a festive film or a small game.

When do you open a Christmas Eve box? On the evening of 24 December, before bed — often after tea and a bath, so the pyjamas go straight on.

What’s a good Christmas Eve book for kids? A short, cosy story that ends at bedtime. A personalised Christmas story with the child as the hero is especially loved, because they hear their own name all the way through.