ASK THE expert

Although we think of Christmas as being a celebration for the kids, there are lots of boring, grown-up parties they’ve to attend too

Charlotte Melia (below), MD of bespoke party planning company Dazzle & Fizz, says: “Keeping the children entertained in the build-up to Christmas can be tricky. With Christmas adverts everywhere, the whole focus can seem to be overtly commercial.

“There are lots of ways to entertain the children without spending a fortune, however. Here are our top three festive activities to keep the children engaged.”

Alternative advent calendar

For this, you will need either a reusable advent calendar, or 24 empty containers (jars with lids, or miniature fabric bags work well). Number the containers 1-24. In each container, write a charitable activity or positive task for the family to complete. For example: 1) Donate three tins of canned goods to your local food bank. 2) Pick a toy to donate to a children’s charity. 3) Spend time with an elderly relative. Complete each task as a family to redefine the spirit of Christmas and focus on giving as opposed to receiving.

Christmas treasure hunt around the house

Keep the children entertained for hours with a cryptic treasure hunt around the house. Be aware of the age range of the audience and adapt the clues to suit. If you have a wide age range, organise the children into mixed-age teams, each with an older child as a team leader. The clues should be Christmas-themed and build towards an end prize. Choose a prize that requires making or creating. For example, hide a loot-bag filled with make-your-own snow globes as the end gift. The children can then build their snow globes straight after as a new activity.

Keep them active

As the cold nights draw in, it can be hard to keep children active. This can be a double problem, as children will inevitably eat a lot more treats at this time of year. Overcome this by encouraging active games that the children can play together. If you’re tight on space, choose a competition that can be completed as individuals, such as a Wii tournament to keep them excited, engaged and active. It’s an oldie, but a goodie — a game of Twister is active, fun and can be enjoyed by everyone. Or better still, take the whole family on a scavenger-hunt-style nature walk. Select 10 items the children must find or see on the walk, ticking each item off as you go.

Visit the Dazzle and Fizz website at dazzleandfizz.co.uk.