Something to Do Xmas Eve

Mimic 'The Christmas Story'. My family LOVES that movie. There is a channel that plays it 24h straight on Christmas Eve. Order some Chinese food, put the movie in ... enjoy!

Go get some hot chocolate (or pack some in a thermos) and drive around looking at lights. Take some roads you've never driven before!

Are there any community events taking place???

Chinese and a movie?

Help out at a shelter serving a meal?

Ice skating?

Christmas caroling in your neighborhood or at a nursing home?

Start an "at home" tradition of hot cocoa and opening O. present?

One of the things my kids love is santa tracker. They have one on northpole.com, i think it is. They get to see where santa is in the world :)

for us, we go to church, and then out to dinner. Then we drive around and look at all the pretty lights. Then we go home and make popcorn and watch a movie until the kids fall asleep. I love it because it's just us and it's cozy and just something nice we do together.

Go to a movie? There are a lot of good kids' ones out right now. We saw the new Muppets movie and it's really good.

In the past we have had a sort of open house where we would have lots of good food and music and we would invite the neighbors over, especially the ones without family close or kids of their own. We are not doing it this year for lots of reasons. We go to Mass, either the children's liturgy or Midnight Mass. For dinner we either have traditional Italian Christmas Eve foods or my favorite, tamales! I am not Mexican or Italian, but I really love these traditions.

We used to make homemade (and some years - ordered out) pizza on Christmas Eve. then we would read the classic books and go to church.

I like the idea of a movie in the early afternoon, lunch out and then maybe Christmas light sightseeing?

I was also going to suggest fondue. It's so fun and different and you can also pick at it for quite a while, so it lasts longer than a typical meal. I would say get some Christmas movies (or see which ones will be on TV), gather everyone in the living room with fondue on the coffee table and hang out as a family.

Does your church have a service? It is so nice to go sing on Christmas Eve.

Church, dinner (home or out) and a movie (home or out). You could start a new tradition. Appetizers for dinner? A favorite food? For example, we always have cheese fondue for New Year's Eve. Let them open a gift or two. Special holiday show at a Children's Theater or somewhere similar. Although your kids are bummed now, it sounds like a good opportunity to do something new and special. Have fun.

I agree with a drive to see the lights! We also have a fondue dinner on Christmas eve and open one present. My kids love it, and it's a great bonding thing for all of us. I love having time for special moments with just the four of us.

You could drive around looking at light displays, have something fun for dinner, cookies and hot chocolate. Find out if there's anything going on around town. Have fun and enjoy your family!

My church does a music and candlelight service that we go to. You could check for one in your area to attend.

We normally have family visits on both Xmas and Xmas Eve. However, this year my Dad will be in Washington state to visit my brother for Xmas, so we have no Xmas Eve plans. Hubby and I decided to do a buffet dinner on that day at a family style restaurant which serves Christmas foods and then hit the movies after. We're really looking forward to it!

We drive around all the neighborhoods and look at Christmas lights... We bring homemade cookies in the car with our eggnog... We all wear Santa hats or reindeer ears... Something cute and fun to get us in the spirit~

Everyone in our house gets new pajamas and gets to pick one present on Christmas eve. Then we make a special dinner, and watch a movie and go to bed after making cookies for Santa!

When I was young, my parents would give us a special gift on Christmas eve that was from them rather than Santa. It would be something that would entertain for the evening. A wished for movie, a board game. We would usually sit around the table playing a game and eating junk :) I loved it.

Hi Jamie, we do smores in the fire place every Christmas Eve. J.

Take them driving around to look at the different light displays and then when you get home, let them open one gift from you.

You didn't say how old your kids are, but let them pick a nice restaurant for an early dinner and then maybe some ice skating or go somewhere local to walk around and look at the lights.