It’s one of the strangest times of the year, where the days sort of roll together and no one has a clue what day it actually is any more.
I’m talking about that void between Christmas and New Year.
For those people who are lucky enough to not have to go into work, it can be a really weird time that no one seems quite sure what to do with.
So for anyone finding themselves at a bit of a loss this ‘twixmas, here is the ultimate list list of things to do in this weird timeless zone between Christmas and New Year.
Have a clear-out of the children’s toys.
Chances are your children will have a whole pile of new toys that you need to find homes for.
So it’s a great time to go through all their old toys and games and see what can be passed on to younger family or friends, what can be sold or given to the local charity shop and what needs to just be thrown away.
Declutter
This strange bit of time after Christmas is actually the perfect time of year to go through all your belongings and have a good declutter.
Work your way round the house room by room, clearing out things you don’t use or love any more. You can sell old dvds, cds and book with Music Magpie or Ziffit. Other items can go on ebay or your local Facebook selling page to make a bit of extra money.
I like the Marie Kondo approach to decluttering which basically involves you asking if each item you own sparks joy. If the answer is no, and it’s not an item you actually need and use on a regular basis, then out it goes.
You might not be able to get the whole house done in the twixmas break, but you can get off to a good start. If you want to commit to a slightly longer project then take a look at Katy Kicker’s 30 day declutter challenge.
Do some digital de-cluttering
Spend a bit of time clearing out and sorting out your digital life. Clear out your emails, delete old files and folder from your PC, back up all the photos you have stored on your phone.
Katy Kicker has a great post on 11 ways to have a digital declutter that is full of brilliant ideas and tips.
Visit the local library
Check the opening hours for your local library and wander over to get some new books to read.
While you’re there you can also check out the dvds, and see if there are any fun activities on for the family. Our local libraries often have craft activities on for the children which are always great fun.
Organise your photos from the last year.
This one might take a bit of time if you’re anything like me and take thousands of photos.
Get all your photos organised into folders on your computer. Edit any that need to be edited. Print out your favourites and put them in frames around the house.
Choose a whole host of them from the year and put them into a good old fashioned photo album. Or have them made into a fun photo book for the family to enjoy.
Go for a walk
Nice and simple, just head out the front door and start walking. If you can though, try and explore somewhere new that you’ve not been to before.
Get out for some fresh air
If you need something a bit more than ‘go for a walk’ to get you out of the front door, then Emma from Farmer’s wife and Mummy has some great ideas for getting outside in the country.
Try a new recipe with Christmas leftovers
I think it’s safe to say that we all buy a little bit too much food at Christmas.
Once you’ve had your fill of turkey sandwiches, get a bit creative and try out some new recipes with the rest of your festive leftovers.
Beth at Twinderelmo has a great post of ideas for turkey leftovers and if you have mincemeat leftover from making mince pies then this Christmas crumble from Kirsty at The Mummysphere is a great way of using it up.
Go to the cinema
Whether it’s with the children, on a date with your partner or by yourself for a blissful few hours of peace.
Have a cinema day at home
If you’re not a fan of the cinema, or none of the new releases take your fancy, then have a cinema day at home instead.
All you need is a couple of your favourite films, some popcorn and chocolate, and plenty of cosy cushions and blankets to cwtch up on the sofa with.
Hit the sales
Pretty much all the shops will have big sales on after Christmas. If you’re feeling brave then you can head into town and see what bargains you can find. Or you just stay at home in the warm and check out the online sales instead.
Plan out your new years goals/resolutions
Before the New Year rolls around take a bit of time to think about the goals and resolutions you want to make.
Hayley from Devon Mama has this great post on how to set goals and achieve them in six easy steps, to walk you through the process if you’re not sure where to start.
Learn a new skill
If you’ve always fancied learning to knit, play the guitar or even juggle, this twilight zone between Christmas and New Year is a great time to start.
Get a jump on spring cleaning
If you like to get your Christmas decorations down quite quickly, then use the post-Christmas-clean-up momentum and get some deep cleaning jobs down now so there’s less to do when it comes to spring cleaning.
Have a spa day at home
If you’d rather do something a bit more relaxing then try having a spa day at home.
Get some gorgeous scented bubble bath and a face mask and have a long soak in the tub. Apply a deep conditioning hair treatment and just relax.
Visit a local museum
See what museums or art galleries in your town are open and give them a visit.
Go ice skating
If your town has a winter wonderland then chances are there’ll be an ice rink there.
Even if you spend most of the time wobbling and clinging to the edge, you’ll still most likely have fun and the children will love it.
Write your thank you letters
Get this big job done and out of the way before the new year and you’ll feel so much better.
If your children write their own letters then get them to do a few every day until they’re all done, rather than making them write a whole pile in one go. You can get some lovely thank you note paper that makes it easier for them, with less space for them to need to fill than a piece of plain writing paper.
Have a playdate with your child’s friends from school/nursery
If your children are missing their school friends then invite one of them over for a playdate.
You can arrange it so their parents stay too, if you get on well. Or you can let them drop their child off at yours for a bit, while they go home and have some peace. Just make sure they return the favour another day if you do it that way!
Soft play
Perhaps not the most appealing of ideas, but if the children are going stir crazy in the house at least a trip to soft play might burn off some of their energy.
Go swimming
Whether it’s with the whole family to the fun pool with slides and a wave machine, or the boring pool by yourself to de-stress by swimming lengths, heading to the pool is a great way to fill this strange in-between time.
Indoor climbing
If your children are old enough then take them somewhere to do some indoor climbing.
Trampoline park
Children of all ages seem to enjoy a trip to a trampoline park. Just check opening times online and see if you need to book before showing up.
Bake something
If you have children to keep busy then pick a nice and simple recipe that you can do together.
My 2,4,4,4 recipe for fairy cakes is pretty much fool-proof and is fun to make with children of all ages. If you’d rather something a bit less sweet, but just as tasty, then these Christmas butter cookies from My Everything Beautiful look delicious.
Go bowling
An oldie but a goodie, heading to the bowling alley is a great way to spend a quiet afternoon.
Get the board games out
If you don’t want to venture out anywhere then get out all your board games, old and new, and get playing.
Build a fort
It could be an epic outdoor fort or a cosy indoor one with blankets and cushions. This time of year I think I know which one I would go for!
Make playdough
Playdough is a classic activity for keeping children entertained. And you can make even more of it by making the dough yourself.
Rainy day mum has got recipes for gingerbread and Christmas cake playdough that would smell amazing at this time of year.
If you’re just after a straightforward playdough recipe, and some inspiration on how to play with it, then head over to The Ladybirds’ Adventures and take a look at their Christmas tree play dough activity.
Tackle a big Lego set
With all this time on your hands with no work or school to worry about, you can take all the time you need to build that big Lego set your child was given.
Take on a big jigsaw puzzle
If all your Lego sets are already happily built, then take on a big jigsaw puzzle instead.
Take over the dining room table and leave it out so you can keep coming back to it until it’s finished.
Relax
Don’t feel you have to fill this time with non-stop activities.
Take some time to just sit back and relax. Curl up in your favourite chair with a big mug of hot chocolate and a good book and just take it easy.
Visit a holiday attraction you didn’t manage to visit before Christmas.
Have a look online to see what attractions are on in your town that you might have missed out on before Christmas. Lots of places have winter wonderlands that stay open during this in-between stage until the new year.
Make plans for New Year’s eve
If you’ve not already make plans, use this time after Christmas to decide what you’ll be doing on New Year’s eve.
Fill in your diary and calendar with key dates for next year
This might sound really boring but it’s one of my favourite things to do at this time of year.
Grab your diary and calendar for next year and fill in all the important dates you need to remember. This for me includes birthdays and anniversaries and school holiday/inset day information.
Volunteer somewhere
Give back to the local community by volunteering your time somewhere.
Get creative with boxes
Before all the boxes head off to be recycled, let the children have some fun with them.
If you’re not sure what exactly to make with the boxes, then this amazing post from Red Ted Art with ideas for boxes of all sizes should leave you feeling inspired.
Do an indoor treasure hunt
This could be as easy as hiding chocolate coins round the house for the children to find. Or you could put a bit more effort into it and create clues for them to crack and follow to find the treasure at the end.
Play cards
Grab a deck of cards and get playing.
Get the kids to put on a show for you
Let them loose with the dressing up clothes, designate a ‘stage’ area in the living room and sit back and let them entertain you.
Make paper aeroplanes
Such a classic activity that my children still absolutely love.
If you want to make it last longer get your children to draw designs on their planes and colour them in before having some competitions to see which plane will fly the furthest.
Make a family magazine
Grab some paper, pens/pencils and family photos and get creative to make a magazine about your family’s year.
You can include interviews with each family member, jokes, favourite recipes, memories of your best memories from the year.
Make jewellery
This can be as simple or elaborate as you like.
Young children can make necklaces from pasta and string and older children can be taught to make friendship bracelets.
Go fly a kite
On dry, windy days grab a kite and head to the nearest open space to see how high you can make it fly.
Paint some rocks and head out for a walk to hide them
There are Facebook groups set up for most towns, with hashtags that you can use on your rocks. Or you can get involved with something with a deeper meaning behind it, like #WilliamRocks. These are rocks painted and hidden for people to find, in memory of William Coy.
Research your family tree
Grab a big piece of paper and work your way back from the youngest family members.
If you’re serious about going back as far as you can then sign up for a trial subscription with Ancestry where you can search UK census, birth, marriage & death records.
Write a family bucket list/wish list of things you want to do/places you want to go next year
If you need some inspiration for what to put on your family’s list then take a look at this post from Thimble and Twig.
Play hair stylists
If you’re feeling brave then let your children get creative and give you a new do with head bands, hair bands, clips and slides.
Try out some simple science experiments
If you’d rather not do any actual experiments, then look at getting something like Stems for the children to play with. Jayne from Sticky Mud and Belly Laughs has written a great post on being creative with Stems which has some fab ideas of ways children can use them.
Get your brain working
If you feel like your brain is turning to mush in this strange in-between time, then keep it busy with a crossword or some Sudoku. You can get all sorts of puzzle books to work your way through, or you can find online versions to play instead.
Hopefully there’ll be a few ideas on this list to keep you busy and entertained between Christmas and New Year.
What do you normally do in this little break from real life and normal routines?