There’s so much happening around the country this Christmas that we have picked some of our favourite events to share with you. Check out our website for loads more festive days out for all the family!
Christmas at the RAF Museum; Royal Airforce Museum, London, 21st – 23rd December
Greet Santa in a chinook aircraft this Christmas, where he is waiting to collect all the children’s wish lists. Don’t miss the exciting ‘Spitfire Experience’ and enjoy festive treats in the cafe!
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Christmas at RHS Garden Wisley; Woking, Surrey, 3rd December – 3rd January
This Christmas, these beautiful gardens will be illuminated and with twinkly lights and decorations. Santa will be paying the boys and girls a visit, plus The Glasshouse will have an impressive display of festive plants, trees and pond displays!
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Wild Christmas Wonderland; Adventure Wonderland, Christchurch, Dorset, 22nd November – 23rd December
This fantastic children’s park is decorated and all ready for Christmas. Children will love the daily panto and the indoor play area where they can burn off some steam. Father Christmas will be waiting to meet all the well behaved children in his alpine log cabin!
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Christmas at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard; Portsmouth, Hampshire, 19th November – 4th January
Visit the Historic Dockyard for plenty of festive fun including a reindeer and polar bear trail in the museum gallery, and climb aboard HMS Warrior and enjoy the Hunt the Slipper trail! The children can even make Christmas cards and decorations for the Royal Marines around the world.
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Christmas Events at The Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre; Great Missenden, Buckinghamshire, 1st – 31st December
Visit this museum for lots of festive fun during the Christmas period. Children will get to make Christmas decorations and crafts, listen to stories, and even look at letters written by Roald Dahl himself!
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Santa’s Grotto at Hughenden; High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, 5th – 20th December
This grand house will be decorated in a traditional festive style as the children hear a 19th century Christmas tale and take part in an exciting trail. For a truly magical experience, kids can meet Santa and take home a very special gift.
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Enchanted Christmas; Westonbirt Arboretum, Tetbury, Gloucestershire
Wrap up in your winter warmers and see all the trees lit up in a beautiful one mile illuminated trail which really is not to be missed! Father Christmas will be visiting all the well behaved children, and there will also be carol singing and festive crafts to entertain all the family.
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Carols with the Donkeys; Island Farm Donkey Sanctuary, Wallingford, Oxfordshire, 17th December
You don’t want to miss this fantastic carol service where you will be surrounded by the resident donkeys! Sing along with a brass band and you will really get into the festive spirit. There will even be tasty mince pies and warming mulled wine for the adults!
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Narnia at Christmas; Killerton, Exeter, Devon, 27th November – 3rd January
Head to Killerton where the estate is being transformed to resemble the famous book The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. The house will be illuminated with beautiful twinkling lights and the rooms will be festively decorated throughout. You can even take part in a family trail outdoors on a mission to find reindeer!
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Christmas Weekends; Tredegar House, Newport, Wales, 28th November – 20th December
Enjoy festive carols at this grand house as well as traditional crafts, plus games and activities that all the family will enjoy! Father Christmas will be in his grotto so the children can visit him with their Christmas list!
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Winter Wonderland at Conkers, Swadlincote, Derbyshire, 30th November – 24th December
Take a journey with Santa and his elves through the enchanted forest and the valley of Christmas lights to the magical woodland grotto. Meet Santa’s reindeer, enjoy tasty festive food and take a trip on the Santa Special through the tunnel of Discovery. There will be street entertainers and a balloon modeller, plus look out for the polar bear band stand!
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Christmas at Sudbury Hall, Ashbourne, Derbyshire, 3rd – 22nd December
There’s loads going on at Sudbury Hall this Christmas! Kids will absolutely love the chocolate cookie calendar workshop, as well as tea with Father Christmas! Don’t miss a very special performance of ‘A Christmas Carol’ in the hall!
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Christmas at the National Forest Adventure Farm, Burton on Trent, Staffordshire, 30th November – 24th December
Kids will be thoroughly entertained at the farm this Christmas with a whole host of activities planned. Watch the elves perform in a show, learn how to become Santa’s helper, join in with live animals in a nativity play, and decorate biscuits with Mrs Claus! Wow!
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Tudor Christmas Day and Fair; Tutbury Castle, Burton on Trent, Staffordshire, 20th December
There are some fantastic festive Tudor celebrations happening at Tutbury Castle which you won’t want to miss! Find out how Christmas was celebrated in these times, as well as lots of arts and crafts, singing and storytelling with Mrs Claus. There will also be a fairground, treasure hunt and plenty of Tudor music to enjoy!
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Sail to Santa; Martin Mere Nature Reserve, Ormskirk, Lancashire, 28th November – 22nd December
Take a trip on a very special boat to see Santa and his elves on their very own island! Children will receive a gift and they can also visit the craft room to make some festive goodies to take home.
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Christmas Family Workshop; Victoria Gallery and Museum, Liverpool, 19th December
This fun festive family workshop has plenty to keep the family entertained including Christmas card and festive scene crafts. There is also a very special screening of the much loved family film, Arthur Christmas.
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Ice Skating at the Centre for Life, Newcastle upon Tyne, 16th November – 21st February
Come along and enjoy a festive skate with all the family! Afterwards explore the fun and interesting things within the centre which should keep the little ones amused!
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Penguin Festival; Edinburgh Zoo, Edinburgh, 4th December – 6th January
See this spectacular exhibit which includes 120 black and white penguins stood in front of the mansion house. Then go on a hunt for five gold penguins which are hidden around the zoo! Watch the fantastic penguin parade and say hello to the resident penguins of Edinburgh Zoo.
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Winterland Express; W5 Science, Belfast, 28th November – 23rd December
Climb aboard the Winterland Express and take a ride to the Winterland Castle passing through the enchanted forest and into an icy cavern! There will be some exciting surprises that await you so pre-book to avoid disappointment!
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This is just a small selection of what’s happening near you this Christmas. Don’t forget to check out the events section on our website for loads more festive days out, as well as our ‘places to visit Santa’, and ‘Santa Trains’ blogs for more inspiration!
