Whether you're curious to know what to put in a Christmas Eve Box, or looking for treats to fill yours with, you'll find everything you need here to produce a dazzling Christmas Eve Box that works for all ages.

Christmas is firmly on its way, and now is a good time to start thinking about Xmas Eve box ideas for the kids. This new-ish tradition is growing in popularity, and the good news is that making one doesn’t have to be costly or timely either.

So, if you find yourself wondering what do you put inside a Christmas Eve box, or if you’re simply looking for gifts for your Christmas eve box for toddlers, we'll give you the full lowdown for Christmas 2022.

What is a Christmas Eve Box?

A Christmas Eve box is a box full of small treats that children are given the day or night before Christmas to get them into the festive spirit. Parents have succumb to its benefits, as it helps to prolong the celebrations, as well as take some of the intensity out of Christmas Day itself. And because the gifts are small treats, it shouldn’t cost too much – in fact, some families even use items they would have put in stockings.

How to create a Family Xmas Eve box?

Whether you call it a family Christmas Eve box or Santa Xmas Eve Box, they all serve the same purpose. There are no strict rules when it comes to making the perfect Christmas Eve box for your child. However, most gifts tend to be a ‘warm up’ for the big day, to get kids excited and feel excited about the big day itself.

First of all, it all starts with the box itself.

1. Buying a Christmas Eve Box

A Christmas Eve Box can be as cheap as a few pounds, to £100 or more. If you think you might use it again, it may be worth investing in a sturdy box.

The good news is that whether you’re after a personalised Christmas Eve box, or a simple cardboard box, there’s plenty of choice for every budget and style, here’s some of our favourites Xmas eve box ideas.

• Personalised Christmas Eve Box

There are some things Etsy can't be beat on, and when it comes to cute personalised Christmas gifts for kids, they're a winner. This is also the place to go to find a personalised Christmas eve box too. On average, expect to pay between £15-25 for a personalised box, that you can use over and again.

• Cardboard Boxes

The joy of using cardboard boxes is that they can easily be folded down to use year after year. These are also some of the easiest to find, everywhere from Amazon to The Works on the high-street.

• Budget Christmas Eve Boxes

If you’re looking to spend under a fiver, then you can nab a cheap Christmas Eve box Asda, PoundLand and many other similar stores. Or, better still – dig out an old gift box or parcel and jazz it up with festive wrapping paper – the kids will never know the difference!

• Wooden Christmas Eve box

At the high-end, wooden Christmas eve boxes are some of the most desirable, doubling up as a gorgeous keepsakes for years to come. Etsy is a great place to source these, especially if you’re after a personalised Christmas Eve box with your child’s name on. John Lewis also has a gorgeous wooden version while stock lasts.

2. Christmas Eve box fillers

What do you put inside a Christmas Eve box? Well, this all depends on the age of the child. Generally speaking, here’s some fool-proof fillers that you can use for any age group, but we have also listed some specific ideas by age below too.

• A letter from Santa
• Hot chocolate drink
• A festive book
• Kids Christmas pyjamas
• Snuggly footwear
• Festive films/DVDs
• A Hot Wheels car plate (see below)

What do you putin a Christmas Eve Box for a 1 year old?

When it comes Christmas eve box ideas for babies you’ll want to include slightly different items. After all, it’s baby’s first Christmas!

Here are some great ideas for inspiration for your Christmas eve box for baby:

• Christmas touch and feel book
• Cozy festive socks (Primark is always a winner)
• A Christmas bib
• Soft toy – elf, reindeer.. you get the picture!
• A cute kids plate to leave a carrot out for Santa and the reindeers.

Preschool Christmas Eve box ideas

What should you include in your Christmas eve box for toddlers? Plenty of fun, and treats that will get them to sleep with all the excitement going on….

Here’s a couple of ideas suitable for children between the age of 1 and 5

• A letter from Santa saying that if they go to sleep, he will come!
• Thomas & Friends™ kids plate – perfect for Christmas lunch the next day
• Novelty sprout chocolates (perfect for the plate!) or gold coins
• Hot chocolate stirrer, helping to ease them off to slumber!
• A tub of mini marshmallows for Christmas hot chocolates
• A new stocking to hang out for Santa
• ‘The Night Before Christmas’ book
• Santa stickers
• Christmas movie (Elf, The Snowman)
• Snuggly Christmas socks
• A mince pie
• Family card games (for Christmas day)
• Christmas theme pyjamas (the perfect Christmas gifts for the child who has everything)

3. Xmas Eve Box Fillers on a budget

The good news is that you don’t need to spend a fortune to make a great Christmas Eve box for children. Here’s some fun items, which can be sourced for under £30 – and it’s possible that you would have bought most of these as stocking fillers anywhere, so it’s just a case of moving them around!

• Hot chocolate stirrer
  

Belgium chocolate with a twist… or should we say stirrer. Serve before bedtime for all the snuggly feels, and throw in some marshmallows – don’t mind if you do!

• Kids Christmas Book
  

Stock up on cute kids’ books for Christmas, including ‘The Night Before Christmas’ and ‘Father Christmas Needs a Wee’ – a great bedtime read for Christmas Eve.

• Hot Wheels Car plate
  

The perfect pre-Christmas gift, use it to leave out a carrot for Rudolph, and then to eat your sprouts from the next day! What's not to love from the new Hot Wheels Car plate.

• Home Alone, DVD

There’s so many great Christmas films to enjoy, from Elf to The Snowman and Home Alone. Rated PG, The Grinch that Stole Christmas is a much-loved favourite

• Christmas Sticker and activity book
  

What could be more fun than a few activities to keep idle hands busy. All hail these pretty cool sticker and activity books.

• Snuggly socks

With fun designs that can be worn beyond Christmas, Joules have just what you need for getting all cosy this Christmas.

And another thing...

As if you didn't already have enough festive milestones, there's another celebration. Based on a similar idea to the Santa Xmas Eve box, have you heard of the 1 December box?

This is the same concept, except the treat box is given on the first of December instead of Christmas Eve, to stretch out the celebrations even longer. For this reason you might need to invest in a large Christmas eve box. Here's a few treats that you could include:

• Advent calendar
• Tree decoration
• Christmas biscuits
• Elf on the shelf
• Hot chocolate mug

Where does the Christmas Eve Box tradition come from?

It's a good question. Well, like many festive traditions, the Christmas Eve Box is believed to come from Germany. Unlike the UK, where we open gifts on Christmas Day, many European counties, including France and Germany, open their presents on December 24^th.

In recent years we have ‘repurposed’ the idea into a Christmas Eve box ahead of the big day.

Understandably, some parents believe it’s an unnecessary addition. However, a Christmas Eve box doesn’t have to be time-consuming or expensive, and can serve as a helpful way to get children to sleep the night before. It can also create a sense of occasion, helping to prolong the Christmas cheer for more than just one day.

In most cases, Christmas Eve boxes for toddlers are filled with items you would have put in their stockings anyway, including treats like cookies and socks. As an added touch, parents can include a note from Santa revealing that they are on the ‘nice list’, to make kids less anxious too.

Who do you give a Christmas Eve box to?

Although Christmas Eve boxes tend to be given to children from their parents, it’s not just for kids. In fact, many adults join in with the luxury of having a filled Christmas Eve box too. Since they do not come from Santa, you can get the kids involved in the process.

They can be given as a touching treat to family members, or you can even make a Christmas Eve box for baby or loved one.

Will you be joining the Christmas eve box for baby trend?

Gifts for toddlers who have everything can be hard to buy. However, a Christmas Eve Box is one of those items that is universally appreciated. And because it’s full of seasonal treats, it’s the perfect prelude to Christmas Day that all children will appreciate.

Xmas eve box fillers don’t have to cost the earth either. You can get creative and crafty, or go on a splurge and fill it with treats – after all, why should Santa get all the credit for the best gifts!

Christmas Eve boxes for toddlers bring a sense of occasion to the big day. At a time when we’re looking to make the most of the good times, it’s a nice way to keep the festive vibes going.