Christmas Eve box ideas: what to put in one (kids, teens and adults)
New pyjamas, a book, a film, a hot chocolate and something for Father Christmas: what goes in a Christmas Eve box at every age, and how to put one together.
A Christmas Eve box is a small box opened on the evening of 24 December, before bed: new pyjamas, a Christmas book, a film, a hot chocolate and a treat are the usual contents. It is there to slow the evening down, not to add to the presents. Below is what to put in one at every age, from a baby’s first Christmas to teenagers, adults and couples, and how to pack the box. Boxes and crates to fill are in our Christmas Eve boxes collection.
What is a Christmas Eve box?
It is a family tradition more than a present. The box gathers what the evening needs, so children have a reason to put pyjamas on early and settle down with a book or a film while the house gets ready for Christmas Day. eParenting describes the fillers as small, inexpensive pleasures, and that is the right scale: nothing should compete with the next morning.
Nobody agrees where it began. Hello magazine links it to the German custom of opening presents on Christmas Eve, while eParenting calls it a fairly new arrival in the UK, after a decade or so of popularity in the US. Its closest cousin is Iceland’s Jólabókaflóð, the Christmas book flood, in which books are given on Christmas Eve, a habit that dates from 1944.
What to put in a Christmas Eve box: the five-part formula
Whatever the age, most boxes are built from the same five parts. Pick one or two items from each row and the box is done.
| Part | What it does | Ideas |
|---|---|---|
| Something to wear | Gets everyone into pyjamas early, and into the Christmas morning photos | Pyjamas, slippers, Christmas socks, a onesie, a Christmas jumper for the next day |
| Something to read | Ends the evening quietly in bed | The Night Before Christmas, The Polar Express, The Snowman, a personalised story, an annual |
| Something to watch or play | Fills the hour between tea and bath | A Christmas film, a card game, charades cards, a jigsaw, a colouring or sticker book |
| Something to eat or drink | Turns the evening into a small party | Hot chocolate and a Christmas mug, chocolate coins, gingerbread, popcorn, homemade biscuits |
| Something for Father Christmas | Sets up the night’s routine | Reindeer food without glitter, Santa’s magic key for a house without a chimney, a letter from Santa, a mince pie for his plate |
Wash new pyjamas once before they go in the box, then pack them on top. They are the first thing out and the first thing on.
Christmas Eve box ideas for kids, by age
Five to eight items is enough for a child: enough to unpack slowly, not so many that Christmas morning starts a day early.
Babies and toddlers (under 3)
- Christmas pyjamas or a sleepsuit, one size up so they still fit in January
- A soft toy that can be kept as a keepsake
- A touch-and-feel or lift-the-flap Christmas board book
- A first Christmas bauble or a dated tree decoration
- A bath toy for the Christmas Eve bath
- For the parents: a hot chocolate and a tin of biscuits
Leave out anything with small parts and check toys for an age warning. The NHS says whole nuts should not be given to children under 5, as they can choke on them, so skip nutty chocolates too.
Children aged 4 to 8
- Christmas or character pyjamas and slippers
- A Christmas storybook to read in bed
- A bag of reindeer food to scatter outside: our reindeer food recipe is safe for the birds and foxes that eat it after the reindeer
- Santa’s magic key, to hang on the front door if there is no chimney
- A letter from Santa that mentions something they did this year, as a reply to the letter to Santa they sent earlier in December
- A sticker or colouring book and a few pencils
- Chocolate coins or a chocolate Santa
- A new decoration to hang on the tree before bed
- A small torch for watching the sky for the sleigh
- A mini gingerbread house kit from our Kids & Elf range, to build after tea
Children aged 9 to 12
- A chapter book or an annual from a series they already read
- A card game or a family game for after tea
- Fluffy socks or slippers
- A craft kit, such as a beginner’s knitting or decoration kit
- A hot chocolate kit with marshmallows and a stirrer
- A puzzle or wordsearch book
- A film for the family to watch together
- Thank-you cards to write after Christmas
- Popcorn or a bag of their favourite sweets
Christmas Eve box ideas for teenagers
A teenager may be past reindeer food, but an evening of pyjamas, a film and snacks still works at 16. Make the box about comfort and the night in, not about Father Christmas.
- Lounge pants, a hoodie or a matching set instead of pyjamas
- Fluffy socks or sliders
- A face mask, a lip balm or a hand cream in a Christmas scent
- Their favourite snacks and a big bag of popcorn
- A film or the first series of a show to start that night
- A book by an author they already like, or a graphic novel
- A long charging cable for the phone in bed
- A party game for the family, such as charades cards
- A photo from this year, printed and framed
- A mug with a hot chocolate or a flavoured coffee sachet
Christmas Eve box ideas for adults and couples
For adults
- A luxury hot chocolate or a miniature bottle of fizz
- A scented candle in a winter fragrance
- A monogrammed or Christmas mug
- Slippers or bed socks
- Bath bombs or a bath oil
- A lipstick or a mini hand cream
- A Christmas jigsaw for Boxing Day
- A book for the quiet days between Christmas and New Year
- New pyjamas or a dressing gown
For couples and the whole family
- Matching pyjamas for the two of you, or for everyone in the house
- Two mugs and a hot chocolate kit
- A film, a bag of popcorn and a blanket
- A card game for two, or a board game for the family
- A bottle of wine or mulled wine and two glasses
- A treat for the dog or cat, never chocolate
How to put a Christmas Eve box together
- Choose the box. A wooden crate with the family name lasts for years; a lidded gift box does for one. A base at least the size of an A4 sheet and 10 to 15cm of depth lets folded pyjamas lie flat with a book and a mug beside them.
- Set the number: five to eight items for a child, three to five for an adult.
- Buy the pyjamas first, in the right size, and wash them once.
- Add the book, the film or game, and the treat.
- Add the Father Christmas item last: reindeer food, the key or the letter.
- Pack the pyjamas on top, close the lid, write the name on the label and hide the box until Christmas Eve.
When to open a Christmas Eve box
The usual time is after tea and before the bath, so the pyjamas go straight on and the book goes up to bed. In 2026 Christmas Eve falls on Thursday 24 December. If you are travelling that day, pack the box in the car or hand it over on Wednesday 23 December.
Filling your own or buying one ready-made
A box you fill yourself costs only what you put in it, and every item can be chosen for the child. A ready-made box saves a shopping trip in the busiest week of the year. Small extras such as socks, chocolate and games come from our stocking fillers.
Elves Behavin' Badly
Mini elf-design Christmas Eve box, 26.5 x 17 x 8.5 cm, hinged lid
If you would rather start from an empty crate, the Christmas Eve boxes range has boxes to fill. They sit in our Kids & Elf collection, next to elf props and gingerbread house kits for the rest of December.
Frequently asked questions
What usually goes in a Christmas Eve box?
New pyjamas, a Christmas book, a film or a game, a hot chocolate and a small treat are the usual contents. Many families add something for the night’s routine, such as a bag of reindeer food or a letter from Santa.
What are some ideas for filling a Christmas Eve box for kids?
For under-3s, a soft toy, a board book and a sleepsuit. For ages 4 to 8, pyjamas, a storybook, reindeer food and Santa’s magic key. For 9 to 12, a chapter book, a card game, slippers and a hot chocolate kit.
What do you put in a Christmas Eve box for adults?
Something to wear, something to sip and something to do: bed socks or slippers, a luxury hot chocolate or a miniature of fizz, and a film, a jigsaw or a book for the days after Christmas. A scented candle or bath oil suits an adult box too.
When do you open a Christmas Eve box?
On the evening of 24 December, usually after tea and before the bath, so the new pyjamas go straight on. In 2026 that is Thursday 24 December. Some families give it at lunchtime so the box’s film fills the afternoon.
Where does the Christmas Eve box tradition come from?
Its origin is unclear. Some link it to the German custom of opening presents on Christmas Eve, others note it was popular in the US before it caught on in the UK. Iceland has a close relative in Jólabókaflóð, where books are given on Christmas Eve.
What are the 5 gift rule Christmas ideas?
The five gift rule is a popular parenting rule, not an official one: something they want, something they need, something to wear, something to read and something to do. A Christmas Eve box can cover the wear and read parts with pyjamas and a book.
What can I put in a Christmas Eve box for a baby?
A sleepsuit or pyjamas one size up, a touch-and-feel Christmas book, a soft toy to keep and a first Christmas bauble. Avoid small parts, and add a hot chocolate for the parents, who will be the ones opening it.
Is a Christmas Eve box the same as a stocking?
No. The Christmas Eve box is opened by the family on Christmas Eve to wind down before bed. The stocking is filled overnight by Father Christmas and opened on Christmas morning.
