6 fun festive ideas for a lockdown Christmas

We’ve known for some time that this lockdown Christmas is going to be a little bit different for us this year. So, what can we do with our loved ones, regardless of the current tiered system and other restrictions?
We do not know for sure yet if restaurants and pubs may continue to be allowed to operate— but that does not have to stop you from having fun this Christmas. Here are six ideas to help you to enjoy your lockdown Christmas.
1. Turn your Secret Santa into a socially distanced event
Whether it’s in your workplace or another setting, such as a hobby club, Secret Santas are a standard part of the run-up to Christmas for many of us. This year, however, it is highly likely that you or many of your work colleagues may be either furloughed or working from home, while it is improbable that any club you belong to will be having live meetings.
However, that does not mean a Secret Santa is impossible. One option would be to arrange it all by post, with the organiser gathering addresses and passing the presents on to the recipients.
Another option might be to have a virtual Secret Santa, with presents restricted to items that can be given online. This could be anything from downloads of music, books or films to vouchers that can be saved up for when the restrictions start to ease off.
2. Have a virtual Christmas Jumper Day
Like every year, Save the Children are inviting us all to wear the most decorative and unusual Christmas jumpers we can find for their annual Christmas Jumper Day, on 11th December. Its always been an opportunity to have fun, get into the Christmas spirit and raise money for a great cause.
This year, you might not be in the workplace, but that should not stop you from celebrating. The likelihood is that you will be having a virtual meeting that day, whether on Zoom, Teams or any other platform, so why not organise that to be where you show off your Christmas jumper?
3. Enjoy an evening at a socially distanced cinema
Over the summer, pop-up drive-in cinemas sprang up all over the country. The great advantage of these is that, because you remain in your car throughout, you’re only in contact with the people you arrive with — and, unless you have a very large car, there are unlikely to be more than six of you.
Some of these venues are back for the holiday period, while other more permanent ones have established socially distanced seating to ensure safety. So, when the lockdown is over, why not share the glow of a Christmas film on the big screen with members of your household or bubble -if you are able to?
4. Go gliding over the ice
A “proper” Christmas involves thick snow and frozen ponds you can go skating on. Of course, we very rarely get snow at Christmas in the UK, except in the mountains, and even if ponds do freeze, they are unlikely to be safe for skating.
However, there are usually festive ice-rinks open in London and elsewhere during the holiday season. A number of these were planning to be open, with careful distancing policies in place, and these plans will hopefully continue after the lockdown.
Depending on the restrictions in place in December, you will probably have to book a pre-arranged slot for your group of up to six, in order to enable the distancing. Once there, though, you can enjoy gliding over the ice — either on your skates or on your back.
5. Have your own Bake-Off — gingerbread house style
Everyone’s favourite baking show is back on TV, but there is no reason not to organise your own Christmas Bake-Off. Why not get either the members of your bubble or five of your friends to bake their own gingerbread house?
It would hardly be practical, of course, for all of you to be baking at the same time in the same kitchen, but you could always make use of the classic “one I prepared earlier”. Each of you can have baked the house parts, and then have a set time to assemble a stunning house.
You can even have an independently chosen winner by uploading the entries to Instagram and holding a poll to determine the favourite.
6. Get trivial with a Christmas quiz
See how much you really know about the most magical time of the year by testing your trivia knowledge with a Christmas quiz. You can hold it live and include questions on favourite Christmas movies, songs, and folklore.
Whatever the coming months are going to bring us, if you be creative, you can still get into the spirit of Christmas. All of us at Osborne Morris & Morgan would like to wish you happiness, peace and safety through the lockdown Christmas and beyond.