There are so many Christmas traditions to start with your child, but rather than trying to do every single one, the only one you really need to do is the Santa plates for Christmas Eve. Whether you use an old family tray or are looking for a new one to use every year with your little ones, it's the one tradition your children will grow up loving.
Popping a mince pie, glass of milk and carrot on a Christmas Eve plate or tray is so simple, but it's such a magical moment for children and will become one of their favourite parts of Christmas, including popping those all important first baubles and decors on the tree.
Best Santa plates for Christmas Eve at a glance:
• Best value Santa plates for Christmas eve: Elf Christmas Eve Fine China Plate - buy here on John Lewis.
• Best Santa tray for Christmas eve: Christmas Eve Tray Keepsake - buy here on Etsy.
• Best durable Santa tray for Christmas eve: Christmas Eve Treat Board for Santa - buy here on Etsy.
Little ones will love running to their Santa plates to find he's eaten the snacks they left out for him and his reindeers. From personalised Santa plates to traditional designed trays, who knew so much magic could come from such a simple item?
Best value Santa plates for Christmas Eve
www.johnlewis.com
How lovely is this design? The Elf Christmas Eve Fine China Plate is marked out so that your child knows where to leave the special treats for Santa and his reindeers. It's made from fine china and is also microwave safe, just in case Santa wants to warm up his mince pie!
Pros
- Easy to clean
- Great value
Cons
- No onsite reviews
Dimensions: | 27.1 x 1.9cm |
Material: | Fine china |
Dishwasher safe: | Yes |
Microwave safe: | Yes |
- Dishwasher safe
- Microwave safe
- Timeless design
Best Santa tray for Christmas Eve
www.etsy.com
With arrow and text placements for where to put the everything, this Christmas Eve Tray Keepsake will last years, and can be personalised with the family name too. The tray is sturdy with plenty of space for tats. It also has a hand painted red rim for a little festive feel.
One customer wrote: "Love the plate so much!! Will be an ongoing tradition for Christmas eve. Also, owner was so accommodating to send me a new one as the first one was chipped during shipping. Thank you!" Another wrote: "Exactly as pictured. Love the durability of a tin tray compared to a glass platter. Do wish the placement was a bit more spaced out to allow for an actual glass of milk, carrots, and cookies without covering text. However it is very cute."
Pros
- Engraved for longevity
- Easy to clean
Cons
- Some mentioned the text would be better spaced out
Dimensions: | 33.5 x 23.5 x 2cm |
Material: | Stainless steel |
Dishwasher safe: | Yes |
Microwave safe: | No |
Best personalised Santa plates for Christmas Eve
www.notonthehighstreet.com
A simple design, the Personalised Christmas Eve China Plate or Saucer features the choice of Santa or Rudolph in the centre of the plate. You can then choose a message or name to add on to the plate, along with the option of personalising a message on the back.
One review said: "This is my third purchase from Seahorse, I have bought a Christmas plate for each of my grandchildren as I like to treat them all the same. These gifts have been very well received and if any more grandchildren come along, I shall be ordering more."
Pros
- Can be personalised
- Choose between a Santa and Rudolph design
Cons
- Very basic design
Large side plate: | 21cm |
Large saucer: | 17.5cm |
Material: | Bone china |
- Personalise with name
- Add writing to the back of the plate
- Adjust writing colour
Best simple design Santa plates for Christmas Eve
ON SALE
www.notonthehighstreet.com
The Tartan Tree Christmas Plate has three trees featured in the middle of the plate, in the colours red and blue. It's a simple design with text that looks hand written, and you can personalise it with a name for who the Christmas Eve treats are from.
Pros
- Personalise with children's names
- Plate is easy and light for children to hold
Cons
- No onsite reviews
Dimensions: | 20.5cm |
Material: | Ceramic |
Dishwasher safe: | N/A |
- Personalised
Best Santa plates for Christmas Eve with placements
www.dunelm.com
With a festive design, the Christmas Eve Treat Plate has a milk, mince pie and carrot placement to make it easier for children to know where to put the treats. It's a great value plate and can be used every year. It's also dishwasher and microwave safe.
Pros
- Placement markers for the treats
- Good value
Cons
- No onsite review
Dimensions: | 26.5 x 3.1cm |
Material: | Porcelian |
Dishwasher safe: | Yes |
Microwave safe: | Yes |
- Made from high quality porcelain
- Festive Christmas Eve design
- Dishwasher and microwave safe
Best platter Santa plate for Christmas Eve
www.my1styears.com
This sweet and stylish Personalised Santa Christmas Platter from My 1st Years is the perfect plate for Santa's treats this Christmas Eve. With a painted festive design, the bamboo plate can also be personalised with names or initials, for a little bit more of a personal touch.
Pros
- Charming design
- Option to personalise
Cons
- The more characters used, the smaller the text appears
Dimensions: | 22.5 x 1.5cm |
Material: | Bamboo |
Dishwasher safe: | No, wipe clean only |
- Personalisation option
- UV printed
- Painted festive pattern
Best durable Santa tray for Christmas Eve
www.etsy.com
Laser engraved onto a wooden board, the Christmas Eve Treat Board for Santa is beautifully designed. You can even add personalisation sending a message to Father Christmas, 'with love' from names of your choice. The sturdy design also means you can use it every year.
One review said: "This is such a beautiful quality item. I looked at lots of these boards and I’m so glad I paid a little more than I planned and went with this one. It looks even better in reality than it does in the photos. I look forward to using it every year"
Pros
- Gift wrapping available
- Personalise with names
Cons
- Some mentioned it is smaller than expected
Dimensions: | 30 x 20cm |
Material: | Hevea wood |
Engraving: | Laser |
- Default message: 'Merry Christmas! With Love from ...'
- Laser engraving
- Sturdy tray
Best lightweight Santa plates for Christmas Eve
to help avoid prtypos
www.etsy.com
This Personalised Christmas Eve Santa Treat Wooden Board is printed placements for Santa's treats and Rudolph's carrot, along with a personalised name (or names) of choice. It's a lightweight board, making it easy for little hands to hold and carry.
One customer wrote: "Absolutely gorgeous Santa board, loved it and so did my nephews!! Speedy delivery also. Really happy" Another wrote: "Absolutely beautiful product. Totally worth the money. Fast delivery too. I would definitely order again."
Pros
- Colourful board
- Lightweight
Cons
- Washing with water might damage the board
Dimensions: | 20 x 1.5 x 30cm |
Material: | Wood |
Washing instructions: | Wipe with dry cloth |
- Lightweight
- UV printed
Best enamel Santa plates for Christmas Eve
www.notonthehighstreet.com
The Personalised Treats For Santa Enamel Tray can be personalised with children's names and you can even choose between four colours for the rim. It's a sturdy design and there is plenty of room to add lots of treats for Santa and his hard working reindeers.
Pros
- Sturdy
- Can be personalised with rim colour and names
Cons
- Not technically a plate
Dimensions: | 33.5 x 23.5 x 2.2cm |
Material: | Steel with enamel coating |
Dishwasher safe: | Yes |
Washing instructions: | Clean with warm water |
- Enamel coating
- 4 x colour choices
- Personalisation
Best Santa tray topper
www.milkandmore.co.uk
Leaving milk out is another festive tradition and this glass bottle from Milk&More makes a wonderful keepsake and topper to your Santa tray. It can hold up to 250 millilitres of milk.
Reviewed by our Commercial Content Writer Arabella Horspool: "This Milk For Santa glass bottle is made from high quality glass and is a nice keepsake that can be reused year after year. It's easy to fill up and it comes with a lid to keep the contents fresh."
Pros
- Lid included
- Text is easy to read
Cons
- Glass, so could break when dropped
Do I need a Santa plate or tray?
You can use any plate, tray or board to put out a drink and snacks for Santa's arrival. But by having a special Santa plate or tray to use every Christmas eve, will make the moment feel very special for your little one and can even be turned into a family tradition.
Samantha Ball is a Commercial Content Writer for Mother&Baby and freelanced for the website for two years before joining the team full time. She's a mum of two and loves browsing for the best products and cute outfits.