How to have a minimal waste Christmas with small children

We Brits bin the equivalent of 108 million rolls of wrapping paper each Christmas. But it just takes a little creativity to find alternatives. 
In our house, throughout the year we collect wrapping paper, ribbons, fabric bags, in fact anything that we can reuse to make a present look pretty. It’s all stored in a big chest and we all love diving in and seeing what gems are in there. You could also reuse newspaper and add a sprig of holly for decoration, opt for recycled brown paper, or go Japanese and wrap your gifts in fabric, it’s called Furoshiki.
There are lots of tutorials on YouTube, but if it looks too complicated you can buy fabric swatches ready sewn with ribbons on. They’re not cheap, so each Christmas/birthday I buy one and we’re slowly building up a stock of them.

Stuck for present ideas? Well recently, instead of filling my relatives’ houses with yet more stuff, I’ve opted for buying experiences.
Buyagift is a great option with its huge and varied selection of experience ideas. They have over x 4500 different options for everyone from your toddler to Great Grandma. I particularly like their gifts for families. With everything from family days out to theme parks and cookery lessons, even the grumpiest eleven-year-old boy won’t be bored.
An experience is such a wonderful gift for a family, because not only do they get to have fun, but you’re also giving them the gift of time together. And after all, that is what Christmas is all about.

No one wants a huge plastic ride on in their house, no matter how much your three-year-old will love it. So, be bold and offer present guidance to well-meaning Grandparents, Aunts and Uncles.
Personally, I dislike writing a detailed list, it feels a little too materialistic, but I will tell them the types of things I know my kids would love to receive. I also like to guide them towards good quality brands whose toys will last.

The pressure at Christmas to spend, spend, spend can be huge. But you don’t have to spend the earth to bring a smile to your children’s faces. I love browsing in our local charity shops for books and toys for the kids.

It’s amazing what you can find there at a very reasonable price. And then when the children have out-grown them, providing they’re still in good condition, they can just be returned there.

Indulgence, calories and good food are all part of the Christmas celebrations, but it can also create a huge amount of food waste. A bit of careful planning of meals can help prevent this.
Before the big day, research some recipes for using up Turkey meat. Have it sliced and cold as part of a Christmas supper and then use it in a pie, as a curry or even part of a stir fry on subsequent days.
The options are endless.

As a family we always take a festive walk after Christmas lunch to work off a few calories. It helps to get everyone out in the fresh air, particularly the kids. It could just be as far as the local pub or to see a close friend/relative.

There are so many fun games, suitable for the whole family that require nothing except a willingness to participate and a sense of humour. Some of our family favourites include; murder in the dark, sardines, Pictionary and happy families. Getting members of your family to pull together a quiz can also be quite hilarious too. My uncle does one called ‘Universally Challenged’ which is totally impossible and distinctly unfair with points being given/removed for no apparent reason. But it always leaves us in stitches.

So, this does require a little effort, but I promise you it’s worth it. Take a leaf out of The Good Life’s Tom and Barbara’s book and make your own crackers.
Save toilet rolls and fill them with newspaper hats, a small gift and some terrible jokes. They might not snap when you pull them, but that doesn’t really matter.
One year we did underwear crackers. I loved seeing everyone’s faces when they got a new pair of knickers with their Christmas meal. While you’re at it, why not make your own Christmas wreathor Christmas jumper?

Encourage Santa to gift you some sustainable items that’ll see you through 2020. A bamboo toothbrush, beeswax food wrap, bars of soap and reusable face wipes are just a few ideas of what you could wake up to on Christmas morning alongside your orange.

If you spend too much time on Pinterest, you may think there are new Christmas decoration trends that you need to buy into. But save your time and money and instead opt for reusing decorations from years past.
We still own decorations that my Grandparents hung on their tree. They are some of my favourite pieces as they are full of nostalgia and memories.
Naturally with little ones around decorations get broken. So, each year Father Christmas puts one new decoration in each person’s stocking.
Our Christmas tree never looks like something from a magazine, but then again with kids whose does?