Well this years things to do in December list was much more fun to put together than previous years, and it seems to be the new norm that we all get into the festive spirit a lot earlier these days – I am absolutely here for it! I’ve got my December packed full of things and thought I’d share some Christmas/December inspiration with you. Here’s over 70 things to do in December and tick off your December bucket list. 

I’ve broken it down into categories including days out, indoor fun for cosy days at home, winter activities and then all sorts of other things. I started sharing my Christmas stuff on Instagram in November this year, so I started early too. I also shared a Christmas disclaimer, where I said with the current state of the economy, the cost of living and the struggles everyone is facing this year I’m going to really try focus on the events that are free, or that support local businesses and generally take the pressure off. So that’s the focus this year including for Blogmas.

December Days Out 

Go to your local Christmas market if it’s on, and not just the big city ones. Smaller towns often have either their own weekly/monthly markers with a more festive feel, or host one off market events. In the North East the Newcastle market is in full swing with the alpine bar Moosenwirt back this year, South Causey Inn have one every Tuesday through December, and Jesmond Dene House are hosting one 3rd December as are the Boiler Shop and Raby Castle, with Hexham market on the 9th and Ouseburn market on the 10th-11th.

I’ve spotted a few Winter Wonderlands advertised including the Newcastle one at Gosforth racecourse which opens on the 15th December. These places usually have more than just market stalls and include fairground rides and ice skating.

Plan a day trip on the train to another Christmas market. I’m going to Edinburgh and also hoping I get to York this year. Here’s some of the most festive spots in York if you are heading that way.

Go see the Christmas window displays, everything from the annual department stores like Fenwicks window, Selfridges, Harrods to the local independent ones. Corbridge has some beautiful ones, as does Morpeth, Alnwick and Rothbury.

Go to a Panto. My idea of hell but I know a lot of people love it. We used to always go at Christmas with grandparents so if you’re into it then see what’s on. If you’re in Newcastle here’s the big Panto guide to what’s on. There’s Pinocchio at the Theatre Royal, Beauty and the Beast at Sunderland Empire, Cinderella at Whitley Bay Playhouse and lots more.

Go on a long winter walk, again here’s some inspiration I shared in past years for walks in the North East.

Visit a National trust, English Heritage or different venue or park for a day out. Raby Castle is lovely with all the deer, Bamburgh is incredible, with their 12 Days of Christmas display – this one was from last year but this year the theme is the Christmas Kingdom, I keep seeing Harewood House in North Yorkshire everywhere and that also looks amazing. Places like this go all out and they’re always worth a trip.

Visit the snow leopards at Northumberland zoo. I loved seeing them in winter read my full blog here.

Go ice skating. A lot of the ice rinks stay for longer than just the run up to Christmas and will be around in January too. In Newcastle the ice rink at the Life Centre is back, in Edinburgh there’s one on George Street and I think Cramlington always has one too. This year Matfen Hall have a champagne ice skating experience that I’m really excited about!

Do a local light trail. There’s one at Alnwick Garden, Durham, and Beamish Hall in the North East off the top of my head. There’s bound to be them all over the country. This year there is one in the centre of Newcastle at Leazes Park, the Northern Lights trail. Find details and tickets to visit here.

Go to a sports event and make a day of it. As a kid I used to go to the football every Boxing Day and New Year’s Day if Newcastle were playing at home. If you’re not lucky enough to get tickets in the ballot, here’s where to watch football in Newcastle.

Festive Food & Drink

Have a cheese and wine tasting night. Or swap this for your favourite drink instead, a gin tasting night? There are some lovely winter gins you could prepare all the different garnish to go with them. My favourites in winter are Poetic License Fireside gin or Opihr gin. The North East Tasting Club is hosting a night at Toast in Tynemouth on 6th December, and she also does bespoke events if you contact her directly on Instagram. I’ve done it myself it’s brilliant!

Go to a festive afternoon tea. They’re nearly all the same in terms of food with turkey and cranberry sandwiches, but it’s a nice thing to do with friends and family and there are some really unique venues across the North East. Here’s my updated post on the afternoon teas in Newcastle and the North East.

Try the seasonal coffees and hot chocolates, from the usual places like Starbucks and Costa but also go to your local cafes who are bound to have some good ones. At the coast my favourite is Dil & the Bear in Whitley Bay, Nucasa in Jesmond is also great and I spotted that Horticulture have a delicious looking White Hot Chocolate.

Do a festive bottomless brunch. I shared some of the places in Newcastle offering bottomless festive brunch in this post, there’s lots of choices, price points and different menus depending on your preference. A great afternoon out with the girls.

Visit a Tipi, Igloo or Christmas pop up. These are everywhere and even though they’re a bit of a novelty it’s fun to do something different. Gino’s have some pods on the Newcastle quayside, Moosenwirt is the alpine bar in Newcastle, and there’s the Lazy Bear tipi by central station.

Do your Christmas food order early enough! As well as ordering from supermarkets browse some of the local bakeries, the Grainger market and independent traders. They often close for orders earlier. 21 at Home is back for Christmas including their unbelievable seafood platters from Saltwater Fish.

Make mulled wine or mulled cider. Here’s my recipe that could be used for both.

Take advantage of all the festive menus at your favourite restaurants. And try out the local cafes too, I had a lovely festive toastie at Etto in Gosforth. Trenchers are doing a set festive menu at Spanish City, Six at the Baltic offer a fabulous dinner with a view, and all the restaurants of Newcastle are pulling out all the stops.

Make and decorate a gingerbread house. Does anyone actually have time to make them from scratch? Lots of places do them pre made that you just have to decorate, Good Housekeeping list 15 of them here.

Do a Christmas dinner trial run, or make one with friends, housemates or people other than who you’ll be spending Christmas Day with.

Bake and decorate Christmas cookies, or cheat and buy them. This is a lot harder than it looks as I discovered last year when I had way to much time on my hands.

Christmas Shopping

Support local shops or businesses as much as possible. Buy something from their stalls at fairs or markets, share their posts on social media or better yet share your own promoting them. Recommend them to people too.

Treat yourself to something you’ve wanted for a while. My favourite person to shop for at Christmas is myself.

Shop the Boxing Day sales. My favourite ones are the travel ones.

Self Care

Get some festive nail designs.

Book a spa day or pamper day in the middle of all the mayhem to recharge. We had a spa day to Beau Monde spa in Northumberland last December and it was great.

Light candles just because they’re pretty. You can’t beat Jo Malone Orange Bitters, but the natural stall at the Newcastle Christmas market has some amazing smelling ones, so does the South Causey Christmas market.

Read books by the fire. My go to this year is by a local author and it’s set in Northumberland. Mistletoe and Mulled Wine at the Christmas Campervan – how festive!

Turn your phone off for a day.

Get your hair done.

Make sure you get outside in daylight hours, even if it’s just for a short walk.

Say no to plans if you’re feeling a bit burnt out.

Get Crafty

Make your own Christmas pot pourri. It’s so expensive to buy and all you need are dried fruit, pine cones and berries. If you don’t want to gather all this yourself because it is a bit of a faff on Amazon sell small bags that are a lot cheaper than pre made ones. And so are the different scent oils you can buy to add to it.

Make your own – Christmas cards, decorations and wrapping gift tags. @millergrey on instagram always has excellent festive decoration and gift tag ideas.

Do a wreath making class or event. The National Trust are running all sorts of craft events, take a look here. I’ve shared my full list of wreath making events in the North East here.

Do a winter photo challenge, a photo a day of all things festive and wintery. Pinterest has some good lists for these.

Have an afternoon of Christmas wrapping, with your favourite film on and a Baileys.

Be Charitable

Send Christmas cards if it’s still something you like to do. Or you could donate the money to a charity instead. Where possible buy your cards from local sellers rather than mainstream, they’re often much nicer. I’m donating to the North East Feed the Homeless charity this year who put on Christmas Dinner in Newcastle Central Station.

If you’re able to, buy something extra at the supermarket to support a charity, or donate money if at all possible. At Christmas some of the best ones are for underprivileged kids, the elderly who can often be especially lonely at Christmas, or the homeless. 

Donate to food banks. Especially the NUFC food bank where every donation goes a lot further thanks to the matched donation this season from the owners.

Buy a homeless person a coffee or a festive bake.

Have a clear out and donate anything worthwhile to charity.

Volunteer your time for a charity, cause or event.

There’s a lot of different ways to give back or be charitable at this time of year, here’s 15 good deeds that I shared during Blogmas 2020.

Traditional Christmas Fun 

Decorate the house! Go buy a real tree – here’s where from in the North East, decorate the one you have, put the lights up, get the Christmas candles out. There’s a lot of North East pick your own – Brockbushes Farm, Northern Rugby club and Lamesley Farm.

Join in Christmas Jumper Day. This year it is Thursday 7th December.

Visit a new city abroad. My favourites are Paris, Amsterdam, Copenhagen and New York.

Do a Christmas scavenger hunt or Go Fetch.

Go for a drive to see all the neighbourhood Christmas lights.

I wrote this post on how to do a Christmas market at home a couple of years ago so although they are back properly now you could still have one at home too for a festive night in.

Prepare your Christmas table scape.

Take part in Secret Santa.

Play charades with the family.

Make your own Christmas playlist so you don’t have to skip all the songs you don’t like.

Play board games.

Have a Christmas film or Christmas Netflix day, with hot chocolate, snacks and pyjamas on.

Do a Christmas karaoke– again, my idea of hell.

Record and watch all the Christmas special TV programs. Or rewatch old favourites. I’m a big fan of the Royle Family specials. Just not Mrs Browns Boys.

Take part in a Christmas quiz, either at the pub or do your own. Mine will be coming soon!

Make a Christmas Eve box. Who says these have to be for just kids?

For between Christmas – New Year 

Do the Boxing Day or New Year’s Day dip.

Book a hotel break to relax and unwind after all the festive fun. I loved Middleton Lodge last year. There’s also plenty of glamping choices, hot tub hotels and lodges in the North East.

Go in an outdoor hot tub when it’s freezing outside.

Make plans to see someone you haven’t for ages.

Fill your new planner or diary with important dates and plans.

Go glamping somewhere with a log burner and fire pit if you can get booked. I’ve done so many this year and loved Forcett Grange, Yurtshire and the Stilt House in the Scottish Borders. If not you could just make a fire on the beach with your friends.

Go for a country walk somewhere different.

Set yourself goals and resolutions. We all do it.

Make an achievable bucket list for 2024.

Eat leftovers and stay in your pyjamas all day.

Go back through your camera roll, there’s bound to be more on there than you remember from the past year. Back them up!

Book a meal for New Years Eve, it doesn’t have to be a big night out.

Watch the fireworks if there are local displays running near you. Please don’t do your own and scare all the dogs they went through enough on Bonfire night!

Other posts you might like:

Festive Bottomless Brunch in Newcastle

Pick Your Own Christmas Tree in the North East

Meet me On The Corner for Festive Afternoon Tea

Bamburgh Castle – 12 Days of Christmas

Festive Afternoon Tea in Newcastle and the North East for 2023

Festive Spots to Visit in York