What to Put in a Christmas Eve Box: Ideas by Age and a Five-Part Formula
A Christmas Eve box is a small box of gifts opened on 24 December, usually the night before Christmas. A good one holds five things: something to wear, something to read, something to eat or drink, something to do and one keepsake that lasts. None of it needs to be expensive.
This guide covers the five-part formula, ideas by age from babies to adults, how to keep a box fair and affordable, and the safety checks worth making when young children are involved.
What is a Christmas Eve box?
It is a box, basket or bag of presents given on 24 December, ahead of Christmas Day. Better Homes and Gardens Australia describes the range as running from a cardboard box holding pyjamas and a Christmas book to an elaborate custom-made wooden chest.
Nobody can point to where it began. Retailers and magazines often link it to the German custom of opening presents on Christmas Eve, but that is a belief rather than documented history. Better Homes and Gardens quotes a UK consumer expert, speaking to the BBC, saying there is "no pretence this is an ancient tradition". It is a modern habit, and families make it their own.
There is an older cousin in Iceland. People there traditionally exchange gifts, including new books, after Christmas dinner on 24 December and then read into the night, often with chocolates. The custom is called jólabókaflóð, or the Christmas book flood. Penguin says its exact origin is unclear, though one popular theory links it to the Second World War, when imported goods were scarce and books made popular gifts.
The five-part Christmas Eve box
Contents lists differ, but the items fall into five groups. A typical list, such as the one Better Homes and Gardens Australia gives, runs from a Christmas book, a film and a snack to new pyjamas, slippers, a mug, hot chocolate and a new tree decoration.
- To wear. Pyjamas, slippers or warm socks. It is the one item that gets used that same night, and it makes the evening feel different.
- To read. A picture book, a chapter book, a puzzle book or a magazine, chosen for the person. A Christmas story to read together is the classic.
- To eat or drink. Hot chocolate and a small treat, or tea for adults. Check allergies and dietary needs if the box is for someone else's child.
- To do. A film for the evening, a colouring book, a board game or a simple craft.
- To keep. One small item with the person's name or the year on it, so it still means something in January. More on this below.
Christmas Eve box ideas by age
There is no age at which a Christmas Eve box has to stop. The contents change as the person does, and the keepsake is the part that stays.
| Who | To wear, eat and drink | To read and do | To keep |
|---|---|---|---|
| Babies and under-3s | Soft pyjamas or a sleepsuit | A board book, a soft toy | A keepsake for the parents' tree, with nothing small within the baby's reach |
| Ages 3 to 7 | Pyjamas, hot chocolate | A picture book, colouring and pencils, a short film | A bauble with their name, hung on the tree by them |
| Ages 8 to 12 | Pyjamas or slippers, a film snack | A chapter book, a board game, a puzzle | A bookmark for the new book, or a name bauble |
| Teenagers | Slippers or a hoodie, hot chocolate | A book or magazine, a film they choose | A bookmark or a keepsake bauble dated with the year |
| Adults and couples | Warm socks, tea or hot chocolate | A book, a puzzle, a film to watch together | A dated bauble for the shared tree |
| Pets | A new toy and a treat suited to their diet | A walk or a game on Christmas Eve | A bauble with their name |
A keepsake that lasts past Boxing Day
Pyjamas get outgrown and chocolate gets eaten. The part of the box that is still around in ten years is the keepsake. A name and a year engraved on a wooden ornament does the job, and it goes back on the tree every December.
From our own range, made to order in our workshop in North Wales, these suit a Christmas Eve box:
- A name bauble. Our personalised Christmas baubles can carry a name and the year. Our guide to what to write on a Christmas bauble has wording ideas.
- A pet, baby or family bauble. The keepsake Christmas baubles for pets, babies and families cover the whole household. For a baby's first Christmas, the baby handprint bauble is a keepsake for the parents rather than for the baby.
- A Santa key. For a family that follows the magic key tradition, the personalised Santa key can go in the box, and our guide to what a Santa key is and how to use one explains the tradition.
- A tag for the box. The personalised wooden Christmas gift tag is a round oak tag engraved with Happy Christmas and the person's name, which ties onto the lid.
- A bookmark to go with the book. The personalised wooden bookmark turns the book into a matching pair.
- A hug token for a pocket. The 40mm wooden hug token fits in a pocket or pencil case, and suits children aged 3 and over.
- A coaster for the mug. Our Christmas coasters sit under the hot chocolate.
Wooden ornaments, keys and tokens are keepsakes, not toys. Keep small pieces, and anything on string or ribbon, away from children under 3.
How to keep a Christmas Eve box fair, calm and affordable
- Set the budget before you shop, then divide it between the five parts instead of adding items as you go.
- Buy things you would buy anyway. Pyjamas, a book and a mug are presents that were already on the list, moved forward a night.
- Keep boxes equal in value across siblings, step-siblings and cousins, so nobody counts items.
- Reuse the box. Any box, crate or basket works, and bringing the same one out each year turns it into a ritual.
- Pick a time and keep it. After dinner or just before bed, the same each year, so the box does not become another job on 24 December.
- It is optional. Opinion is divided. Some families skip it because the children get plenty the next day, and that is a fair choice.
Safety checks before you fill the box
- Small parts. Trading Standards advise against giving toys with small detachable parts to children under 3, because children that age put things in their mouths and can choke on small parts and even packaging.
- Age labels and marks. Follow the age recommendation on toys, particularly the 0 to 3 symbol and the warning that a toy is not suitable for children under 36 months, and look for the UKCA or CE mark.
- Toys from unfamiliar sources. Check toys bought online, given as gifts or bought second-hand with extra care.
- Food and drink. Check allergies and dietary needs before adding anything edible, especially in a box for someone else's child.
Christmas Eve boxes for a class, nursery or group
A school class, nursery, scout or guide group or children's charity can give each child the same small keepsake in a box or bag. The You're a Star hug token can be engraved with each child's name, and is suited to children aged 3 and over. Our guide to Christmas gifts for pupils from their teacher covers class-set ideas, timing and tips, and schools can browse wooden Christmas products for schools.
Bulk discounts apply automatically at checkout, per product: 10% off 20+, 15% off 50+, 20% off 100+, 25% off 250+, 30% off 500+ and 35% off 1,000+.
All items are made to order. Dispatch time is shown at checkout. UK orders via Royal Mail Tracked 24. International via Royal Mail International Tracked.
Frequently asked questions
What do you put in a Christmas Eve box?
Five things: something to wear, such as pyjamas or slippers, something to read, something to eat or drink, something to do, such as a film or a game, and one keepsake with a name or a year on it. The ideas-by-age table above shows how the contents change from babies to adults.
When do you open a Christmas Eve box?
On the night before Christmas. There is no rule on the exact time. Most families pick one, such as after dinner or before bed, and keep it the same each year.
What age should you stop doing a Christmas Eve box?
There is no set age. Change what goes in rather than stopping: a book, a puzzle, warm socks and a hot drink suit teenagers and adults, and a dated keepsake still works at any age.
Where does the Christmas Eve box come from?
Nobody knows exactly. It is often linked to the German custom of opening presents on Christmas Eve, but that is a belief, and a UK consumer expert has said it is not an ancient tradition. Iceland has an older Christmas Eve habit of giving books and reading into the night.
Is a Christmas Eve box safe for a toddler?
It can be, if you leave out anything with small detachable parts. Trading Standards advise against giving children under 3 toys with small detachable parts, and recommend following the age labels on toys. Keep wooden ornaments, tokens and anything on string or ribbon out of a toddler's reach.
Also see: our personalised stocking fillers, wooden Christmas decorations and gifts and our guide to what a Santa key is.
Sources
Facts checked against these sources in November 2026.
