Our 10-steps to a magical day before the big one.

’Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the house… well, if we’re honest – there’s likely to be a lot stirring. Overexcited youngsters, last-minute preparations, guests arriving, who has taken the Sellotape and where is it now? In among all that happy chaos it’s nice to have a plan to help make Christmas Eve not just smooth, but magical. This is our checklist to do just that.

1. Take a moment for a ramble in the winter gloaming, expend some pent-up energy and reset before the festivities. Wellies for a splashy walk; earmuffs for a chilly one.
      
2. Christmas Eve hot chocolates with marshmallows and sparklers is the ideal warming welcome when you get back home.
      
3. Set the table for Christmas Dinner – it’s a nice practical task that children can help with, and it looks so beautiful when everything is laid out. Little ones can design the place cards so everyone will know where to sit.
      
4. Sort your Christmas morning outfit – are you a comfies family? Will you all open presents in your matching PJs? Or is this the time to put on your best and really sparkle?
      
5. Pick a board game for the family to play together. If it's new, you can even wrap it as a family present.
      
6. Have a festive movie at the ready for some calming quiet time. The Snowman is still the classic for little ones, or The Christmas Chronicles is a great option for the whole family. You might even get some last-minute wrapping done while it’s on.
      
7. Leave a mince pie and a snifter of brandy or whisky out for the big man himself (he likes it much more than milk), plus a carrot for Dasher and Prancer.
      
8. Hang the stockings by the chimney, at the end of your bed or by the front door. If you listen carefully, you might hear the jingle bells in the distance, and that’s when you know it’s really time for bed. The Google Santa Tracker can be good for this, too.
      
9. Settle in with for goodnight kisses and cuddles with their favourite teddies – Jingles the Reindeer or Snowy the Penguin make great Christmas Eve companions.
      
10. Read a Christmas Eve favourite like My Night Before Christmas together before lights out.