Here at Rex we're well into the sparkly swing of things when it comes to all things festive gifting. We've already taken a look at the hottest Christmas trends for 2026, offered advice on how to create the perfect Christmas stocking, and now it's Christmas Eve boxes that are in our sights. Christmas Eve boxes are a relatively recent phenomenon in the UK. While Europeans have been handing out presents on Christmas Eve for centuries, us Brits have tended to save gifting for the Big Day, and, if your family was old school, even until after the Queen's speech.

Christmas Eve boxes are a fun way to extend the magic of Christmas beyond just one day, giving you a chance to compile a small pile of affordable gifts for kids that will help keep them occupied and manage Christmas-related excitement levels. We have a complete guide to help you create fabulous Christmas Eve boxes for your family that will bring the wow factor - and won't cost the Earth.

Inspiration and ideas for what to put in a Christmas Eve box

1. A charm to enhance a gift or name tag

Capybara keyring bag charm, £3.95

Whether your Christmas Eve box is a fancy carved wooden affair, or a simple cardboard box you've decorated to make look Christmassy, you can up the 'wow factor' by adding a keyring bag charm to the gift name tag. We have a large selection of affordable options, from cute capybaras to 'scary' yetis via kawaii polar bears.

2. A jigsaw for some family puzzling fun

World Map jigsaw puzzle in a tube, £8.95

If you have the bandwidth to indulge in a sit-down family activity on Christmas Eve, a jigsaw is a fabulous option that everyone can get involved in, dipping in and out of the process as suits their attention span and other activities. This world map version is an especially fun choice for Christmas Eve if you are following the interactive map from the Norad Santa Tracker, kids can really visualise the journey Santa and his
magical flying squad are making.

3. A craft kit to capture their imagination

Blue bird mini cross-stitch kit, £6.95
 

An activity that takes minds off the big day and encourages calm creativity is a winning concept for a Christmas Eve box gift. Designed for beginners, this mini kit includes everything the recipient needs to make a beautiful blue bird stitch art piece. If your recipient isn't avian-inclined, they could go dotty for a ladybird design, smell the flowers with a tulip kit, or get colourful with a rainbow.

4. A construction kit to keep them occupied

Tyrannosaurus rex build your own dinosaur model brick kit, £3.95
 

If your giftee is more blocks than block stitch, a brick kit is an equally diverting activity to make the hours pass more quickly before bedtime. Our small-scale brick kits are perennially popular. This dino-themed option offers some Mesozoic magic, but we also stock a wide range of different designs from poodles to pandas.

5. A quick-fire game to engage short attention spans

Wild Bear tiddlywinks, £3.00
 

Some kids, especially younger ones, will not have the patience to sit and calmly stitch or build. That's where a more fast-paced activity will help. We're suggesting timeless tiddlywinks, classic pick up sticks,
or good old-fashioned jacks as a great way to entertain excited children with limited concentration bandwidths.

6. An individual bowl for popcorn

Wild Wonders children's melamine bowl, £6.95

If you've included a Christmas-themed movie in your gift selection, then popcorn is a must, whether you add in a bag of shop-bought, pre-made munchies, a handy microwave sachet, or kernels to cook from scratch. Stop any squabbles with individual bowls. We have cute and colourful designs for younger children, and classic melamine options for older kids.

7. Snack boxes with treats for Santa and the reindeers

Fairies in the Garden set of 3 snack boxes, £6.95

Presuming you follow the Christmas Eve tradition of leaving some festive nibbles out for Father Christmas and his furry friends, a set of snack boxes is a cute way to store them that can be used throughout the coming year. These three-packs of containers are ideal.

The largest box can be used for a carrot for the reindeers, the middle box is suitable for a mince pie or cookie for Santa, and the smallest box is perfectly proportioned to hold the allimportant magic reindeer food.

8. A cup or mug for a Christmassy warm drink

Cafe de Paris ceramic mug, £4.95

Whether your family opts for simple warm milk, rich hot chocolate, or comforting Ovaltinestyle hot drinks of an evening, a new cup or mug will up the anticipation. Here at Rex we have every age of children covered for bedtime beverages. For younger children we have some sweet melamine beakers, older children are catered for with a wide range of classic ceramic mugs with designs to suit their interests, and teens will appreciate the appeal of urban-style travel cups. For grown-ups, if mulled wine is going to be the warm drink of choice, may we suggest an elegant, goblet-style wine glass?

9. The gift of bathtime bribery

Blue penguin silicone bath toy, £4.95

Getting your kids to take a bath on Christmas Eve is a practical plan. A bath can help children wind down, and sticking to a normal-as-possible routine can help manage excitement levels. Younger kids can be enticed into the bathroom with a cute new bath toy, like this adorable floating penguin. Older children will enjoy the novelty of a new face flannel. We have two particularly kid-friendly kawaii options in the form of a cat or dog.

10. A bookmark to save their place before lights out

Set of 4 owls magnetic bookmarks, £2.95

If your Christmas Eve box contains a book (and we definitely think it should!) then a new set of bookmarks goes hand in hand with a literary gift. This set of four bookmarks features wise owls to sagely save the page in bedtime reading books.

11. An eye mask to help them sleep!

Brown bear eye mask, £4.95

It's a fact that every child needs as much help as they can getting to sleep on Christmas Eve. A sleep mask is one option you can consider, and works brilliantly in a Christmas Eve box. This bear mask is both cute and comfy. Bonus points if you manage to find teddy-themed pyjamas to match.

Looking for affordable presents that look luxe? Check out our guide to gifts under £5 that don't look cheap.

Christmas Eve boxes - frequently asked questions

Do I need to give my kids a Christmas Eve box?

No, but if you're looking to make every single moment of the festive period special, a bonus box of gifts on the day before Christmas is always going to be welcome. Do be aware if you start the tradition, you'll be expected to carry it on every year...

What ages are Christmas Eve boxes suitable for?

People compile Christmas Eve boxes for everyone, from babies to pensioners. Obviously a baby isn't going to truly appreciate a Christmas Eve box, but kids (and big kids) aged from toddler and up definitely will.

Do I need to buy a specially designed Christmas Eve box?

No. You can spend as much as you want on a Christmas Eve box with personalised cartoon character-themed options available, and customised, carved wooden boxes that are designed to be used year after year. Christmas Eve festive bags and baskets are also an option to consider if you don't want to go down the box route. If you're on a budget, an ordinary cardboard box covered in wrapping paper is more than adequate, especially for younger children.
 

What are the essential things to put in a Christmas Eve box?

There's no real must-have list of gifts to go in a Christmas Eve box, it's up to your budget, your Christmas Eve plans, and the giftee's taste. Some ever-popular choices of items to pop in a Christmas Eve box include nightwear (like Christmas pajamas or a onesie), a Christmas jumper, chunky socks and cosy slippers, Christmas-themed movies and books, sweet treats and snacks, pamper products to promote relaxation, (such as scented candles or luxury bathroom products), and games and activities for Christmas Eve as per our suggestions above.

How much should I spend on a Christmas Eve box?

It's entirely down to how much you want to spend. If you made your own box, found some pre-loved pajamas, bought a bag charm, a game, a melamine cup, and added in some supermarket chocolate coins and a couple of candy canes, you could come in at around the £15 mark.

Should you wrap items in a Christmas Eve box?

It's up to you. If you're fed up to the back teeth of wrapping gifts, it's fine to just pop the gifts in as they are. Arguably, individually wrapping the items will add to the wow factor and excitement of a Christmas Eve box. If you're not wrapping, nestling the gifts inside tissue paper, or a similar packing material, works too, and will help fill up any empty space in the box.