A Christmas Eve box is a small box of cosy things your child opens on the evening of 24 December. The usual mix is new pyjamas, something warm to drink, a film or game and a book for bedtime.
We’d put the book at the centre. It’s the part they’ll still be reading in January, and it’s the one thing in the box that can carry a message from you.
You don’t need a shop-bought hamper. A shoebox, a few things they’ll use that night and one well-chosen book will do it. Still deciding on the main present? Our guide to personalised Christmas gifts for kids has ideas by age.
The short version
- Pyjamas or cosy socks to wear tonight.
- Something warm to drink, or a small treat.
- A film or game you can do together before bed.
- One book for bedtime, with a message from you inside.
- Carrots for the reindeer, ready for the morning.
What usually goes in a Christmas Eve box
A Christmas Eve box usually holds things for one evening: clothes to sleep in, a drink, something to do and a story. The idea is to slow the night down, so we’d only pack things you’ll use between teatime and lights out.
Here’s a list to pick from, in the order you’d use things on the night:
- New pyjamas, fluffy socks or a dressing gown, so everyone’s ready for the photos in the morning.
- Hot chocolate with a few marshmallows, or a gingerbread biscuit they’ve iced themselves. Older children might like a candy cane too.
- Something to do on the sofa: a Christmas film, a jigsaw, a colouring sheet or a card game the whole family can play.
- One book, chosen for this night. There’s more on that below.
- Carrots for the reindeer, or a mince pie to leave out for Father Christmas.
Pick two or three things from the list, then add the book. A box that’s half empty looks lovelier than one that’s stuffed, and it leaves room for the book to sit on top.
Having a summer Christmas? Swap the dressing gown for light pyjamas and the hot chocolate for an ice lolly in the freezer. We’d still keep the book in.
Why the book belongs at the centre
The book’s the last thing your child unwraps on Christmas Eve, and it’s the first thing you use together once the pyjamas are on. Hot chocolate gets drunk and socks get worn out. A good book’s still on the shelf when they’re 10.
It can also hold your words. Write a message inside the front cover, or pick a book with your message printed into it. Then the box becomes something from you, and years from now that page is what they’ll go looking for.
We’d keep the message short enough to read aloud before bed, something like one of these:
- ‘For Isla, on your third Christmas Eve. We hope you find Teddy on every page. Love, Nanna and Pop.’
- ‘Leo, you’re the hero of this story, and of ours. Sleep well, it’s a big day tomorrow. Mum and Dad.’
Two or three lines is plenty. Put the year in too, because a dedication with a date on it means a bit more every time they open the book.
Christmas Eve box ideas by age
What you put in the box depends on how old your child is. We’d fill it a little differently at each stage, with a book to match.
Ages 0 to 2
For a baby or toddler, we’d keep the box small: sleepsuit pyjamas, a bath book and a picture book you can read in five minutes. A soft toy is lovely for daytime cuddles, but keep it out of the cot at night.
The NHS says to keep the cot free from bumpers, pillows and soft toys (NHS, 2026). Its advice on toys is to keep ones made for older children away from babies and toddlers, as they may have small parts.
It also says not to give young children hard foods, such as boiled sweets. If you’re not sure what’s safe for your baby, check with your health visitor or doctor.
At this age the box is partly for you. A book with the baby’s name in it and a dated message at the front becomes a keepsake from their first or second Christmas.
Ages 3 to 5
This is the age for counting, spotting and joining in. You could add a hot chocolate, a sticker sheet and a short story with something to find on every page.
More Than I Can Count is made for ages 0 to 5. It’s a counting adventure that shows your child how loved they are, with numbers, colours, shapes and tyrannosaurs to tickle. Counting the things in the box is a good way in.
Ages 6 to 9
Older children like a challenge and a bit of independence. We’d pack a torch for reading under the covers, a puzzle book or a card game, and a book they can read some of to you.
If they love puzzles, My Incredible Name has puzzles to decode and incredible people to discover. Horse fans might prefer My Secret Unicorn, where they rescue a hurt unicorn and find out their own horse is magical.
Christmas Eve box fillers that cost very little
Homemade fillers often do the most work. They cost next to nothing, and we think they make the box feel like it came from you:
- a bookmark with their name on it, to go in the new book
- one extra story after lights out, written as a homemade voucher
- a ‘Teddy hunt’ card, so they can tick off each page where they spot him
- paper snowflakes you cut out together earlier in the week
- last year’s Christmas Eve photo, so they can see how much they’ve grown
If grandparents live far away, ask them to record a video of the first page being read. Write the link on a card and pop it in the box.
How to put the box together
Plan it backwards from bedtime and you’ll have it sorted in under an hour. This is how we’d do it:
- Choose a box you can reuse each year, like a shoebox, a crate or a wooden box, and line it with tissue paper.
- Write the message before you wrap the book. If it’s printed into the book, add a card saying who it’s from.
- Wrap the book and put it in last, on top, so it’s the first thing they see and the last thing they open.
- Open it after the bath and before teeth. Any earlier and the new pyjamas end up covered in chocolate.
- Keep the big presents for the 25th. The Christmas Eve box is the warm-up, and it works when it stays small.
Christmas Eve box or day 24 of a book advent calendar?
You can do both with one book. If you’re making a book advent calendar, the day 24 book and the Christmas Eve box book can be the same one, so you’re only choosing once.
Keep the special book back from the calendar pile and put it in the box instead. Your children get the countdown all month, then a bigger moment on the last night.
How The Kids Book Company helps
You can add a personal message to any of our books, and we’ll print it into the front for free. That makes it a book they’ll keep long after the hot chocolate’s gone.
Teddy hides on every page of every story, so there’s a bedtime game built in. Every title also has a free personalised digital edition through the Free Book Project, and you can make one in under five minutes with no credit card.
Create their free book.
Related questions
When do you open a Christmas Eve box?
It’s opened on the evening of 24 December, usually after tea or after the bath. If you open it just before bed, the pyjamas go straight on and the book gets read straight away.
What’s the difference between a Christmas Eve box and a stocking?
A Christmas Eve box is opened the night before and holds things for that evening, like pyjamas and a bedtime story. Stockings are usually opened on Christmas morning, with small surprises for the day itself.
What can I put in a Christmas Eve box for a baby?
We’d go for sleepsuit pyjamas, a bath book and a picture book with their name in it. Leave out sweets and toys with small parts, and keep any soft toy out of the cot at night, as the NHS advises.
Can older children have a Christmas Eve box?
Yes. Swap the bath book for a torch, a puzzle book or a card game, and choose a book they can read some of themselves. You could ask them to read the first page aloud to you, too.
