Christmas can be so expensive with multiple things pulling the purse strings in different directions, yet we all want to bring the Christmas magic for our children. Below are some free and low-cost events and activities that our family look forward to and enjoy every year, with the added bonus that many raise huge amounts for local charities. Fill your boots and we’ll all have enough left over for a mince pie and a beer for Santa. Click on the titles for more info.
Open now:
Tree Barn, Christmas Common
Off the wall Christmas madness. From the minute you step into the Tree Barn you are hit with all the smells, sounds and sights of Christmas! There are dressed trees, lights, decorations, wreaths – everything you can imagine! I go multiple times when it opens, sometimes to browse and sometimes to buy as it gives me such a lovely feeling. This year is the last year that it’s going to be so big as from next year it’s going to be pared back a fair bit. This is an Oxford stalwart of the Christmas season so make sure you get it ticked off your bucket list. Visit their website and see a previous visit of ours here.
Appleton Christmas Barn
The Christmas Barn opened this week and the reindeers are there to visit from Saturday 16th all the way up to Christmas Eve – the photo ops are aplenty! As well as two rooms packed full of Christmas shenanigans and the reindeers there will be a coffee bar open on selected weekends. Parents: this is the gift that just keeps on giving! Visit their website and see a previous visit of ours here.
Webbs Garden Centre at Millets
Garden Centres are serious hives of Christmas activity these day and Webbs at Millets does it so well. The gorgeous miniature scenes, the singing reindeers, the decorations, stocking fillers…you know the score! Anyone else remember the ice skating rink they used to have there? Bring it back please!
130 Poplar Grove, Kennington
Every year this unassuming house on a quiet residential road in Kennington becomes the most famous house in Oxford as it gets LIT UP! I have no idea how much the electricity bill costs but it must be IMMENSE as I’m pretty sure you can see this house from space. Santa is in attendance over the weekends and donations are welcome as all money goes to Sobell House and Respite for Oxfordshire’s Sick Youngsters (ROSY).
Bunker’s Hill Reindeer trail
This MUST be on your radar! The reindeer trial around the star-lit nursery is a festive tradition for so many families…including ours! There is a prize and certificate for every child and of course you must take a break at the tea house for a well deserved hot chocolate. All proceeds from the trail (usually £3 each child) go to Mind and Restore mental health charities ❤️
Christmas Light Bus: 7th/ 14th/ 21st December
Christmas joy…in the form of a bus covered in hundreds of twinkling lights! The bus will wind its way through Oxford, accompanied by a soundtrack of Christmas classics. The bus will stop at designated stopping locations and distribute treats to children and adults. We’ve written down all the timings in this post, along with the map. Even if the bus doesn’t stop in your area, it may pass through and you can stop and wave!
Besselsleigh Village
You know this was always going to be top of the list! This little village goes Christmas light bonkers around about the beginning of December. The whole road lights up their houses – and we’re not talking a few lights, this is full on National Grid surge – to turn into the drive thru of dreams! All totally free, but with a request that you pop a donation into the box for the Oxford Homeless Project. Check out our pictures here.
Banbury Christmas Tractor Run: 14th December
An incredible convoy of 100 tractors decorated to the Christmas max! Over the past 8 years the Tractor Run has raised a staggering £145,000 for Katharine House Hospice! The festive convoy departs from Spring Hill Farm, Barford St Michael at 5pm and will travel through: South Newington to surrounding villages then back to Spring Hill Farm. On the night they have a live Facebook feed so you can tell when it’s coming your way! Visit the website for the full route or follow Banbury Christmas Tractor Run Facebook page for more details.
The Christmas Tractor: various dates
The Christmas Tractor will be visiting various locations from the end of November raising money for Katharine House Hospice too. See poster below and follow their Facebook page for all the dates, locations and exact timings. You can drop money in the bucket or donate online via JustGiving.
Oxford Round Table’s Santa Sleigh:16th – 19th December
This is one of our personal favourites as it travels around where we live! It’s such a slick operation with Santa on his sleigh and Christmas music blasting out, children following the sleigh around and money being collected in the buckets. You can even get a shout out from Santa himself if you write your child’s name on a piece of paper with a donation and hand it to one of the volunteers – we did it last year to gasps from my youngest! The sleigh visits specific areas over multiple nights: Barton and Sandhills, Risinghust and Quarry, Blackbird Leys and Greater Leys and Headington and Wood Farm. You can also live track the sleigh online so you know where it is.
Kingsmere, Bicester
There’s something in the air in Kingsmere as this area is in cahoots to win most Christmassy area! As well as lots of houses getting in the Christmas mood, one house in particular – 125 Kempton Close OX26 – goes above and beyond with a light and music show combo. I think it’s home to some sort of lighting specialist because they have their own Facebook page and it’s definitely more Hollywood that Homebase. Last year it was raising money for Bicester Foodbank – loving these altruistic Christmas pop-ups!
Cutteslowe Miniature Railway Christmas running: 15th and 22nd December
The last two miniature railway open days of 2024 are on the 15th and the 22nd of December when the station is awash with Santa and elves running the show. It a lovely sprinkle to Christmas magic to an already magical experience!
Other Christmas magic:
Santa letters : NSPCC and Royal Mail
Both the Royal Mail and NSPCC offer letters from Santa. The Royal Mail one is the price of a stamp and the NSPCC is free but with a suggested donation of £8 to the charity.
Santa Freephone
A sweet message from Santa! If you didn’t see our post about this then have a look here – we’ve recorded it in the comments you can hear what it sounds like. It is a freephone number so there is no charge.
Other helpful resources:
❤️Register with Oxfordshire Toy Bank if you are a family who would like to receive some donated gifts for Christmas
❤️Free and low cost food in Oxford
❤️Emergency parcels (food, toiletries, baby supplies)
❤️Free Christmas Day sit down dinner at the King’s Centre
