Happy Christmas, festive tidings and happy holidays! Wherever you are, whatever you do, we wish you the very best!harcourt
The first part is events on all through Christmas then scroll down further for day by day guide ⬇️
🎄Kennington Christmas Charity Display
Christmas light madness all for charity plus it’s a go go go for Santa every Friday – Sunday from 5pm – 8pm. The proceeds from all donations are going to Sobell House and SSNAP (Support for the Sick Newborn and their Parents) at the JR. So exciting! Check out our visit here.
📅 Usually on until January ⏰ Lights on when it gets dark 💷 Free to visit, donations to see Santa – all go to charity 🎫 No pre-booking required ℹ️ Info on their Facebook page.
🦌 Bunkers Hill Reindeer Challenge
Father Christmas’ reindeers are hiding around the magically star-lit nursery. Find them all and collect your prize and certificate. Go after dark and it’s like a Christmas Festival – see our post about it here.
📅 Open until 23rd December ⏰ 9am – 5:30pm 💴 Minimum donation: £4 🎫 Pre-booking required weekends and holidays ℹ️ More info on Bunkers Hill website.
🧝🏻♂️Walk Wheatley Trail: Little Lapland
A Christmassy trail finding the elf doors with a puzzle twist at the end! Raining money for The Maple Tree Children’s Centre.
📅 On until Christmas Eve ⏰ On all day 💴 Donations to Maple Tree Children’s Centre 🎫 No pre-booking required ℹ️ More info on Walk Wheatley Facebook page.
🗺️Headington Christmas Trail
Once last present has gone missing! Retrace Father Christmas’s steps and help him deliver it!
📅 On until January 5th ⏰ On all day 💴 Maps are £1 🎫 No pre-booking required ℹ️ More info and to purchase map here.
🎄Tree Barn
Scaled back this year in size without losing the magic. Dressed trees, decorations of every size, colour and configuration and some sort of magical elixir which makes you want to buy everything! Fab addition of a Christmas Cabin café selling Christmas food and drink (bring cash).
📅 Open until Christmas eve ⏰ 9am – 5:30pm with some late nights 💴 Free 🎫 No pre-booking required ℹ️ More info on the Tree Barn website or see our visit.
🌲Appleton Christmas Barn
Just like the Tree Barn, but with reindeers! We love coming here, meeting the reindeers and picking up a decoration. When the Besselsleigh Lights switch on too we combine a trip there as well. Pure Christmas overload – get in!
📅 Open until Christmas eve ⏰ 10am – 6pm with some late nights 💴 Free 🎫 No pre-booking required ℹ️ More info on the Tree Barn website or see our visits.
✨Illuminate Light Trail at Millets
Did it live up to all that we hoped as a mid price point trail…yes it did! This isn’t the first rodeo for the trail organisers – these Illuminate trails are rolled out across the UK – and you can tell as it’s a slick operation with really impressive lights. Kids loved it and so did my pocket. See our visit here.
📅 On until 4th January ⏰ Various time slots 💷 Depending on peak or off peak Adults: From £15.50, Children: From £12.50 )ages 0 -2 free), Free carers tickets available. 🎫 Pre-booking required ℹ️ More info on Illuminate website.
🦉Oxford Museum of Natural History: All I want for Christmas
A Christmas trail around the Museum and find out what the dodo wants for Christmas. A great time to visit the museum in general as it’s always a but quieter!
📅 Until 4th January 2026 ⏰ 10am – 4pm 💷 Free 🎫 No pre-booking required ℹ️ See update on Oxford Museum of Natural History website.
🗺️Pitt Rivers: Wonderful Winter Family Trail
Explore the Museum with an exciting new wintry trail! Find the snowflakes hidden around the Museum and learn about objects from snowy environments! Pick up trails from the Pitt Rivers Museum entrance.
📅 Until 30th January 2026 ⏰ 10am – 4pm 💷 Free 🎫 No pre-booking required ℹ️ See update on Pitt Rivers website.
🎄Broad Street Christmas Market
Broad St brings all the Christmas vibes with live music, community entertainment, festive street food, gift stalls, family friendly attractions and Alpine Lodge Bar. Always a popular event!
📅 Open until 5th January ⏰Check website for various opening times 💴 Free entry 🎫 No pre-booking required ℹ️ More info on the Christmas in Oxford website.
🦌Waterperry Gardens: Find Santa’s Reindeers
Christmas is ON! Help Santa find his missing Reindeer who are lost all around the gardens (£4.50, includes prize). Free playground on the lawn to burn off the rest of the weekend energy whilst you sample the Christmas wares in the café.
📅 On until 24th December ⏰ 10am – 5pm 💷 Adult must pay low-season garden entry: £9 🎫 No pre-booking required ℹ️ More info on the Waterperry website.
⛸️Skate the Estate
A gorgeous ice skating rink under a tent canopy surrounded by Christmas trees and alpine huts. An intense and magical Christmas experience!
📅 Open until 3rd January ⏰9am – 7.45pm at the weekend/ 2pm – 7.45pm in the week💴 See pricing options on website, including family tickets 🎫 Pre-booking required ℹ️ More info on the Skate the Estate website and see our visit here.
Saturday 20th December
🖼️Modern Art Oxford : In the cards
Taking inspo from the main exhibition upstairs – Suzanne Treister’s Prophetic Dreaming – you can design your own tarot-inspired cards. There’s loads of collage materials and you can make a few cards to share with friends and family!
📅Saturday 20th December⏰ 11am – 6pm 💴 Free 🎫 Drop-in ℹ️ More info on the Modern Art Oxford website.
🎄Templars Square: Free personalised bauble
Planning on doing a last bit of Christmas shopping this Saturday? Spend £20 at Templars Square and receive a beautiful, complimentary personalised ceramic bauble.
📅Saturday 20th December⏰ 11am – 3pm 💴 Free (with £20 spend) 🎫 Drop-in ℹ️ More info on the Templars Square website.
🚂Phoenix Picturehouse: Polar Express and PJ Party
All aboard for our favourite Christmas classic at Phoenix Picturehouse, with a special Polar Express PJ screening. Pyjamas encouraged, excitement guaranteed. Remember that you have to ✨BELIEVE✨. Lots of Christmas classics on over the next few days, worth having a browse through the website.
📅Saturday 20th December⏰ 11am 💴 £4.85 per ticket 🎫 Booking recommended (very popular!) ℹ️ More info on the Phoenix Picturehouse website.
🐏 Oxford City Farm Winter Warmer
Celebrate the winter season with crafting activities, mulled apple juice, and mince pies! There will be mulled apple juice, hot chocolate over the fire, crafting in the yurt and a celebration of community and nature. Plus a fair few animals to wish good tidings to!
📅Saturday 20th December⏰ 10am – 1pm 💴 Free 🎫 Booking recommended so they can get an idea of numbers ℹ️ More info and booking via Eventbrite.
Sunday 21st December
🎅🏻Oxford Bus Museum: Father Christmas Day
It’s another busy day at the Oxford Bus Museum with Father Christmas and free Heritage Bus Rides at 12.15 & 2.15pm. Witney Town Band will be performing at the museum at 11am and 1pm and there are model railway displays by Oxford & District Railway Club. And if that isn’t enough, there will also be a visit from the Christmas Lights Bus!
📅Sunday 21st December⏰ 10am – 4pm 💴 Adult:£8, Junior: £5, Under 5: Free 🎫 No pre-booking required ℹ️ More info on the Oxford Bus Museum website.
☃️The Sheldonian: The Snowman and Gruffalo in concert
Limited tickets left! The Mozart Symphony Orchestra comes to Oxford’s Sheldonian Theatre for its famous performance of the timeless classic, The Snowman, for which the film is shown on the big screen with a live symphony orchestra providing the soundtrack. Following the huge success of The Gruffalo, it makes a welcome return alongside its sequel, The Gruffalo’s Child. Like Peter and the Wolf (LOVED Peter and the Wolf as a child!), each character in the tale is represented by a different instrument of the orchestra.
📅Sunday 21st December⏰ 1.30pm/ 3.30pm and 5.30pm 💴 From £12, Under 2: Free (on parents’ lap) 🎫 Pre-booking required ℹ️ More info and booking via Tickets Oxford.
📚Caper Bookshop
If you are still looking for last minute gifts then visit Caper, Oxford’s most extraordinary bookshop. Beds bursting out of the walls, fridges full of books, a door that opens onto a wall of sequins…the nonsensical and downright genius continues. Support local and get in there to spend your pounds – their Christmas Catalogue and extensive book knowledge (that Amazon won’t give you) is all you need to come up with some gems. If your little ones are lucky enough to receive book vouchers for Christmas then spend local and spend them in here.
📅See Caper Facebook page for Christmas opening hours⏰ Usual open hours are Monday – Saturday: 9am – 5pm, Sunday: 10am – 4pm ℹ️ See the pictures from our visit to Caper here – it’s really so wonderful!
Monday 22nd December
Museum of Oxford: Light it up!
Craft a paper lantern inspired by Oxford’s historical gas lamps! This hands-on activity invites families to learn about the history of gas lamps in Oxford, whilst using their creativity to design and build their own lantern.
📅Monday 22nd December ⏰11am – 12noon/ 1.30pm – 3pm 💴 Free 🎫 Drop-in ℹ️ More details on Museum of Oxford website.
🗺️Harcourt Arboretum: The Twelve Trees of Christmas Trail
What would Christmas be like without trees? Find out about festive tree-traditions from around the world on this trail around the Arboretum. Solve the puzzle and claim your prize. On until January. There’s also activity backpacks and geocache trails too. The Arboretum is closed between Wednesday 24th December and Saturday 3rd January.
📅 On until January⏰ 10am – 4pm 💴 £2 for trail🎫 No booking required. Adult entry fee: £9, Child under 16: Free ℹ️ More info on the Harcourt Arboretum website.
🎅🏻Leys Leisure Centre: Santa’s Soft Play Workshop
Santa’s making a special stop at Soft Play! 🎅 The big man himself is stopping by on Monday 22nd & Tuesday 23rd December from 11am–12pm, and he’s ready to get creative with you! Colour, craft, create and even make some reindeer food with Santa! 🎨
If you’d like to join in, just book onto Soft Play at 11am on either the 22nd or 23rd December, and get ready for a holly jolly hour of arts, crafts and Christmas cheer 🎄
📅Monday 22nd December ⏰3 sessions: book ‘Santa’s workshop soft play’ 💴 £5 per child, Under 1: Free 🎫 Booking advised ℹ️ Book via Leys Leisure Centre website (scroll to correct date).
Tuesday 23rd December
🎄The Oxfordshire Museum: Festive bookmarks
Have fun in the run up to Christmas preparing festive bookmarks for all your Christmas reads!
📅Tuesday 23rd December ⏰10.30am – 12.30pm / 2pm – 4pm 💴Free 🎫 Drop-in ℹ️ More info on the Oxfordshire Museum website.
🎅🏿Leys Leisure Centre: Santa’s Soft Play Workshop
Santa’s making a special stop at Soft Play! 🎅 The big man himself is stopping by and he’s ready to get creative with you! Colour, craft, create and even make some reindeer food with Santa! 🎨Get ready for arts, crafts and Christmas excitement!
📅Tuesday 23rd December ⏰3 sessions: book ‘Santa’s workshop soft play’ 💴 £5 per child, Under 1: Free 🎫 Booking advised ℹ️ Book via Leys Leisure Centre website (scroll to correct date).
🦌 Bunkers Hill Reindeer Challenge
Last chancre to experience what feels like a Christmas Festiva! Father Christmas’s reindeers are hiding around the magically star-lit nursery and Christmas tree field. Find them all and collect your prize and certificate. All monies go to MH charities. See our post about it here.
📅 Open until 23rd December ⏰ 9am – 5:30pm 💴 Minimum donation: £4 🎫 Pre-booking required weekends and holidays ℹ️ More info on Bunkers Hill website.
Wednesday 24th December
🦌Waterperry Gardens: Find Santa’s Reindeers
The last day of this trail and so worth visiting to feel Christmassy! Help Santa find his missing Reindeer who are lost all around the gardens (£4.50, includes prize). Free playground on the lawn to burn off the rest of the weekend energy whilst you sample the Christmas wares in the café.
📅 On until 24th December ⏰ 10am – 5pm 💷 Adult must pay low-season garden entry: £9, Under 16: Free 🎫 No pre-booking required ℹ️ More info on the Waterperry website.
❄️Appleton Christmas Barn
If you get all the way to Christmas Eve and your child declares that their Christmas wish is to meet a reindeer then make haste to Appleton Christmas Barn where you will meet three – for free! There’s also an unreal amount of Christmas joy in the barns and every decoration that you can imagine. Closes 5pm Christmas Eve. Team with a visit to Besselsleigh Christmas lights, they are only 5 minutes away from each other.
📅 Closes Christmas Eve at 5pm⏰ 10am – 5pm 💴 Free 🎫 Drop-in ℹ️ Visit their website and see a previous visit of ours here.
Thursday 25th December
If you want to share some food, company and good tidings with others then there are two FREE Christmas lunches going on: The Oxford Christmas Lunch and Florence Park OX4 Free Festive Community Lunch. Some still require volunteers – do get in touch if you can spare some time. Don’t be alone this Christmas, there’s plenty who would love to share a place at a table with you. ♥️
If a Christmas walk is your tradition browse the website and search ‘walks’ or check out our Boxing Day walks below for some inspo!
Friday 26th December
Wondering where to head on the annual Boxing Day walk? We’ve got all the local gems in our Oxford Boxing Day Walk guide.
Saturday 27th December
🚲Faringdon Cycle Park
Has your little one got some wheels for Christmas? Get them down to Faringdon Cycle Park! It is designed as a mini village with landscaping and road markings, a perfect introduction to road awareness without the danger. My eldest learned to ride here and we have been back many times with my other boys. There is also a cool skate park and it’s only a hop from Faringdon Folly Woodland with its sculpture trail and natural playground. Team together for an awesome (and free!) day out.
📅Always open💴 Free 🎫 Drop-in ℹ️ See our visit for further details and pictures.
🚲 Kennington Pump Track
Another option for newly wheeled up youngsters is Kennington pump track. A loop with kind hills that won’t cause wild frustration. They’ve also done up the playground too so siblings can hang out in there. It’s a short hop to Bagley Woods so you’ve got loads of options to keep you busy and blow away the Christmas cobwebs.
📅Always open💴 Free 🎫 Drop-in ℹ️ See our visit for further details and pictures.
Sunday 28th December
📚The Story Museum
Twixmas is a fantastic time to visit this most unusual museum. Enter into stories where books come to life! Go on a journey through the Portal and into the Whispering Wood where you will meet talking trees…the Enchanted Library brings you in the pages of books and The Treasure Chamber plays host to Cressida Cowell’s How To Train Your Dragon series whose characters will guide you safely through the realms of Earth, Air, Fire and Water. You’ll love the brand new Story Arcade mixing storytelling and gaming- its been a huge hit with older visitors particularly! Watch the Story Museum’s video which captures the whole incredible experience! Open daily 27th January – 4th January.
📅Sunday 28th December ⏰10am – 5.30pm 💴 Ages 5+: £14 per, 1 – 4 years old: £67, Under 1: Free 🎫 No booking required ℹ️ More info on the Story Museum website. Check out one of our visits here.
Monday 29th December
Museum of Oxford: Light it up!
Craft a paper lantern inspired by Oxford’s historical gas lamps! This hands-on activity invites families to learn about the history of gas lamps in Oxford, whilst using their creativity to design and build their own lantern.
📅Monday 29th December ⏰11am – 12noon/ 1.30pm – 3pm 💴 Free 🎫 Drop-in ℹ️ More details on Museum of Oxford website.
Tuesday 30th December
🎄The Oxfordshire Museum: Party wands and hats
What a lovely idea for a craft session! Create your own festive wand and party hats to help you celebrate the New Year in style.
📅Tuesday 30th December ⏰10.30am – 12.30pm / 2pm – 4pm 💴Free 🎫 Drop-in ℹ️ More info on the Oxfordshire Museum website.
Wednesday 31st December
🧀 The Cheeseshed
Think you’ve had enough cheese over Christmas? Nah! Get yourself to the Cheeseshed to take in a toastie the size of your head packed full of oozing gooey cheese straight from the Nettlebed Creamery on site. After you’ve done that, take in one of the many, many walks in the area – long and short. I honestly think this place should be one of the Seven Wonders of the World as it is so ridiculously good! Closed 24th – 26th December.
📅 Open daily⏰ 8.30am – 3pm 🎫 Drop-in ℹ️ Details of walks and cycle routes in the area on the Nettlebed Creamery website. Pictures from our visit here.
Thursday 1st January
🎓Magdalen College Addison’s Walk
Open, and free to all! A brilliant way to step into 2025, following in the footsteps of some of Oxford’s greats. The circular 1.5km route alongside the River Cherwell is delightful and you can admire the views and the deer in the College Deer Park. Some are remarkably friendly! The café will be closed on NY Day.
📅 Thursday 1st January ⏰ 10.30am – 3pm 💴 Free to all on New Year’s Day 🎫 No booking required ℹ️ More information and pictures from our visits here.
🏃🏻♂️New Year’s Day Park Run: Cutteslowe Park
Have high hopes for your new running resolutions for 2026? You got all the gear for Christmas – now is your chance to do your one run and then decide it’s not for you. This is your moment! Even better with a hangover.
📅 Thursday 1st January ⏰ 9am 💴 Free to all, forever 🎫 No booking required but register to get barcode ℹ️ More information and pictures on Oxford Parkrun Facebook page.
Friday 2nd January
😶Oxford Illusion Museum
You head may be a bit fuzzy still from NY…so make it even worse by visiting Oxford Illusion Museum! Step into an upside down room, experience an infinity dodecahedron, cast spells with glowing wands, spin in the manuscript vortex and see the world flip with inversion goggles! 22 rooms of madness and mayhem await!
📅Friday 2nd January ⏰ 10am – 5pm 💴 Adults: £14, Children: £7 🎫 No booking required ℹ️ More information on their website and pictures from our visits here.
Saturday 3rd January
🏠 Ashmolean Museum: Make Winter Homes for Museum Treasures
Start 2026 with these free family workshops at the Ashmolean. Build a winter home for a Museum object that could fit in your hand. Wander through the collection and gallery displays, pick your favourite, and then enjoy creating its tiny shelter using a mix of building materials. Drop in any time to the Lower Ground Floor Atrium for winter arts and crafts – suitable for all ages and abilities
📅 Saturday 3rd January ⏰ 11am – 3pm 💴 Free 🎫 Drop-in ℹ️ More information on the Ashmolean website.
🔬Science Oxford: Family Day
All hope is gone and you are losing the will at the end of the holidays…this is what you need to book in NOW for your future self! The UK’s first indoor-outdoor primary science education centre, Science Oxford has a hands-on Exploration Zone and 15 acres of woodland and ponds. This is STEM on another level and the fun factor is off the wall! We’ve been here so many times for school trips and days out and there is always something new to learn.
📅 Saturday 3rd January ⏰10am – 12noon/ 12.30pm – 2.30pm/ 3pm – 5pm 💴 £8.50 per ticket, Under 3s Free 🎫 Booking required ℹ️ Book via the Science Oxford website and check out our previous visit here.
Sunday 4th January
🏠 Ashmolean Museum: Make Winter Homes for Museum Treasures
Start 2026 with these free family workshops at the Ashmolean. Build a winter home for a Museum object that could fit in your hand. Wander through the collection and gallery displays, pick your favourite, and then enjoy creating its tiny shelter using a mix of building materials. Drop in any time to the Lower Ground Floor Atrium for winter arts and crafts – suitable for all ages and abilities
📅 Sunday 4th January⏰ 11am – 3pm 💴 Free 🎫 Drop-in ℹ️ More information on the Ashmolean website.
🚶🏻➡️Hayley and Ipsden Circular walk (with pub and playground!)
One more stride out before school goes back? Go on then! This short (3.9k), circular walk is a real crowd pleaser and takes in stunning views of the South Oxfordshire Chilterns. It also passes a park and begins and ends at a pub (you’re welcome). You may be abstaining from a tipple for January but the roasts here are excellent and there is a roaring fire to enjoy. Don’t hibernate for January, get out there!
📅 Walking route always open ⏰ The kitchen is open 12 noon – 7pm on a Sunday💴 Free to park at pub if stopping in for a drink 🎫 No booking required ℹ️ More info and walking route here.
Other helpful resources:
❤️Get in touch 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
Something I spied that’s worth booking now:
🔭Science Oxford – Sensory Friendly Science Day and Pop-Up Planetarium
This is something you will not regret booking in for January! We LOVE these days and highly recommend them. I’ve been with my children multiple times and on loads of school trips here too. Their Sensory-Friendly Family Day is designed to better accommodate and support families who experience autism and/or have other additional needs. Explore, discover, and play in the Exploration Zone and create and test flying designs at the Air Table, build a giant magnetic ball run, and see what’s hot and what’s not with the Curious Camera. On the 31st December there is a planetarium show in an inflatable science dome – explore planets, stars, our galaxy, and beyond in this immersive experience (£3 – additional booking). Pick up an Explorer Backpack and see what wildlife you can spot on the outdoor nature trails around the meadows, woodland and ponds.
📅 Saturday 31st January⏰ 10.00am – 12.00pm/ 12.30pm – 2.30pm/ 3.00pm – 5.00pm 💴 £8.50 per person, Under 3: free 🎫 Booking required ℹ️ More info on the Science Oxford website. Read about one of our visits here.
