Happy Christmas, festive tidings and happy holidays! Wherever you are, whatever you do, we wish you the very best.
Monday 23rd December
🎅🏻Poplar Grove
It’s our number one road that glows! This power surge of a house is lighting up the whole neighbourhood whilst raising money for two worthwhile charities: Sobell House and ROSY. For a small donation you can visit Santa in his sleigh and receive a gift too. These are the last few days! Open Monday 23rd 2pm – 8pm and Christmas Eve 12 noon – 5pm. They have saved the best pressies until last!
📅Closes 5pm Christmas Eve⏰ See times above 💴 Free 🎫 Drop-in ℹ️ See our visit for all the details
🦌Bunkers Hill: Reindeer Challenge
Last day! A reindeer trail 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 (£3 each child) go to Mind and Restore mental health charities.
📅 Last day of the trail is December 23rd ⏰ 9am – 7pm 💴 £3 per trail 🎫 Drop-in ℹ️ See our post for more details and pictures
Tuesday 24th December (Christmas Eve)
🎄The Tree Barn, Christmas Common
The Tree Barn will be closing on Christmas Eve at 12 noon and this is it’s last year as the Christmas heaven that we know it as, from 2025 it will be downsizing. This is one thing you need to tick off your bucket list as it’s quite magical what they have achieved here. Even if you don’t buy anything (pretty much impossible), then you will leave feeling oh so Christmassy. Thanks for being part of our Christmas traditions for many years Tree Barn! ❤️
📅Closes 12 noon Christmas Eve⏰ 10am – 5pm 💴 Free 🎫 Drop-in ℹ️ See our visit to the Tree Barn for all the magic
❄️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.
Wednesday 25th December (Christmas Day)
Happy Christmas everyone! If a Christmas walk is your tradition browse the website and search ‘walks’ or check out our Boxing Day walks below for some inspo!
Thursday 26th December (Boxing Day)
Wondering where to head on the annual Boxing Day walk? We’ve got all the local gems in our Oxford Boxing Day Walk guide.
Friday 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.
Saturday 28th December
🖼️Modern Art Oxford
Fuel your creativity at Modern Arty Oxford! Explore the galleries in new ways with free Activity Sheet or Backpack or drop into the studio for hands-on creative experiences. Create your own collographs from the materials provided and use them to print an image. Take it home or display it in the family-friendly space, alongside work by other visitors. The Studio is designed to fuel your creativity with opportunities to get hands-on for all ages. The museum is closed from the 23rd – 26th December and New Years Day. Always closed on Mondays.
📅 Saturday 28th December ⏰ 11am – 6pm 💴 Free🎫 No booking required ℹ️ More info on the Modern Art Oxford website. See our visit to the museum after their £2 million refurb!
Sunday 29th 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.
🎄Besselsleigh Christmas Lights
The Christmas drive-thru of dreams continues! The whole village goes Christmas light bonkers for charity. What better way to extend the Christmas vibes then a spin to Besselsleigh. The lights will be on until the New Year and is something to do in the Twixmas period when we all start wondering what day it is!
📅 On until the NY ⏰ Lights go on when it gets dark 💴 Free 🎫 Drop-in ℹ️ More details and pictures of our visit here.
Monday 30th December
🧱Banbury Museum: Brick Madness
Just in case you didn’t get enough Lego for Christmas, this 90 minute mega free play session is a whole load of Lego thrown together for little ones to create as they wish!
📅Monday 30th December ⏰ 10.30am / 1.30pm 💴 £3 per child 🎫 No booking required ℹ️ More info on the Banbury Museum website.
Tuesday 31st December
📚The Story Museum
A most unusual museum. Enter into stories where books come to life! Go on a journey through the whispering wood and 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. Pickup a Winter Wardrobe trail map on arrival and hunt for clues to unlock the mystery message. Then claim your reward in the shop! Free with Galleries ticket. The Museum is open daily from 17 December to 5 January, 10:00-17:30 (closed 25 & 26 December, last admission 12:30 on 24 December).
📅Tuesday 31st December ⏰10am – 5.30pm 💴 Ages 5+: £14 per, 1 – 4 years old: £6.50, Under 1: Free 🎫 No booking required ℹ️ More info on the Story Museum website. Check out one of our visits here.
Wednesday 1st January 2025!
🎓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.
📅 Wednesday 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.
Thursday 2nd January
🦖Museum of Natural History: Do Do’s Dazzling Christmas Trail
Take part in a Christmas trail around the Museum to help the dodo plan a party. The museum is closed 24th – 26th December.
📅On until 5th January⏰ 10am – 5pm 💴 Free 🎫 Drop-in ℹ️ See Museum of Natural History website for further details.
Friday 3rd January
🗺️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 6th January.
📅 On until the 5th January⏰ 10am – 4pm 💴 £2 for trail, includes prize 🎫 No booking required ℹ️ More info on the Harcourt Arboretum website.
📚Caper Bookshop
If your little one was lucky enough to receive some book vouchers for Christmas then make an event of it by vising 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. THIS is how to engage children in reading. Support local and get in there to spend your pounds!
📅Closes on midday on Christmas Eve and opens again on the 2nd January ⏰ Monday – Saturday: 9am – 5pm, Sunday: 10am – 4pm ℹ️ See the pictures from our visit to Caper here – it’s really so wonderful!
Saturday 4th January
🔭Science Oxford – Sensory Friendly Science Day
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. Pick up an Explorer Backpack and see what wildlife you can spot on the outdoor nature trails around the meadows, woodland and ponds.
📅 Saturday 4th January⏰ 10.00am – 12.00pm/ 12.30pm – 2.30pm/ 3.00pm – 5.00pm 💴 £8 per person, Under 3: free 🎫 Booking required ℹ️ More info on the Science Oxford website. Read about one of our visits here.
🎶The Oxfordshire Museum: History Hunters – Wassailing
A History Hunter special exploring the traditions around wassailing. Craft activities, create your own spiced apple juice and at 3.30pm join Jon Bennett from Moonrakers as he sings some traditional wassailing songs. Join in the singing and learn about the history behind these songs.
📅 Saturday 4th January⏰ 10.30am – 2.30pm/ 2pm – 3.30pm 💴 £2 donation per child 🎫 No booking required ℹ️ More info on the Oxfordshire Museum website.
Sunday 5th January
🚶🏻➡️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
