Most of the time I’m a bit of a Grinch, sitting in a listless Christmas/Hanukkah limbo in December, trying to muster up some cheer for the sake of my kids. But this year, I promised, it would be different. There are matching Christmas pajamas, cheerful knits – and a festive mini break.
I bought the pajamas (much to my husband’s dismay) and then looked at our outing options. Spotting reindeer in Finnish Lapland? Too expensive. Are you flying to a picturesque European capital? Too involved; too vulnerable to train strikes and flight cancellations; too stressful to keep an eye on the little ones at a busy Christmas market. Could the British rift be the answer?
I’d always thought our domestic version of continental Christmas magic could be a bit… sad: fake snow and a sweaty Santa Claus in a cardboard cave, fighting to be heard above the noise of a mall food court. But the weeks flew by and the usual pre-Chrismukkah frenzy (school nativity scenes, gift shopping, work parties) loomed – so I panicked and booked a weekend for us in LaplandUK.
This “Christmas-themed park” in Ascot’s Whitmoor Forest promised an immersive experience in an “Elven World”, complete with reindeer, a toy factory, a magical forest and, as a grand finale, a meeting with Mr Claus himself. In the run-up to our visit, packages arrived: Santa’s Untold Story and the Secrets of the Christmas Elves books to read before bed, along with personalized letters from Santa. So far, so good.
My mood was positive, we headed to Berkshire and spent the night before our adventure in a cottage suite in Coworth Park, just a few minutes down the road from the forest. We were welcomed with thoughtful gifts and fluffy slippers, followed by a delivery of milk and cookies. It was impossible not to feel festive.
The next morning our merry, sweater-clad party set out. We were met with hot chocolate and the chance to meet some of the characters wandering through leaf-filled dwellings, greeting both ‘Small Folk’ and ‘Big Folk’ with a thumb on the nose and a wave .
Then the doors opened and we walked through our first snowy, tree-lined habitat, where we sat for a series of short immersive productions that set the stage. Then we were thrown headfirst into the adventure – we helped the elves pack stuffed animals in the workshop; decorating gingerbread cookies in the kitchen – all the while surrounded by interactive merriment and elaborate worlds created by West End set designers.
Yes, excitement is always guaranteed when you offer children snow, Christmas lights and elf-sized doors – but the magic of belief certainly isn’t. We watched our descendants float from one enchantment to the next in utter delight, surrounded by elves who refused to break character, even when dealing with allergies at the mac ‘n’ cheese station or fickle fingers in the candy store.
Next up was lunchtime in the Elven Village – an unexpectedly civilized affair of food stations and child-friendly options, all beautifully choreographed to remove the logistical stress that so often spoils a big day out.
Then finally: the part we had all been waiting for – our moment with Father C. The kids were sure they could only be on the Good List (who was it then, who hid my keys five minutes before school started ) hours earlier?), but nothing could have prepared them for Santa, because they knew so much more than their names (“Siena! I’m surprised you didn’t come in!”; “Luca – I hear your little brother is with his grandparents this weekend!”)
His time with them seemed endless, and it was these moments that stayed with us long after we left his side.
And so we trudged back to the car with sticky hands and muddy feet, our cheeks red from the cold and sore from smiling. I would expect our little festive outing to be one of those sacrifices you bear as parents, for the sake of the children. Instead, I found that I had never needed such a soul-affirming reprieve.
It was not only a beautifully curated dose of IRL magic for our CGI generation, but also for my husband and me. As we strolled home with our lovely fertilizer magnets, I didn’t even mind that there was two days’ worth of laundry coming up.
Kari Colmans was a guest at Lapland, UK (tickets from £59 to £149) and Coworth Parkwith double rooms from £545 per night, and the Gardener’s West Cottage Suite from £1,970 per night.
Find festive breaks on home shores
Cotswolds
Don’t miss the enchanting Christmas Trail at Westonbirt National Arboretum for a dazzling forest world full of sparkling lights, festive sounds and enchanting installations. Local food carts will be selling seasonal food from mid-afternoon, plus there are specialist SEN sessions for those with additional needs (tickets from £12/19 children/adults; forestryengland.uk). Stay at the nearby Wild Thyme and Honey hotel for real Cotswold charm: think board games by a roaring fire and festive film screenings in the secret garden room (from £140; wildthymeandhoney.co.uk).
North Yorkshire
Grab the matching family onesies and head to Leeming Bar station at Wensleydale Railway for the annual Polar Express ride, pulled by a real steam engine (tickets from £31.95; yorkshiredalesthepolarexpressride.com). Expect a totally immersive theatrical experience on board, with all the characters you and the kids will know and love from the classic festive film. Make a weekend of it and stay at the nearby Swinton Park Hotel, a Grade II listed castle set in 200 acres of parkland. Here, Christmas activities include wreath-making, candlelit carols and Christmas walks (from £300; swintonestate.com).
London
There’s nothing like the capital at Christmas. Do it in style at Claridge’s – famous for its legendary tree created by a different fashion designer every year – where your suite comes with a champagne reception and your very own Christmas tree. Plus you’ll see the man in red walking through the corridors, so don’t forget to leave him carrots and mince pies (from £1,100; claridges.co.uk). You’re also moments away from Hyde Park’s ever-expanding Winter Wonderland (tickets from £5; hydeparkwinterwonderland.com), where there are shows, ice skating, sing-alongs and rollercoasters, as well as the magical world of Wishmas (tickets from £22; wishmas.co.uk).
Hampshire
Team spa treatments, rustic markets and homemade cocktails (for you) at Four Seasons Hampshire (from £530; fourseasons.com), with a trip to the enchanted My Little Unicorn centre, where a wintery woodland wonderland offers the chance to meet Christmas ponies and have a sleigh ride to see fairies, gnomes and elves (tickets from £55; mylittleunicorn.co.uk).
Hertfordshire
At Willows Farm you’ll find the usual play areas and attractions, as well as a (truly exceptional) Santa meet and greet plus cookie decorating, a reindeer trail, ice skating and bear building (tickets from £24; willowsactivityfarm.com ). Stay at nearby Sopwell House, where weary parents can recover from the festivities in the award-winning spa (from £215; sopwellhouse.co.uk).
Birmingham
Chocolate and Christmas are natural bedfellows, so December is the ideal time to head to Cadbury World, which even has a Santa show (tickets from £18.99; cadburyworld.co.uk). Stay at the city’s Grand Hotel (from £239; thegrandhotelbirmingham.co.uk) and you’ll also be close to Birmingham Frankfurt Christmas Market – the largest authentic Christmas market outside Germany and Austria – and Birmingham Royal Ballet’s The Nutcracker at the Hippodrome and outdoor skating Birmingham at Centenary Square.