The school holidays are finally here and it’s a good idea to start thinking about how to keep excited children (who am I kidding? and us adults too!) occupied on the run up to Christmas. One of my favorite things to do over the festive period is a Christmas movie marathon – a whole day snuggled up on the sofa with popcorn, candy canes and snacks, watching the best (and worst) Christmas films around.
Here’s a few suggestions for films that will definitely get you in the mood for Christmas
Animations:
- Polar Express – drink hot chocolate with a candy cane stirrer while watching, just like the children do on the train.
- Shrek the Halls – a short film that you can slot into your viewing schedule at any time, and it will have you reciting The Night Before Christmas Shrek-style forever more!
- Creature Comforts – if you can get the Christmas special DVD of Creature Comforts it is an absolute delight to watch and you won’t be able to help yourself singing along with the 12 Days of Christmas. Also a short DVD.
- The Snowman, Father Christmas and The Snowdog - all these classic Raymond Briggs films are a must-see at christmas and will no doubt be on TV lots over the festive period. Great for having on in the background when you have guests too.
Child-friendly films:
- Home Alone and Home Alone 2 – surely it’s every child’s dream to be left alone in a toy-shop at night? Great slap-stick humor that we’ve all grown up with.
- Grinch – the classic Dr Zeuss story brought to life by Jim Carey via Ron Howard. I find it hilarious but also always fall asleep with 20 minutes to go! FYI don’t show it to your 5 year-old sister before bedtime on Christmas eve, she will be scared of the Grinch for the rest of her life…
- Miracle on 34th Street – another classic and it’s up to you whether you watch the black and white version or the ‘modern’ film, either way it’s a happy, easy-to-watch film.
- Santa Claus the Movie – with Dudley Moore as Patch the elf, it’s a film full of sparkle and wonderment for youngsters – and the most convincing version of the North Pole workshop that I’ve ever seen!
Comedy:
- I love love love Elf. Best Christmas film ever. I watch it all year round and have a backup DVD in case the first one wears out (it started skipping during the park scene, so it had to be replaced). There are things that I say all year round because of this film and classic Christmas exclamations such as “SANTA! I know him!”.
- The Santa Clause 1, 2, 3 plus Christmas with the Kranks - Tim Allen at his best in comedy Christmas roles as a reluctant Santa and as even more bah-humbug Mr Krank, now THAT is a festive movie marathon.
- Deck the Halls – another favorite of mine, probably due to all the Christmas lights and the fact that I’d love to decorate my house just like that!
- Fred Claus and Four Christmases – Vince Vaughn delivers adult humor in a world of candy canes and elves.