Holiday Tradition Idea: Christmas Eve Gift Box For Tween & Teen Girls

When I was a little girl, my grandparents always opened Christmas gifts on Christmas Eve as a family.  In keeping with that tradition, I have always allowed our girls to open one present on Christmas Eve (and wait for the others to "arrive" on Christmas morning).  Over the years, I have become a bit patterned in the gift box that the girls receive each Christmas Eve.  Although they are older tweens and teens now, they still receive a version of the same Christmas Eve gift box that they have received for years.  What are our favorite Christmas Eve gift box ideas for a tweens and teens this year? 

The Contents of our Christmas Eve Gift Box or Tween or Teen Girls

A Personalized Ornament for the Christmas Tree.  This changes from year to year.  Sometimes, it is a milestone ornament--like a violin ornament when our daughter joined the school orchestra  or this Hallmark Ornament when our middle daughter was missing her two front teeth for Christmas!  Sometimes, it is just a cute ornament that made me think of something we did together over the year!

A Book.  I have professed bookworms--and there is always at least one book on their Christmas Wish List to include in the Christmas Eve Gift Box.  This year, I am Malala and Paper Towns were on the wish lists--and the covers color coordinated well with the other gifts!

New PJ's are ALWAYS in the Christmas Eve gift box.  As the girls grow, it is sometimes harder to find pajamas that they will wear beyond Christmas morning--so I try to make them cute, coordinated--and with tops or bottoms that are interchangeable with other pj's in their drawer!   Family Matching Pajama Sets are a great place to start if the kids range in age!

Hot Cocoa & a New Mug.  As my girls have grown, they love having their own mugs and cups for tea or hot cocoa--and I love adding a new one to the Christmas Eve gift box every year.  Some years, the mug may have a funny saying or an initial--other years, like this year, it may just be a bold, fun color that is different than anything else in the kitchen.  Since the Christmas Eve gift box is special--it gets special Hot Cocoa--like Starbucks or Godiva--along with candy canes or cinnamon sticks for stirrers.

Some Extras...Sometimes, I add a new Journal with a Pen or an Adult Coloring Book with a new box of colored pencils.  Then, I may toss in some holiday candy.

The youngest child gets Magic Reindeer Food.  No matter the age of our girls, we do this fun, family tradition every year.  (If you missed the Reindeer Food tutorial yesterday--check it out to learn how to make your own Magic Reindeer Food!

Wrap up the Christmas Eve Gift Boxes and Plan to Unwrap them on Christmas Eve!  I always choose identical gift boxes to display and wrap the Christmas Eve gifts for the girls.  While the boxes are wrapped in different holiday wrappings--the girls know which boxes they are opening on Christmas Eve and it always builds the excitement!

For the past few years, the girls have opened these gift boxes on Christmas Eve--put the ornaments on the Christmas tree, made the hot cocoa, jumped into their new pajamas--and sipped the cocoa by the fire while reading their new books or coloring in their new coloring books.  It is a wonderful way to ease into Christmas morning--and one of my favorite holiday traditions that will probably continue through their college years!