those who do Santa

[Scout]

Those who wrap Santa gifts, I have a couple questions. I grew up with Santa gifts unwrapped, out of the boxes and ready to play with, and I loved that tradition, but this year I thought I'd try out wrapping Santa gifts and see how I like that. Daughter is 2 and a half, so I need to decide which way to go and stick to it. So my question is do you take it all out of the boxes and get it ready (put it together, add batteries and so forth) and then wrap it?

Also, when they are older and stop believing do you still put the wrapped gifts out on Christmas Eve like when they believed, or do you just put them under the tree as you buy and wrap? Asking this bc my sister did the unwrapped Santa gifts with her kids and when they all stopped believing, she wanted to start wrapping everything, but they wouldn't hear of and wanted her to continue to put 'Santa' gifts out like she always had. Seems to me that once they stop believing, I wouldn't have to be getting up in the middle of the night to put gifts out and the transition may be easier for the kid if I have always wrapped. Or am I wrong about that?
thanks

 

[Amarna]

We unbox and get the Santa toys ready to play. Both of my DDs still believe so I haven't run into the issue of what to do when they stop. I'll probably still not wrap them for consistency's sake even when they stop believing, at least until they're grown. Once they're adults I'll just wrap everything.

 

[.Mrs.B.]

I always wrap but love the idea of wrapping toys ready to play with. I can't believe you need a screwdriver to open some toys these days!

 

[SpringerS]

I don't wrap but if I did I'd be preparing the toys for immediate play as soon as the wrapping was off. The thought of having to take the toys out of the packaging, some of which are like Fort Knox to get into and you're off searching for suitable scissors or a knife getting even more frustrated than the toddler who desperately wants to play sounds hellish. You want Christmas morning to be smooth and hassle free.

Let the children see their toys and get playing as the mood takes them. Make sure breakfast takes no more than 5 minutes to prepare and spend the rest of the morning soaking in the joy.

 

[PB_Mcgee]

When my boys were younger (around 2/3) we would carefully unbox the toys, add battery's and remove majority of twisty things, then add back into box so we could pretty much play straight away.

Now they are older I just wrap as I think half the fun on Christmas is attempting to get the present out the box, keeps the excitement going a bit longer, and trying to put things together...its Xmas tradition.

 

[PB_Mcgee]

Also, I think I will always put them out on Xmas eve even when the boys no longer believe as I feel it makes it a bit more special, they have no idea how many presents they will get and can't guess what's inside before Christmas then x

 

[dizzy65]

We usually have Santa gifts ready to play with.

 

[wendzwoo]

I wrap everything and don't put things together unless it's something like a bike/ kitchen etc. My parents still put presents out on Christmas Eve night long after we stopped believing so I will do the same. Makes it more exciting!

 

[DanielleM]

We wrap everything, the only things that are ready to play with our things that need building such as last year Jacob had a car garage that needed building, this year he has a big wooden castle that will need building but everything else is wrapped still in boxes, it's tradition to try and get all the presents out of their boxes

This year is the first year that my eldest (11) knows the truth and everything will still be the same for him presents set out as usual Christmas Eve for continuity for his younger brother and also I don't have enough room under my tree for all of his presents

 

[Mrs_T]

I think I'm going to go down the route of their stockings and main Santa gift will always be unwrapped (this year Santa's gifts are hobby horses -well a dragon for Joshua) and the rest of the gifts wrapped. Think I'll always put their gifts out Xmas eve like pp said so they can't look at them, deliberating over what might be inside! May put out gifts from us to other family members perhaps??

 

[kwood]

We don't do Santa gifts really - this year he will get one gift from Santa and his stocking. So we wrap everything as it comes and in past years have put under the tree as we wrapped - may have to see this year as he is a little older the curiosity may get the better of him.

 

[DCS]

Everything wrapped up here. This year we need to set up dds chair, ds sewer lair and the shared shop cafe. But, I will stick a box over each and wrap the box.
When they stop believing I will still bring out the presents Xmas eve. It's so exciting going to bed with an empty living room and waking up to it being full of gift. Even though i lay the presents out I still get excited.

Eta. Santa gifts are wrapped too. Usually in a paper with Santa on. I set up a " essentials kit" every year with recycling bags, bin liners, screw drivers, scissors, batteries so I don't have to go looking for them in the morning

 

[mammy2oaklen]

We do one unwrapped gift as a surprise from santa that they haven't asked for and we do one wrapped gift off santa that is the top present on their list that they really want and this is places under the tree by 'santa' on xmas eve. The rest of the presents on the sofa floor ect are all off me and their daddy and we pay santa and he delivers them.

Also mine all still believe but I will keep putting presents out for them as my mum always did for me

 

[sabby52]

In our house Santa doesnt wrap any gifts, all Santa gifts are ready to play and anything that needs build will be build and ready to go.
The boys get wrapped gifts from us, family and friends so they have enough to unwrap, plus I hate the though of spending half of Christmas morning just unwrapping gift, Christmas morning is for playing

 

[leoniebabey]

I wrap everything unless it's a big thing such as a bike then i'd set it up and leave it.

 

[jensonsmummy]

This is from a couple of years ago, but generally how we do it

 

[Scout]

Thanks for all the different ideas. I suppose I will continue to put out on Christmas Eve even when she stops believing. My mom did and I guess I had forgot how much more exciting it is even when I didn't believe in santa any longer.

Now I'm back on the fence on wrapping or not. I have decided to take all out of boxes and get ready to play with, but to wrap or not wrap....that's the question. I was all set on giving it a try this year and have already bought the paper, but just remembering my own Christmases, coming down the stairs and going into the family room and seeing everything sitting there. I remember shaking with excitement while I stood there and took it all in. But then, if I wrap it daughter will be surprised time and again while unwrapping and I think it will make the morning last longer.

 

[jensonsmummy]

I didn't wrap for DS1 first two Christmases and I thought it was all over too quick so we now wrap. We just go with the flow, sometimes open them all once, sometimes open some ad play. Just what the kids want to do.

 

[Kay_Baby]

I wrap everything but will set up anything that needs significant building before wrapping. I will also open boxes and put batteries in or undo 100 ties before putting back in the box and wrapping.

 

[c1403]

Never really thought about this until now.

When we were younger all the biggish gifts were built and un wrapped (dolls house, prams etc). When we stopped believing we didn't get the big presents but still asked for our sacks to be delivered to our bedrooms ha ha

This year we re getting our DDs a play kitchen so will not wrap that, I may also leave a few other bits unwrapped (the ones downstairs from FC).

They also have a sack each upstairs but this will all get wrapped.