GP’s top tips for making this Christmas the best one ever!


No matter how good last Christmas was, we always try everything within our power to make the next one even better. Luckily for you, Team GP is ready to share our top tips on how you can get prepared in advance and make this Christmas the best one ever!

Let’s get straight to it – after all, the best Christmas ever won’t organise itself…

Plan that Christmas movie in advance

While we’re huge fans of the great outdoors, sometimes you can’t beat a lazy day curled up on the sofa watching Christmas films. With an Amazon Fire Stick (RRP £39.99), you won’t even need to move off the sofa to change the DVD or Blu-Ray! Downloadable apps on the Fire Stick include Netflix, Prime Video, and more. As long as you have an active subscription, you’ll be spoilt for choice when it comes to Christmas films via these streaming services. And there’s no need to type the movie you want into the search bar – just ask Alexa!

Make your Christmas movie session even more special by treating everyone to a luxury hot chocolate with marshmallows in their own personalised mug, or serving it up cinema-style with some special festive popcorn, courtesy of this Jamie Oliver recipe.

Bring Santa to life for the kids

Technology has taken the illusion of Santa Claus to another level. If your little one’s starting to get suspicious – or to ramp up the excitement about his arrival even more – Santa’s Sleigh Ride by AtmosFX (RRP £$24.99) will work wonders. Once you’ve downloaded the file, you can create a hologram-like illusion by using a sheet and a video projector – then sit back and watch the little ones’ faces light up with amazement. If you don’t have a projector, you can just play it through your TV. Follow it up by keeping an eye on the big man’s movements via NORAD’s Santa Tracker.

Get your Christmas playlist ready

Even the most serious music fans can’t resist a cheesy Christmas song…or 50. Thanks to music streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music, you can now orchestrate your very own Christmas playlist in advance (make sure you ask your family their favourite Christmas songs so you can add them on there!). It’s time to introduce the younger ones to Grandpa’s favourite Bing Crosby number...all you need is a Bluetooth speaker to play it through! How about this festive and fun Christmas bauble speaker (RRP £13.73), which works with all Bluetooth-enabled smartphones, tablets and laptops. Your tree will be singing to your tune!

Sort the festive games


One of the best bits about Christmas is quality family time – and what better way to have fun and laughs together than a good old party game? Get organised and plan yours in advance, considering the age ranges playing and what might appeal. A homemade game of ‘Scattegories’ is a great one for all the family: every person picks a category (for example, ‘pizza topping’ or ‘boys’ names’), then use a letter generator on your phone (or ask Alexa!) to pick a random letter. It’s then a race against time as players think of a word for each category beginning with that letter in just one minute. Get the same answer as someone else and that answer is cancelled out, so the rarer the better!

Or – here’s one for the adults – why not try your hand at the Lightning Reaction Electric Shock Game (RRP £19.99)? You'll be shocked – quite literally – by the amount of fun that can be had with Lightning Reaction! That’s right, those with the slowest reaction times receive an electric shock. It’ll certainly bring the big day back to life if things have started to slow down as everybody digests their Christmas dinner.

Light up your Christmas

 Why not transport your home into the 21st century with these Twinkly App-Controlled Lights (RRP £49.99)? No more crawling under the tree or stairs to turn the lights off every night – you can simply use your smartphone or tablet. Also, using your phone’s camera, you can decide which of the 100 LED lights you want on and in which colour. Why not arrange them in the colours of your favourite sports team?! The choice is yours.

Introduce a new tradition


 Every single family has their own traditions – but there’s always room for one more! How about these Christmas Eve boxes that seem to have taken the UK by storm in the last couple of years? They can add a sense of ceremony after the family Christmas Eve dinner but before the obligatory sherry, mince pie and carrot are left out for Santa and Rudolph. Or how about making mince pies together on Christmas Eve afternoon or seeking out your local candlelight carol service?

Keep Christmas running with GP Batteries

Finally, make sure the fun doesn’t come to an abrupt end this Christmas, at the same time as doing your bit for the environment, by stocking up on GP Rechargeable Batteries and an accompanying charger. From new tech and gadgets to toys, games, fairy lights and more, you’ll always have batteries to hand with GP.

Here’s to the best Christmas ever!

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