Christmas can be chaotic. You have a matter of days left, but still have twelve relatives to buy for before you can even start to think about the big day or what food you want for your Christmas dinner!
AI won't wrap presents or eat the sprouts nobody wants. But it might actually help with the planning panic. BBC Bitesize spoke to Mark Anderson, former teacher, author, blogger and consultant on the BBC Bitesize Guide to AI and he said there are four ways to use AI which could make things easier.
Gift ideas when you're completely stuck
If you're running out of ideas for presents, AI can help you think of options based on someone's age, interests or your budget. Whether it's a small gift for a friend or a homemade idea for a relative, AI can come up with choices you might not have thought of.
- Ask for specific suggestions: ‘Gift ideas for a 16-year-old who loves horror films, £15 limit’
- Request low-cost creative options: ‘List 5 meaningful IOU gifts I can give and do later’
- Get homemade ideas: ‘DIY gift ideas using things from… (insert name of bargain shop)’
- Create digital gifts: ‘Help me design a funny digital card’
Do remember, AI doesn't know what's sold out or that everything takes three weeks to arrive in December. Check delivery dates yourself, or you could find yourself printing more IOUs on Christmas Eve.
Planning time with friends and family
As the holidays get closer, many young people of us start thinking about who we want to see and what we want to do. AI can help you come up with ideas for spending time with friends and family in a way that feels fun rather than rushed.
- Ask for activity ideas: ‘free or cheap activities for 5 teenagers on a rainy day’
- Sort out scheduling: ‘find best meeting time: Sarah free weekends, Tom mornings only, Amy works until 20th’
- Request mixed-age activities: ‘party games that work for ages 7 to 70’
- Find offline options: ‘create 10 funny conversation starters for Christmas dinner’
Christmas Day: A survival guide
Christmas Day looks different for every family, but a little planning can make it feel smoother. You can ask AI to help you sketch out the shape of your day and plan your Christmas entertainment.
If someone in your family is cooking, AI can also offer general guidance on how long certain dishes often take. But it is very important to check any cooking temperatures and timings with a trusted recipe or official food safety source. Ovens vary, and safe cooking always matters, especially with poultry and roast dinners.
You can even ask it for ideas for films or shows that might suit everyone watching (although you should check the age rating yourself before watching anything, because AI can sometimes get these wrong).
- Get cooking guidance: ‘what time should I start cooking each dish for Christmas dinner?’
- Plan entertainment: ‘suggest three films that teenagers and grandparents will both enjoy’
- Generate games: ‘write 10 Christmas quiz questions with rhyming answers’
- Create activities: ‘design a treasure hunt with five clues ending at the Christmas tree
Actually creative stuff
AI can be a great way to add extra creativity to your Christmas celebrations. From designing decorations to inventing new games, it can help make things more memorable.
If you use AI to generate images, make sure you avoid uploading personal photos unless an adult has checked the privacy settings. It is also important to get permission before using photos of friends or relatives, even in fun designs.
- Design projects: ‘design an ugly Christmas jumper with dinosaurs and pizza’
- Write entertainment: ‘write a funny Christmas poem about the family dog’
- Create musical fun: ‘rewrite Jingle Bells as a K-pop song’
- Make puzzle games: ‘create a Christmas film quiz using only emojis for the titles’
- Generate activities: ‘write a Christmas murder mystery for 6 people’
- Write stories: ‘create a short Christmas adventure story for 8-year-olds to act out’
Reality check
AI can help with many things, but it is important to understand its limitations. It doesn't understand your family's specific context, preferences, or the little details that make gifts and plans personal.
Take gift suggestions for example – absolutely consider using AI to give you lots of options to choose from, but use your personal insights and knowledge to pick one that YOU know will land well for the person you're picking it for. The same goes for activities: AI might suggest board games, but only you know if your family enjoys them or if they always end in arguments.
As AI can often miss important details, when you ask for suggestions, remember they’re suggestions rather than answers. AI won't know specifics such as dietary requirements, accessibility needs, or past experiences that might make certain ideas unsuitable; that’s where you come in.
The truth about AI at Christmas
AI will not save Christmas on its own, but it can help you spark ideas, plan your time and add a little extra creativity to the celebrations. Used safely, it can be a fun part of making this Christmas calm, cheerful and full of festive surprises.
Think of it as an eager helper - useful if you know what to ask, limited if you expect magic. And unlike Santa's helpers, it won't judge you if you're still wrapping presents at 2 am on Christmas Eve.
This article was published in December 2025
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