The In-Between Days: A Dacorum Family Plan for 27–31 December 2026
Photo by Photo by Vanessa Sharpe on Unsplash on Unsplash
The week nobody plans for
Christmas Day is done, the leftovers are in Tupperware, and the adverts have already moved on to New Year. Welcome to the in-between days: 27 to 31 December 2026. In Hemel Hempstead and the surrounding towns, the big festive switch-ons and markets have mostly wrapped up, but families are still off work, kids are still off school, and everyone needs somewhere to go that is not another cinema trip.
This is not a week for ambitious itineraries. It is a week for small wins: a walk that ends near a warm café, a soft-play session booked before the car park fills, a pub lunch that does not turn into a two-hour wait. Think of the next five days as a loose framework rather than a military operation. Here is how to build a low-stress week across Dacorum.
Sunday 27 December: ease in with a towpath and a table
Sunday is for fresh air and minimal decision-making. The Grand Union Canal towpath around Boxmoor and Apsley is flat, pushchair-friendly and easy to shorten or stretch depending on how everyone is behaving. Wrap up, pick a stretch, and aim to finish somewhere warm. Canal-side pubs in the Boxmoor and Apsley area are usually open on the Sunday between Christmas and New Year, but ring ahead if you want a table for more than four people. Many will be running reduced Sunday menus, so check before you promise roast potatoes.
If the weather is doing its worst, swap the walk for a café stop in Berkhamsted or Tring high street. Independent cafés often reopen on 27 December, though opening hours can be quirky. A quick look at their social pages before you leave is worth more than a hopeful drive.
Monday 28 December: the bank holiday soft-play slot
Monday 28 December 2026 is a substitute bank holiday, which means lots of places are open but running Sunday hours. Soft-play centres around Hemel Hempstead are the obvious choice for younger children, but this is exactly the day when everyone else has the same idea. Book the first session of the day if you can. Early slots are calmer, parking is easier, and you leave before the lunchtime rush turns the car park into a game of musical bumpers.
For older kids, The Snow Centre in Hemel Hempstead is worth checking for holiday open sessions. It is not a cheap day out, so decide before you arrive whether you are skiing, boarding or just watching from the café. Booking ahead is sensible at this time of year. If the slope is full, a swim at a local leisure centre or a simple park kickabout in Gadebridge Park will do the job. The bar is low: everyone just needs to burn off some energy.
Tuesday 29 December: a small event, not a big production
The beauty of 29 December is that the pressure is off. The big Christmas events have finished, but village halls, churches and community centres across Dacorum often run quiet coffee mornings, drop-in craft sessions or short winter walks. These are not the sort of things that get a giant poster in the town centre, so check parish newsletters, local Facebook groups and noticeboards in Berkhamsted, Kings Langley and Tring. If you find a coffee morning with a book swap and a table of biscuits, go. That is the whole point of the week.
If nothing appeals, make your own small event. A library visit is free, warm and reliable, and Dacorum's libraries are useful refuges when the weather cannot decide what it is doing. Pair it with a sandwich and you have filled a morning without spending a fortune.
Wednesday 30 December: walk it off properly
By Wednesday, everyone has been indoors too long. This is the day for a proper walk, but keep it flexible. The Boxmoor Trust's commons and the Grand Union Canal give you plenty of routes without committing to a full-day hike. Near Tring, Ashridge Estate and College Lake are good options if you want something more rural, though paths can be muddy and car parks busy. Wear actual boots, not the trainers you keep by the door.
Finish with a pub lunch if you can. Country pubs around Tring and Berkhamsted often welcome families at lunchtime, but the gap between Christmas and New Year is staffing season, so book ahead or go early. If you have a dog, check the pub's policy before you pile everyone in the car. A quick phone call saves a lot of standing around in a porch.
Thursday 31 December: keep it simple, keep it early
New Year's Eve with children is a game of expectations. The trick is to do something early and call it a night before the fireworks get going. Many pubs in Hemel Hempstead and the surrounding towns run early family-friendly sittings or low-key lunches on 31 December, while others go full party mode later on. Decide which one you want before you book. If you are after a quiet meal, ask specifically whether the pub is ticketed later or whether tables are being turned over.
For a no-fuss finish, an afternoon walk and an early tea at home is genuinely fine. If you want a bit of atmosphere, check whether your local pub is opening early for families, or whether a community centre is running a countdown for younger children. These smaller events are often advertised late, so look on 29 and 30 December rather than assuming nothing is on.
The practical bits
Book ahead for soft play, The Snow Centre, panto-style shows and any meal where you need a table for more than four. Check opening hours on the day, not just the website's festive banner. Carry cash for small village events and car parks that have not quite joined the app age. Keep one day completely free. And remember that the week between Christmas and New Year is not a test of how much you can cram in. A canal walk, a café stop and a pub lunch is a perfectly good Dacorum day out.
If you only do one thing, do the walk first and the food second. That way, even if the weather turns or the soft play is fully booked, you have still had a proper bit of the day outside. The dead week does not need rescuing. It just needs a plan that leaves room for everyone to flop on the sofa afterwards.
