Want to keep little ones entertained at your Christmas party this year? Make sure to plan ahead and put together some fun games and activities!
The best bet is to choose games that both grown-up and kids can take part in, that way underage guests won’t have to spend the party off by themselves. And for an extra bit of holiday cheer, include a cookie swap or gift exchange so guests don’t go home empty-handed. It’s a great way to give them something to remember the party by!
Gift Giving Games
Hold a Secret Santa at your holiday party. If you’ll see all the guests before the party, have them pick a name from a hat. If not, tell everyone to bring a gift suitable for all ages. Keep the price limit on the gifts low, around $10 or $15, so that guests don’t overspend. You can also turn the Secret Santa into a White Elephant, where everyone brings an item they own but don’t want or a gag gift. Have each guest pick a number from a hat at the party to determine the order in which they can pick the gifts.
Classic Games with a Christmas Twist
Play “Pin the Tail on the Reindeer” or “Pin the Nose on Rudolph.” Replace regular Bingo with Santa Bingo, where the players have to shout “Santa,” after getting a row of numbers. Play musical chairs but use Christmas songs, instead. Group the chairs in a circle, using one fewer chair then the number of people playing. Have guests walk around the chairs while “Jingle Bells” plays. Once it stops, guests have to scramble to get a seat. The guest left standing becomes the Grinch. Keep playing the game until only one guest is not a Grinch.
Fun with Candy Canes
Play “Pass the Candy Cane.” Divide children into two teams, and give every child a candy cane. Tell them to hold it between their fingers, holding the hook upside down. Have them form two straight lines. Hook a candy cane on the first child in each line’s cane and instruct them to pass the cane down the line. The team that makes it to the end of the line without dropping the cane wins. You can also use the candy canes as fish hooks. Fill two buckets with toys and candy. Players will need to use a candy cane to try and hook the objects and lift them from the bucket.
Wrapping Paper Games
Have a relay race to see which team can unwrap the most presents in the shortest amount of time. Wrap several empty cereal boxes and divide them into two piles. Have two teams line up. The first person in each line runs to the pile of boxes, grabs one, unwraps it and discards the paper. The paper needs to land in the trash can. The first person then runs back to his team and passes the unwrapped to the next player. The player runs, unwraps a box and runs back. The game continues until no boxes remain. Teams can also have a contest to see who can wrap up a teammate as a present the fastest.
Christmas Cookie Time
Instead of a gift exchange, consider holding a cookie swap at your party. Have children bring two dozen of their favorite Christmas cookies, preferably homemade. Set each plate of cookies on the table and let guests select from each plate. Provide plates and cellophane to wrap the cookies in. You can also blindfold each child and feed them a cookie, asking them to identify what type of cookie it is. Before you do so, make sure you are aware of any allergies guests may have.
