Unless you are hosting a Snowball Fight or Igloo/Snow Figurine building contest, your guests will not be expecting games of touch football or physically demanding obstacle courses to run when they attend a Christmas party! Playing a game of Charades or a whimsical relay may be as physical as the games get! That doesn’t mean the games can’t be great fun…and meaningful. Check out our game and activity ideas, and feel free to add a few of your own favorites. Award lots of small prizes and treats, as this is your chance to treat friends and loved ones to a fantastic Christmas party!
HO, HO, HOLD YOUR TONGUE! – Give each player a bag or stocking with 10 small treasures in it (candy, chocolates, little toy favors). Have bags labeled with players’ names, so they don’t get mixed up. Let players know at the start of the game exactly when the game will be ending—this game can be played throughout an entire party if you so choose. The object of the game is to catch fellow players saying one of the following words or phrases:
SANTA, REINDEER, SNOW, CHRISTMAS, ORNAMENT, PRESENTS
To help players, post the words prominently on a board where they can be seen often. If someone is caught saying one of the words on the list, that person has to give up a treasure from their stash. The player with the biggest haul of goodies at the end of the game is the winner! This game is always a big hit. (Ages 7-adult)
PINATA FUN – Our piñatas can do double duty—They’ll hang as decorations until you are ready to use them. A universal favorite! (Ages 3 to 12)
BALLOON POPPING CONTEST – Divide the children into two equal groups. About 25 yards away place two bags of inflated red and white balloons. These balloons should be overinflated to make popping easier. At the sound of a ringing bell, the first two relay contestants, one from each team, run to the bag, and remove one balloon. Each must sit on it until it pops. Once the balloon pops, the players run back to the starting line, and tag the next player in line. The first team to complete the course wins. If you have children who are afraid of the sound of popping balloons, offer a grown-up stand-in. Not a quiet game…but a guaranteed favorite! (Ages 4-adult)
PUT THE GIFT UNDER THE TREE! – Wrap two boxes to look like beautiful gifts (approximately shoe box size). Divide the children into two teams and have them form two lines. At the signal to “go”, the gift is to be passed from child to child. The catch is that they can use any part of their bodies except their hands. If the gift touches the ground at any time, it must go back to the beginning of the line again. Whichever team manages to get the gift to the end of the line first wins the game. You may want to fill each box with little prizes (enough for all the children), so that both teams can open the gift and be rewarded for their efforts. We have several very inexpensive prizes in our Party Favor Store. (Ages 5-adult)
Send out holiday cheer with your invitations! These invitation tips are great for your candy cane holiday or Christmas party.
