.png)
Allow these easy (and mostly free) ideas to add more joy to your holiday party.
Depending on how your family celebrates, Christmas can feel like the longest day of the year. Kids opening their toys and gifts takes up an hour or two if you really cherish the moment. Prepping, cooking and enjoying Christmas dinner, and then cleaning up afterward burns through a few more. But once you've licked the last remnants of the figgy pudding off grandma's china, you'll still need to occupy the crew until bedtime. There's only so many Christmas movies a person can watch, after all. If you have overnight guests to entertain for days on end, or you're throwing the ultimate Christmas party, you'll need some fun activities to answer the inevitable cries of, "I'm bored!" Let these great Christmas games check that off your list.
Engaging your family in some friendly competition will get everyone's adrenaline pumping, keep the post-holiday doldrums at bay and help make treasured memories. Some of these excellent Christmas activities require no materials at all, so you can put them together at elf speed. And many involve an element of crafting or DIY too, so you can have fun assembling the pieces even before the games begin. And before you ask, we have a few great Christmas bingo games, too. Let the reindeer games begin!
Hold sled races
Bundle up and get ready to work off that post-dinner slump with sled races. Have participants line up at the top of a hill (a safe distance apart, to prevent crashes) and let 'er rip. First to the bottom wins!
Play Christmas "Heads Up"
Write the name of classic Christmas characters on sticky notes and have each player paste one to their forehead without looking at what it says. Then, everyone has to help each other guess whose name is on their heads without saying the word. It's a guaranteed laugh fest! There's also an app, for a higher-tech version.
Host Christmas family trivia
Get to know the faces around the table even better with a rousing game of family trivia. Have everyone write down a little-known fact about themselves when they arrive, then read them out after dessert or whenever you've got some downtime. Ask everyone to guess which piece of trivia belongs to who. It's a game and bonding experience all rolled into one!
Christmas Mad Libs
Get all of your together to an game of Mad Libs. The silliest, most creative or just downright weird combo wins the day. It's also a great way to work on the kids' vocabulary, to sneak some learning into the festivities.
Christmas wrapping race
Instead of stressing about how beautifully your gifts are wrapped, gather some helper Elves and see who can wrap their gift as quickly as possible. Sure, you may not exactly save paper this way, but it does take the pressure off the perfectionists among us.
Christmas scavenger hunt
Instead of sitting around the TV digesting after dinner or while waiting for the roast to come up to temp, embark on a holiday-themed scavenger hunt. Personalize it by including items that have sentimental value to your family. Get help from this deck of more than 200 cards that has an indoor deck and an outdoor deck, so there's an option for all kinds of weather.
Christmas Guess Who
Personalize the iconic game of Guess Who by making cards with pictures of family members. Polaroid photos would give it an easy, vintage twist. To get your competitor to guess the correct person, use holiday prompts like, "Who makes her signature Christmas dessert?" or "Who's celebrated the most Christmases in our family?" When you're finished playing, incorporate the pictures into your decor.
Christmas dance freeze
Turn rockin' around the Christmas tree into a competition by holding a holiday dance-off. Turn on the music and get groovin', then shut it off without warning and shout, "freeze!" Whoever stops moving last is out. You'll get the giggles, guaranteed.
Play Christmas movie bingo
Turn your Hallmark movie marathon into a more collaborative activity when you just can't resist attaching your backsides to the couch. This movie Bingo board will turn it into a fun family activity and keep everybody off their devices.
Snowman bowling
For a few weeks before the big day, save a stack of uniform-sized containers like tissue boxes or shipping packaging. Then, paint them white and attach a paper hat and nose, painted-on eyes and a mouth, pom-pom buttons and some sticks for arms. Grab a ball and you're ready to bowl! Not only is it an adorable and easy activity, it also helps repurpose some cardboard.
Comments