Christmas Games

Many fun Christmas games can be made from items you already have on-hand (balls, buckets, brooms, etc.).

At a Christmas Party alternate rambunctious games with quieter games to keep the children’s energy at reasonable levels. Focus on noncompetitive games where all children enjoy success and approval.

Prizes aren’t necessary for most games, but if you do provide prizes give one to each child for his/her effort. For example: award a prize to each child who completes a Christmas obstacle course, not just to the child who completes the course in the least amount of time. Prizes call be small favor items, such as stickers, award ribbons, coins, etc. Keep a prize basket with an assortment of little items and allow the child to pick the item he wants.

Be flexible. Don’t require all children to participate in a game. Be prepared to allow a game to go longer if children are having a good time or to change to a new game as needed. Be ready to help those who need it… a child who can’t read the clues well or a child who may need an extra hint.

Below are ideas for fun and simple Christmas games:

Bean Bag Toss
Paint a snowman or elf on one side of a large cardboard box. Cut out holes for mouths and eyes. Have guests try to toss bean bags or balls through the openings.

Candy Toss
Have kids try to toss peppermint candies or tootsie rolls into a box decorated with Christmas wrap.

Charades
Write Christmas topics, such as “Frosty the Snowman” or “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” on pieces of paper. Have a child select one and act it out. The child who correctly identifies the topic then gets to select and act out the next topic. Have older children come up with their own holiday-related topics.

Winter Dress-up Relay
Divide children into two teams. Place a pile of winter clothes (coats, hats, gloves, ear muffs, scarves, wool socks, etc.) in a large pile at the far end of the race course. Have one child from each team race to the pile, select an item, put it on and return back to her teammates. The child then gives her clothing item to the next player on her team. This child puts on the clothing item and then runs to the clothing pile to select and put on another item. He then returns to his teammates and transfers both clothing items to the next player. Continue until the last child on each team has completed the race is wearing full winter gear.

Drawing Game
Have children lay down on large pieces of paper and trace around their bodies with a pencil. Then have each child color her silhouette to look like a holiday elf and hang these on the wall or fence.

Candy Cane Hunt
Hide small candy canes throughout the party area before guests arrive.

Prancer, Prancer, Rudolph
Just like duck-duck-goose, but with a holiday twist.

Hopscotch
Draw a hopscotch course with a holiday theme. For example, with a drawing of Santa at the start and a Christmas stocking at the end.

Hot Snowball
Like hot potato, but with a large styrofoam ball. Have children sit in a circle and pass around the ball until a timer goes off. The child holding the ball when the timer goes off is the “silly elf” and has to make a funny face.

Jokes & Riddles
Get Christmas joke and riddles from a book or on-line. Write the riddles on individual pieces of paper and write the answers on separate pieces of paper. Give half the guests riddles and half answers and have them try to find their “match”. Then have each group read their riddle and answer to the rest of the guests.

Holiday Wrap Race
Group children into pairs. Have one child stand still while the other wraps him from head-to-toe with wrapping paper. Instruct “wrappers” not to cover easy, mouth, or noses. The first team to finish their roll of paper and tie a pretty bow wins.

Obstacle Course
Use items you already have to create an obstacle course. For example: children might need to crawl through a snow cave box, walk across the icy lake on a board, ring a bell at the North Pole, etc. before they reach the finish line. Time each child with a stop watch and encourage her to try to beat her own time on the 2nd try (instead of worrying about the other children’s times). Give ribbons or stickers to each child who finishes the course.

Pinata
Buy or make a holiday pinata and fill it with candy and small toys.

Pin-the-Blank-on-the-Blank
Like pin-the-tail-on-the donkey, but with a Christmas twist, such as pin-the-hat-on-the-snowman or pin-the-nose-on-the-elf.

Simon Says
Play Simon Says, but change Simon to Santa.

Snowman Wrap
Group children into pairs. Have one child stand still while the other wraps him from head-to-toe with toilet paper. Instruct “wrappers” not to cover easy, mouth, or noses. The first team to finish their roll of paper wins.

Word Game
Have guests write the words “Merry Christmas” or “Happy Holidays” on a piece of paper or whiteboard. Have children create as many word as possible in 2 minutes using only these letters.

Word Scrambles
Make word scrambles using Christmas words. For example: “tanas” is santa and “fel” is elf.

Word Search
Make a giant word search on paper or drawn with chalk on the driveway and have the children work together to find all the words. Use Christmas words, such as stocking, tree, candy, etc.

Source: http://kidschristmasfun.com/pages/christmasgames.html