Last Christmas I made huge mistake. Planned this elaborate party with all these activities I found on Pinterest. Looked amazing online. Took me hours to prep everything.
Kids show up and they're basically bored out of their minds within fifteen minutes. Games were too complicated. Instructions took forever. Half the supplies didn't work right.
Emma starts crying because she can't figure out the craft. Marcus is wandering around asking if we can just play regular games instead. Parents looking at me like what's wrong with you lady.
Total disaster. Felt like complete failure.
But kids still wanted holiday party this year. So I tried different approach. Instead of fancy Pinterest stuff went with simple games that actually work. Games I could explain in thirty seconds. Games that don't require twenty different supplies that might break.
Turns out simple holiday games way more fun than complicated craft projects nobody understands.
Christmas Scavenger Hunt
This one's so easy but kids absolutely love it. Hide little Christmas items around room. Candy canes ornaments small toys wrapped in tissue paper.
Give kids list with pictures not words since some can't read yet. "Find something red and white striped. Find something shiny. Find something that jingles."
Works for all ages. Little kids love hunting for stuff. Big kids love racing to find everything first.
Had kindergartner find candy cane and immediately start dancing around room. Pure joy over something so simple.
Takes maybe ten minutes to set up. Kids entertained for thirty minutes easy.
Holiday Charades with Twist
Regular charades but everything holiday themed. Act out decorating tree. Building snowman. Wrapping presents. Opening gifts.
Kids love acting stuff out. Gets them moving when they've been sitting too long.
Made it easier by letting them use props. Want to act out baking cookies? Can pretend mix with imaginary bowl. Makes it more fun less frustrating.
Sarah's daughter got "hanging stockings" and spent five minutes doing this elaborate pantomime of climbing ladder and carefully placing stockings. Everyone cracking up.
Musical Christmas Trees
Like musical chairs but instead of chairs use paper Christmas trees taped to floor. Play holiday music walk around trees. When music stops everyone finds tree.
No elimination though. That just makes kids sad. When someone doesn't get tree they become the DJ for next round.
Way less crying than regular musical chairs. Everyone stays involved whole time.
Tom's son loves being DJ. Gets so excited picking which song to play next. Makes him feel important instead left out.
Holiday Would You Rather
Simple game just asking silly holiday questions. "Would you rather have Christmas every day or never have to clean your room again?" "Would you rather be able to fly like Rudolph or be invisible like Christmas magic?"
Kids love debating answers. Gets them talking and thinking. No supplies needed.
Had kids arguing for twenty minutes about whether it's better to live at North Pole or never have to go to bed. So engaged just talking about silly scenarios.
Works great when waiting for something else or need quick time filler.
Christmas Memory Game
Put holiday items on tray. Let kids look for one minute. Cover tray have them write or say what they remember.
Candy cane ornament small bell toy reindeer wrapped gift jingle bells. Start with maybe six items.
Older kids can handle more items. Younger kids fewer items. Easy to adjust for different ages.
Jessica's five-year-old remembered the jingle bells but forgot everything else. Didn't matter. She was so proud she remembered something.
Holiday Pictionary
Draw holiday things let others guess. Christmas tree presents snowman Santa sleigh reindeer.
Kids love drawing even when they're terrible at it. Others love guessing even when drawings look nothing like what supposed to be.
Made rule that everyone gets to guess not just first person raise hand. Keeps everyone involved instead just the fast kids.
Had kid draw what was supposed to be Christmas tree. Looked more like green blob with brown stick. But when someone finally guessed it right kid was so happy.
Pass the Present
Wrap empty box in multiple layers paper. Kids sit circle pass box while music plays. When music stops whoever has box unwraps one layer.
Keep going until someone unwraps last layer. They get small prize but then everyone gets something so nobody feels left out.
Simple but kids love anticipation of unwrapping layers. Never know when music will stop.
Mike brought huge box wrapped in maybe ten layers. Kids were so excited every time music stopped wondering if this would be the final layer.
Holiday Bingo
Make bingo cards with holiday pictures instead of numbers. Christmas tree star angel present snowflake candy cane.
Call out items kids mark them off. First to get line wins but keep playing until everyone gets bingo.
Works for non-readers since just pictures. Can make cards easier or harder depending on age group.
Had preschooler who couldn't quite understand game but loved putting stickers on pictures when heard words. Didn't matter if playing right. Having fun.
Christmas Story Building
Start holiday story with one sentence. "Santa was getting ready for Christmas when..." Each kid adds one sentence.
Stories get completely ridiculous. Kids love making up silly additions. No wrong answers.
Last time story ended with Santa riding dinosaur through chocolate factory to deliver pizza to Easter Bunny. Kids thought it was hilarious.
Gets creativity flowing. Everyone contributes. Takes zero preparation.
Hot Potato Holiday Style
Pass holiday item around circle while music plays. When music stops whoever has item has to answer holiday question or do silly action.
Questions like "What's your favorite Christmas cookie?" or "If you were elf what job would you want?" Actions like "Do your best reindeer impression."
No wrong answers. Just fun way get kids talking and being silly.
Had shy kid who never talks much. When she got hot potato had to act like she was decorating Christmas tree. She got so into it started explaining exactly how she would put ornaments on specific branches.
What Doesn't Work
Games with complicated rules that take forever explain. Kids lose interest before you finish talking.
Activities that require perfect execution. Kids get frustrated when can't do something exactly right.
Games that eliminate players. Creates winners and losers instead just fun for everyone.
Anything that needs expensive supplies or lots of preparation. More likely something will go wrong.
Keys to Success
Keep rules super simple. If can't explain in thirty seconds probably too complicated for kids.
Have backup activities ready. Some games will flop and that's okay. Move on to something else.
Focus on participation not competition. Everyone should feel successful.
Be flexible. If kids want modify rules or do something different go with it.
Have supplies ready but don't depend on them working perfectly.
What I Learned
Simple games always beat elaborate activities. Kids don't care if something looks Pinterest perfect.
Participation matters more than winning. Everyone should feel included whole time.
Be ready to adapt. Sometimes kids have better ideas than what you planned.
Have way more activities ready than think you need. Some will work great some will be duds.
Don't take it personally when something doesn't work. Just try something else.
Planning This Year
Keeping games that worked great last year. Adding few new simple ones found.
Making sure have activities for different energy levels. Active games when kids need move. Quiet games when need calm down.
Preparing twice as many activities as think I'll need. Better have too many options than not enough.
Most important thing is kids having fun celebrating together. Games just the vehicle for that.
