Christmas Game/Activities

[otheila]

I need ideas on how to keep 15-20 kids occupied at a christmas party. Santa will be there for a bit, presents passed out and such.The kids range from 7 years -1 month.
The party is for the kids, at my house parents come too. I've done this for the past 4 years. Now where the kids are a little older it can't be quite as a 'free range' idea I need better ideas to keep them amused. The parents and most grandparents will be there too. My biggest worry is expense, most of the stuff I already have in for the party and have about 15 dollars left in the party budget to get any further supplies. So least expensive ideas are the best. I know you ladies will have a whole bunch of idea's for me
TIA
otheila

[otheila]

I forgot craft ideas would be great too..
otheila

[kasparcat]

How about giving each kid (say age 3 and up) a tote bag or box to put their gifts and "stuff" into and then provide stickers, rubber stamps, glue sticks, rick-rack, leftover craft stuff (pompons, ribbon scraps, whatever you have), washable markers, etc., to decorate them? All the time my kids were growing up, I did this at the start of every birthday party. You know how the guests don't all arrive at the same time? This was sort of our warm-up activity. My kids always had a pinata at the end of the party (which, BTW, is totally appropriate for a Christmas party, as it is traditional for Las Posadas, the Mexican Christmas festival) and they had a personalized bag to put their pinata grabbings into.

Rani

[Maleah]

Every year we do a party for the kids in our family too. One year we made a bunch of sugar cookies in Christmas shapes the night before and let the kids decorate them with frosting, sprinkles, etc. Another year we made a big batch of cinnamon dough and gave each child a good bit to work with. Its a lot like playdough that they can mold into different shapes or use cookie cutters. Then we put a whole at the top of each of them and baked them while they watched a Christmas movie. The ornaments were ready to go home and at the end of the night. Just add a ribbon so they can be hung on the tree. (The whole house smelled so good for days too!) I have the recipe around here somewhere if you want it. Last year we bought some little wooden Christmas ornaments from Micheal's for them to paint.
For a more active games we decorate boxes with wrapping paper leaving the top open. Then we placed them down the hall in a straight line. The kids lined up at the end of the hall and starting with the first box tried to toss an ornament into it. If the make the first one, the try to toss one into the second box and so on. Two strikes and your out. The object is to see how far they can make it. One year we had a tie with the older kids and had to move the boxes to the stairs. Each time they got it in the box we'd move the box up a stair until one missed. We obviously have some baseball players in our family. *lol This was a big hit so we do this one almost every year.
Last year at the dollar store, I found a large plastic door cover that had Rudolf in the center. We hung it on the wall and cut out red noses and played pin the nose on the reindeer. The year before that we made a paper Christmas tree and had them pin the star on the tree.
Last year my husband came up with the neatest trick to get everyone to update their address for our Christmas card list. We fill a jar with Hershey kisses, M&Ms or something and set it up on a small table near the front door. As we greet each guest coming we hand them each a little slip of paper for them to write their name on and current address on at least on. Then we have a drawing to see who gets the jar of goodies at the end of the night. After everyone leaves for the night we have everyone's address for our address book.
Hope some of these ideas help!
-Maleah

[Terri Lee G]

Hi, I would love to get the recipe for the cookie decorations. Could you post them here?
Happy Holidays!
Terri in Western Australia

[Maleah]

"...recipe for the cookie decorations."

If you mean the cinnamon ornaments here's that recipe. These are non-edible and are just for decoration.

1cup applesauce
1cup ground cinnamon
4Tb of white glue

Mix all ingredients together and roll on wax paper to 1/4-inch thickness. Using a cookie cutter, cut out the shapes of the intended ornaments. Poke a small hole in the top of the ornament using the end of a straw, knife, chopstick, small dowel, pencil, or similar object. Baking time depends on how thick you make your ornaments. I normally make mine 1/4 in. thick or so and bake for about 2 hours. You can add any spices you like. I like to add a little cloves with the cinnamon and a tiny bit of vanilla. After they dry you can paint them. Make sure not to paint the whole thing or you'll seal all the smell in. They come out to a nice brown color that's just perfect for making gingerbread ornaments.

When I hang these on the tree I try to place them ontop of a Christmas light. The heat from the light brings out the smell a little more.

-Maleah

[sharlibird]

Some of the things we do with our preschool class is

(1) Make a pinata a few days beforehand (put in penny-type candy). If you make one yourself, it costs little to nothing. I used wallpaper paste (dry mix which only costs $0.50 per box), newspaper strips and a regular balloon. I layered about six layers of newspaper strips on the balloon (works better if you let each layer dry before continuing)...it finally took one of us adults to "break" the pinata, but the kids had a blast trying to hit it hard enough.

(2) Use styrofoam fruit/meat trays (ask for a donation of clean trays--germs!) to cut out traced shapes (I used cookie cutters) for ornaments. Use a mechanical pencil (or for an adult-an icepick) to punch in a hole for a ribbon hanger. Then paint with glue (literally) and drop into a bowl of glitter. The kids are amazed to see the ornament come to life in the glitter bowl. Carefully remove and set aside to dry. When dry, thread a ribbon thru the hole (you may have to re-punch the hole after the "glittering") for a hanger. ** This can be time-consuming for the adult setting up, and depending on where you get your glitter, can also be expensive. ** I was able to get mine at a dollar for a package of five 1 oz. bottles of glitter - which does about 20 ornaments (3" across).

(3) Use a half-circle shaped pc of green posterboard to make a Christmas tree. Staple the sides together in a cone shape; then let the kids decorate using odds and ends.

(4) Use old jar lids, pringles (chips) can lids, inner seals from canning lids or small cds for ornaments. Glue rickrack or lace around the outer edges, and decorate with glitter glue or other craft items. I found a huge bag of beads for only a $1 that I'm going to use for this...let them glue it on with tacky glue (special craft glue).

These are just a few ideas...hope it helps.

[TarainNC]

My Sunday school class is having an adult only party on Saturday. I need to come up with some games. We are bringing an ornament to exchange and I plan to do the "chinese gift exchange".
I need any other "christmas-y" games to get us laughing and fellowshiping. I have been so busy that my creativity is shot!
Thanks for any input you may have.

[PamN]

I have a Christmas Carol Rebus that I would be glad to email to you---these are pictures that you try to guess the song by looking at them. My email: pleaman@nebi.com

Also have another Christmas Carol guessing game I got off another message board:
See if you can name the 27 Christmas Carols using the following clues


1. Bleached Yule
2. Castaneous-Colored Seed Vesicated in a Conflagration
3. Singular Yearning for the Twin-Anterior Incisors
4. Righteous Darkness
5. Arrival Time: 2400 Hours--Weather: Cloudless
6. Loyal Followers Advance
7. Far Off in a Feeder
8. Array the Corridor
9. Bantam-Male Percussionist
10. Monarchial Triad
11. Nocturnal Noiselessness
12. Jehovah Deactivate Blithe Chevaliers
13. Red Man En Route to Borough
14. Frozen Precipitation Commence
15. Proceed and Enlighten on the Pinnacle
16. The Quadruped with the Vermillion Probiscis
17. Query Regarding Identity of Descendant
18. Delight for this Planet
19. Give Attention to the Melodious Celestial Beings
20. The Dozen Festive 24-Hour Intervals
21. Our Fervent Hope Is That You Thoroughly Enjoy Your Yuletide Season
22. Parent Was Observed Osculating a Red-Coated Unshaven Teamster
23. May the Deity Bestow An Absence of Fatigue to Mild Male Humans
24. Natal Celebration Devoid of Color, Rather Albino, As a Hallucinatory
Phenomenon For Me
25. Obese Personification Fabricated of Compressed Mounds of Minute Crystals
26. Tranquility Upon the Terrestrial Sphere
27. Have Hitherward the Entire Assembly of Those Who Are Loyal in Their
Belief of Christmas



Answers




1. White Christmas
2. Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire
3. All I want for Christmas if my 2 front teeth
4. O Holy Night
5. It Came Upon a Midnight Clear
6. O Come All ye Faithful
7. Away in a Manger
8. Deck the Halls
9. The Little Drummer Boy
10. We Three Kings
11. Silent Night
12. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
13. Santa Claus is Coming to Town
14. Let it Snow
15. Go Tell it on the Mountain
16. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
17. Whose Child is This
18. Joy to the World
19. Hark, the Herals Angels Sing
20. The 12 Days of Christmas
21. We Wish You a Merry Christmas
22. I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus
23. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
24. I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas
25. Frosty the Snowman
26. Joy to the World
27. O Come All ye Faithful

Here is another idea:
185. SELF-PORTRAIT. ( Quiet.)
Each participant is given a large piece of thick paper with the openings for hands. He/she passes the hands through the openings and begin to draw their self-portraits. The participant who painted the best "masterpiece" gets the prize.

Here is a site you might check:
http://www.kagi.com/vit/party-games-1.html

[PamN]

This is a fun relay type game. Set up 2 tables each with a box, gift wrap and ribbon. Send two people at a time to each table. They must see who can wrap the package and tie it with the ribbon that is finished off in a bow the fastest as a couple. The one on the left uses their left hand and the one on the right uses their right hand. This takes coordination and after trying this you appreciate that you have two hands that are controlled by one brain. The team that finishes first wins, or you can time each couple and see who has the fastest time.