Christmas Party Games for Kids

-- Christmas Party Games --

Christmas is such a fun time. I just love it!

I do know however that it can also be stressful and kids (and parents) can get quickly overwhelmed with all the excitement and going on's. It's at time like that when a few fun Christmas games can be a great way of bringing everyone together.

These are kids Christmas party games that we have played often.

If you are after Christmas party ideas such as food, activities and Christmas decorations, you'll find them on my Christmas party theme page.

Filling Santa's Sack

Ages: All
Equipment: Two large Christmas stockings/sacks, two chairs, two large wooden spoons, candy

Divide the kids into two teams and line them up at one end of the room. At the other end of the room hang two large stockings or Christmas sacks on the back of a couple of chairs. Give each team a large bowl of candy and a large wooden spoon. On the word 'GO', the team members take it in turns to fill up their spoon with candy and then rush to place it in the stocking. First team to finish gets to eat the candy.

-- Christmas Party Games --

Three legged Christmas Stocking Race

Age: 4+
Equipment: Several oversized Christmas stockings

Divide the kids into pairs and give each pair a Christmas stocking. Standing next to each other, they must put one of their legs inside the stocking so that they have 3 legs between them! If the stocking falls down, they may need to hold it up with their hands. The kids then have to race to the finishing line and first pair there is the winner.

-- Christmas Party Games --

Snow Ball Toss

Age: All
Equipment: Lots of cotton wool balls or white Ping-Pong balls or white marshmallows, two large pieces of strong card cut out in a Christmas shape e.g. Father Christmas with a sack, chimney stack, present.

This takes a bit of advance preparation in that you need to draw, color and cut out a Christmas design on the two large pieces of card. Once done, balance them against a chair or make a cardboard stand. Divide the kids into two teams and supply each with a large bowl or bucket of snowballs. These could be cotton wool balls, Ping-Pong balls or even marshmallows. Line the players up a few meters from the large cardboard cut-out and the aim of the game is to get as many snowballs through the holes as quickly as possible within a time limit. Alternatively each child could have 5 balls and if s/he gets a certain amount through the hole s/he gets a prize.

-- Christmas Party Games --

Father Christmas's Journey

Age: All
Equipment: Small wrapped gift for each child, festive music

This is a great game for the end of the kid Christmas party and plus it calms everyone down.

In advance wrap up enough small unisex gifts for the number of guests that you have. Sit all the kids in a circle, place all the gifts on the floor in the middle and put on some festive music in the background (not too loud).

Each child grabs a gift and then you as the narrator have to tell a story of Father Christmas delivering his gifts to all the children.

The aim of the game is to weave in lots of the words "Left" and "Right" and as you say one of those words the kids have to pass the gift that they are holding either "Left" or "Right" depending on what you said.

When the story is over each kid can open up the gift that they are left holding. Tip: For very young children you could use a different keyword such as "Father Christmas" and in which case they would just past their gift round in one direction.

It was the night before Christmas and all the little girls and boys were tucked up in bed and dreaming about the excitement and fun that was planned for Christmas day. But most of all they were dreaming about what Father Christmas might bring them this very night.

Each child had Left a wee gift for Father Christmas and his reindeers, tucked Right under their beautifully decorated tree.

Meanwhile Father Christmas was getting ready for his work that night, the most special and the most busy time of the year for him.

But oh dear he just couldn't find one of his black boots. It was the Right boot that seemed to have disappeared. He looked everywhere from Left to Right and up and down and then all of a sudden he spied it stuck Right on top of his big sack of presents.....and so on.

-- Christmas Party Games --

Christmas Guess

Age: All
Equipment:Bowl of small colored candy

Sit the kids in a circle and one person (A) is elected to secretly think of a Christmasy word. The other players then have to guess what it is by asking a maximum of 10 questions to which (A) can only answer "Yes" or "No".

Each time a player asks a question, (A) gets to take a sweet so at the end of the round s/he could end up with 20 sweets – that's is why it's sensible to provide very small candies. The player who correctly guesses the word, gets to go next.

-- Christmas Party Games --

Shooting Star

Age:
Equipment:Foil covered cardboard stars, various sizes of small, empty boxes wrapped in Christmas wrap.

Prepare in advance (or get the kids to do it when they arrive) some stars made of strong card and covered in several layers of silver foil. Make them about the size of a child's hand or bigger.

The kids have to take it in turns to throw their star rather like you would a Frisbee, at the targets of small boxes. Give each child three or four stars and see who can knock off the most boxes. You'll find that if the kids make their own stars it's much more fun for them as they can decorate them and one usually becomes their personal 'lucky star'!

-- Christmas Party Games --

What Has Santa Left?

Age: 4+
Equipment: Selection of household items wrapped in paper and with a different number written on the outside of each, pencil and paper for each player

Sit the kids in a large circle and give each of them a pencil and piece of paper. The aim of the game is for each player to try and guess what is inside each present.

One by one they pass the presents round the circle and as they do so they can touch, hold and squeeze each gift. But they are not allowed to open them! They should write or draw on their paper what they think the gift is. When the allotted time is up the kids can take it in turns to open the gifts and to see if they were correct. The one with the most correct answers wins. (You may find it easier to put the gifts in a Christmas sack or pillowcase rather than wrapping them in paper.)

-- Christmas Party Games --

Stocking Filler

Decide whether to play in pairs or more. Give each team a stocking and a list of items that you can find around the house. This might include orange, gift bow, star, bell and so on. The aim of the game is for each team to fill their stocking as fast as possible but only putting in it the items on their list.

This game is rather like a scavenger hunt and is always popular. Here are some more great scavenger hunt ideas.

-- Christmas Party Games --

Other Resources

• Christmas Crafts
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• Kid Christmas Party Ideas