Make Your Christmas Party Merry and Bright

by Michele Cheplic | More from this Blogger

12 Dec 2010 12:05 AM

Hosting family and friends of all ages during the holidays is a joy, but making sure that everyone has a good time at your seasonal shindig can be challenging if you are not prepared. After all, you need more than good food and drinks to keep everyone entertained.

If you are inviting a bunch of kids to a party, then make sure you have age appropriate activities for them to participate in. Even if you have a few toys lying around, it's a good idea to have a few organized activities to keep them occupied.

To keep your youngest guests' holiday spirits high, consider playing seasonal versions of traditional kiddie games. For example, "Duck, Duck, Goose" could become "Reindeer, Reindeer, Rudolph" or "Snowman, Snowman, Frosty." Likewise, "Simon Says" can be turned into "Santa Says."

Once the kids have run off some steam have them partake in more low-key activities, such as coloring Christmas-themed pictures. Another good option is to host a mini Christmas movie marathon with kid-friendly flicks, such as The Santa Clause and How the Grinch Stole Christmas. You could even set-up a smore and hot cocoa station in a corner of the room, so kids have something to snack on during the movies.

If you are looking for activities that all of your guests can have fun with despite their age, consider the following:

*Pair one adult with a couple of children and make Christmas crafts

*Play holiday charades

*Have everyone put on a holiday skit

*Go Christmas caroling around the neighborhood

*Play Christmas Pictionary

*Have a sing-off with a karaoke machine or around the piano

In addition to the aforementioned activities, it's a good idea to have some holiday music on hand. You can have the music playing softly in the background while guests mix and mingle or crank it up for a holiday dance-off ala "Dancing with the Stars."

Related Articles:

Last-Minute Holiday Crafts

Making Homemade Holiday Gifts

Holiday Crafts for Kids: Cards and Ornaments

What To Do with All Those Holiday Cards

How to Make Homemade Christmas Wrapping Paper and Ornaments

How to Make a Simple and Festive Christmas Wreath

Fun with Fruitcake--The Best Gag Gift of the Season

Making Edible Garland for Your Christmas Tree

Learn more about Michele Cheplic

Michele Cheplic was born and raised in Hilo, Hawaii, but now lives in Wisconsin. Michele graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in Journalism.

View Full Profile | More from this Blogger