Monkeying around with the family
It's Christmas! Turn off the TV! Shut down the computer! Here is a compilation of popular games you can play with your family members this holiday time. Some of the games require prizes, some just a few items that you can find around your home. But almost all of them require very little preparation. The games are split into three categories; all aged children and grown-ups, just children up to 8 and any aged child.
All Aged Children and Grown-ups
Rudloph Dash
All you need is some petroleum jelly and some round paper cut outs colored red for noses. Each child has to race to put some petroleum jelly on their nose, then stick the paper on their nose and run to the finish line. If a nose falls off, the child then has to go back and start again.
Snow Shoveling
Have the children sit in a circle and put a spot of petroleum jelly on each nose. Each child then has a bowl and a pile of cotton balls. At the signal to start, they have to put the cotton balls into the bowl using only their nose. They should be told to keep their hands behind their backs, or by their sides. Allow a minute or two, then call ‘stop!’. The child with the greatest number of cotton balls in the bowl is the winner.
Tongue Twisters
Tiny Timmy trims the tall tree with tinsel.
Ten tiny tin trains toot ten times.
Santa's sack sags slightly.
Santa's sleigh slides on slick snow
Ten tiny tin trains toot ten times.
Santa's sack sags slightly.
Santa's sleigh slides on slick snow.
Christmas Stocking Guessing Game
Can your guests figure out what Holiday objects are in the stocking? Pass around a Christmas stocking filled with Holiday items and see how many they can identify. Take a large Christmas stocking or pillowcase and put Christmastime objects in it. About 10 to 15 and tie up with a ribbon or elastic band. Get everyone to go to the stocking and write down the objects they think are in the stocking and post their answers in a box. At the end of the party, name the winner who guessed the most objects.
Find Santa's Reindeer
This is a scavenger hunt type game. You'll need to make or buy 9 reindeer (including Rudolph). Santa's Reindeer had a big party the eve before Christmas Eve and now Santa doesn't know where they are and he needs help to find his reindeer! Each guest is given a piece of paper and a pencil and asked to find Santa’s reindeer. Hide each reindeer around the room, some should be easy to find and some more difficult The goal is the first 9 people to finish correctly each win a reindeer to take home.
Just Children up to 8
Fishing for the Holidays
Fish for a prize with a homemade fishing rod! Tie a piece of string with a clothes peg on the end, onto a dowel rod or any kind of stick. Then create a barrier by putting two high back chairs together and hanging over a blanket. Make sure the chairs are placed across the corner or across a doorway so the children can’t slip around and see what you are doing behind the scenes. Line the children up on one side of the blanket and another adult or older sibling sits the other side. The children take it in turns to “fish” for a prize. They throw their line over and when they feel a tug they real it in to see what they have caught.
Candy Cane Hunt
Got an abundance of candy canes? Hide them around a room or if you are brave around the apartment and set the children loose to find them. Get them to bring them back and place in a pile and then divide up equally among the treasure hunters.
Pin the Nose on Snowman or Rudloph!
This doesn’t have to be elaborate. Draw a picture of a snowman or a reindeer and give each child a red nose with their name on (just a piece of red card cut into a circle) and some tape on the back. Blindfold them or tell them to shut their eyes. Turn the child around three times and then tell them to pin the nose on the picture and see how close they get!
Secret Santa
Players try to stick a paper snowman (ours is made of card stock with a loop of painter's tape to attaching it) on a person's back without her noticing. When that person realizes the snowman is on her, she has to stick it on someone else's back. Don't worry about the snowman staying on just one back for hours -- giggling kids are sure to give the person a clue before too long. Try to have the snowman visit everyone's back by the end of the day.
Chocolate Oven Mitt Race
One child puts on oven mitts or gloves and holds a plastic knife and fork. A bar of chocolate is placed on a plate and before another child rolls a six on the dice they are given, the child has to try and cut themselves a piece of the chocolate. If they do they can eat it, if not the game moves to the child who was rolling the dice and a new dice person starts rolling.
Christmas Card Toss
Line the children up and get them to try and get your Christmas cards into a bucket or bowl. Move the line back as they get better at it.
Pass the Parcel
Wrap up a parcel with a prize in each layer and one in the middle. Wrap enough prizes so there is one for each guest. Sit the children in a circle and get the music started. The children take it in turns to pass the parcel, when the music stops they unwrap a layer and see what they have won. Start the music up again and carry on until everyone wins a prize.
Any Aged Children
Family Secret Pass the Parcel
Wrap up a parcel as in the regular pass the parcel described above, but also add a family memory question with each prize. When the child gets the prize they then read out the question and have to go and find the answer and come back and tell the group before the music starts again. A great one for getting the grown-ups to share their family memories with the children.
Where’s Santa?
Sit the children in a circle and choose one child to be Rudolph, and have him or her wear a red nose. The chosen Rudolph then has to leave the room. Then another child is chosen to be Santa. When Rudolph returns, he or she then has to find Santa so that the two can go and deliver presents. Santa winks at another child in the circle, who then does a Santa laugh ‘ho ho ho! Merry Christmas!” Santa keeps choosing different children to wink at until Rudolph spots who Santa is.
Musical Santa
Like musical chairs, but the game starts with children standing away from the chairs with an imaginary door in front of them. One child is choosen to be Rudolph and he leaves the room. One child is chosen to be santa and the rest are turkeys. When Rudolph returns, he then visits the children one at a time and ‘knocks’ on their imaginary door. When Rudolph knocks on Santa's door, Santa does a Santa laugh ‘ho ho ho!’ and that is the signal for all children to find a seat for themselves. So the last child left standing is the new Rudolph, and so on.
Decorate Dad
Transform Dad or an unsuspecting grown-up into a decorated Christmas tree. Supply the children with green and red crepe paper, aluminum foil, and masking tape. When they're done, gather 'round the tree and take a photo to add to your family album or send as next year's holiday card.
Santa Says
Like Simon says but with Santa! Use holiday themed actions like Santa says “run like a reindeer” or Santa says “carry a sack”.
Gift Stacking Relay
If you have plenty of empty boxes at hand, this can be a great relay game to play. Before the party begins, you have to gift wrap plenty of empty boxes in Christmas wrapping paper. Pile these wrapped boxes in one corner of the room. Divide the children into two teams. Children run one at a time to their pile of gifts, unwrap one of them and put the wrapping paper in the bin provided just next to the pile, then run back to their team. The first team to unwrap all the gifts wins. Then give the children markers and tape and they can make something out of the boxes and gift wrap.
Party on and Happy Holidays from Cheeky Monkey Party!
