Most holidays bring some sort of group gathering, such as a party, large meal or picnic, with them. Since the holidays are a time of celebration, you’ll want to come up with games to play with your children and any adults who are interested. You can play the same games at Christmas, Easter or Halloween, simply by making subtle adjustments to each game to fit the holiday.
Treasure Hunts
For many small children, the primary focus of Easter is the egg hunt. Trick or treating is the big draw at Halloween. You can use candy to help children have fun at any holiday. Simply hide candy in small nooks and crannies in the main room of your home. You can hide the candy outdoors if the hunt takes place in the summertime. Make sure you skip chocolate candy, which could melt in the heat. You can also send children out on a holiday-themed scavenger hunt.
Racing Games
You can adapt a racing game or relay to fit in with the holiday at hand by changing what the children racing will be passing to their teammates. For instance, at Easter, have them pass a chocolate or real decorated Easter egg. At Christmas, they can run from point A to B, carrying a small stocking. Each runner can place a candy cane in the stocking as they reach point B, and pass it to the next player.
Guessing Games
Guessing games are fun no matter what time of year it is. Play quick snippets of holiday songs on a boom box or on the piano and have people guess the tunes. Have children guess what their Christmas presents are before they open them. At Thanksgiving or Halloween, fill jars with small candies or nuts and have children guess the amount. The closest guess to the actual amount wins the jar.
Classic Party Games
Break out classic party games at any holiday. You can turn Pin the Tail on the Donkey into Pin the Beard on Santa or Pin the Ears on the Easter Bunny. Play charades or Pictionary, but make all the topics relate to the holiday you’re celebrating. If you celebrate two holidays at once in your home, such as Christmas and Hanukkah, try to combine games from each holiday into one big, silly fun game.
Set a Tradition
Playing games with your children at the holidays is a great way to establish a family tradition. No matter what type of games you end up playing, write down the directions for games everyone in your family enjoyed. Play those games year after year until your children declare that they are too old for the games. Who knows, you may be creating a tradition they will want to revisit when they have their own children.
Photo Credit
- holiday string of beads image by Janet Wall from Fotolia.com
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