Fun Games & Crafts for Family This Christmas:On Christmas, it’s nearly impossible not to have fun. But, for any awkward silences, family feuds, or moments of boredom, here are some exciting games and DIY crafts to get the crew back in the holiday spirit!
Add decorations to the tree
- Homemade ornaments: Get some small blank ornaments from your local craft shop. Using paints, glitter, or any other decorations of your choice, gather around the fire and make some decorations for the Christmas tree.
- Popcorn garland: Pop some popcorn. One by one, line the popcorn to a string, using a thread and needle. Add dried noodles, cranberries or pom poms in between for added color.
- Paper angels: Cut angel shapes out of paper. Color them with crayons, paints or markers. Once they're finished being decorated, wrap the wings around, creating a cone shape. Tape or glue the wings, and prop the angels into limbs of your Christmas tree.
Pin the nose on Rudolph
It's like pin the tail on the donkey, but this time, it's your favorite red-nosed Reindeer. All you need is some blindfolds, a blown-up image of Rudolph, and some sort of sticky, reusable item to attach to his face. Blindfold your loved ones, spin them around in circles, and have them try to find Rudolph's nose.
Gingerbread House
There are several ways to make a gingerbread house. Before getting started, sit a large plate or piece of cardboard atop your working space, and put on some Christmas tunes.
- Here's one fun, quick, and easy option: Get several packs of graham crackers, white icing, sprinkles and any other edible decorations you think would go well — think S’mores flavors. Using icing as glue, create a house-like structure with your graham crackers, and decorate accordingly.
- Want a legit gingerbread home?: Bake dozens of flat, rectangular shaped gingerbread cookies from scratch. Then, using icing as glue, attach the ends of the cookies to create an architectural structure. With fine-tipped icing packets used for drawing designs, decorate the exterior of your gingerbread house — with caution, so the structure doesn't break! You can make lines on the outside, or draw small squares to resemble bricks. Don't forget a front door and windows! Using green icing, you can draw Christmas trees next to the door. For extra decal, use sprinkles and Red Hots.
Ornament Guess
Count how many ornaments are on your tree. Everyone who attends your Christmas party can make a guess, submitting their name with a number. The person with the number closest to how many ornaments are on the tree gets a prize! It’s a simple, light-hearted way to get everyone involved!
Scrapbooking
Gather around with friends and family to create miniature scrapbooks of your favorite memories. All it takes are some printed photos, cardstock paper, stickers, vibrant pens and creativity!
Make a Snowglobe
A DIY snowglobe is a great way to spend an hour or so with family and amp up your holiday décor!
What you need: Mason jar, plastic figurines of your choice, red or green paint and a paintbrush, clear epoxy, glycerin, silver and/or white glitter.
Instructions:
- Find any type of sealed mason jar, depending on your shape preference.
- Gather plastic figurines you’d like to put in your globe, such as a railroad and train, a snowman, a penguin, or an ice skater.
- Paint the lid of your jar red or green, and glue your figurines to the inside of the jar, using clear epoxy.
- Add a dash of glycerin, so glitter doesn’t fall too quickly when you shake your jar. But don’t put too much — the glitter would just stick to the bottom!
- Put a few teaspoons of silver or white glitter in your jar, screw on the lid, and let it snow!
Tea light snowman
A tea light is the perfect canvas for a snowman's face, with the plastic flame resembling a carrot nose.
What you need: battery operated tea lights, hot glue gun, black sharpie, miniature pom pom, scissors, pipe cleaner, thin red ribbon, black felt, orange sharpie
Instructions:
- Draw two eyes above the flame. Then, draw a set of four of five little dots in the shape of a smile below the flame.
- Draw a line of hot glue along the top side of your snowman's head. Curve a small strip of red pipe cleaner — you'll need to cut it — and attach it to the top. Hold the pipe cleaner down for five seconds, until the glue has dried.
- Then, hot glue the mini pom poms at both ends of the pipe cleaner, to finish making tiny earmuffs for your snowman
- Cover the flame with an orange marker.
- Cut a top hat shape out of black felt. Glue this to the top of the head, on the front, just above where you drew the eyes.
- Make a loop out of your ribbon, and glue it behind the hat, so that you can hang your snowman from the tree! Light him up, and you've got a simple festive Frosty to keep you company this Christmas!
Santa limbo
Stuff a pillow under your shirt, grab a long stick, throw on a Santa hat and do the limbo! Playing Christmas songs in the background is strongly recommended!
White elephant
This is a fun gift exchange for the whole family, in which everyone vies for the best present! Let friends and family know ahead of time to bring a small gift as part of the white elephant event. Once everyone has arrived, have them sit in a circle and put all gifts in the center. Make a number tag for every participant, and put the numbers in a hat. Each person will draw a number, representing which order they’ll select their gift. Once the first person (whoever draws a number 1) has chosen a gift from the pile, the following players can choose whether they’d like to take a gift already opened, or select an unwrapped gift from the pool. After all players have had a turn, the first player gets the chance to swap their gift one more time!
Watch Old Family Movies
Whether it’s a grainy 8mm film or a digitized slideshow of your favorite family photos, sitting around the fire reliving some of your favorite memories is a surefire way to unleash tears of sweet nostalgia. And what better way to say Merry Christmas, than with 1980s videos of Grandma dressed as Ms. Claus, or your little brother ice skating in an elf costume?
Whether you’re having a dance party to Beach Boys’ Christmas album, knitting around the fireplace or chugging hot cocoa, you’re sure to have a great holiday — especially if you add these games and crafts to the day’s itinerary!
