Are you hosting Christmas Day dinner this year? If so, you’ve probably got different ages to cater for, and lots of people to please. It can be difficult trying to entertain everyone at the same time as cooking and tidying up. If you’re looking for ideas to make it a Christmas to remember for your guests, here are some fun-packed games and activities to try.
Christmas classics
Christmas is all about celebrating traditions, so why not break out the timeless classics, and break the ice with some festive favourites like charades? Everyone can get involved, and there’s no need to spend hours explaining the rules or reading the instructions. Charades is a game that everyone knows and loves. It’s fun, simple and accessible to kids and adults. Other options include board games like Monopoly and Trivial Pursuit, which are great if you’ve got adult company, or Pictionary, which is always a hit with children. If you haven’t got an endless supply of board games, a family game of hide and seek will go down a treat.
Karaoke and dance games
Who doesn’t love a festive sing-along, especially after a glass of sherry or a snowball? Set up a karaoke machine, or use an interactive console to hone your dance skills. You can take part in competitions to see who’s the best performer, and everybody else can cheer you on from the sidelines. If you’ve not got a karaoke machine, you can still have a good old-fashioned sing-song. You can make a playlist online, or simply sing along to videos that have the instrumental track and the lyrics. You could mix things up, and make it more challenging by writing down song names, and then picking them out of a hat.
Pool and table tennis tournaments
If you’ve got a pool or ping-pong table, you can occupy guests for hours. To make things even more interesting, inject a little friendly competition by offering prizes for the winners. You could buy trophies and medals, for example, or design forfeits for the losers. Your guests may try harder if there’s a chance they’ll have to take on the washing up duties! If you’ve got football goals, a basketball net or an air hockey table, you could set up a super-tournament and combine your scores for each activity.
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Christmas quiz
Most people enjoy a quiz, especially one that’s Christmas-themed. Split your friends and family into teams, and offer a prize for the victors. You can make up your own questions, or download a sample general knowledge quiz from the Internet. As the host, it’s your job to keep the players in line, look out for cheating, and keep track of the score. Make sure the questions are challenging, but not impossible. People will lose interest quickly if they can’t get any of the answers.
A wintry walk
After you’ve eaten your body weight in festive treats, there’s no better way to work off those calories than taking a wintry walk. Get wrapped up in coats, hats, and scarves, and go for a gentle ramble in the fields or woods. The fresh air will do you good, and you can make some room for the evening buffet. This is also a great opportunity to chat, and spend quality time with loved ones if you’ve been busy in the kitchen all morning.
Festive films and TV traditions
After you’ve eaten, and played a few games, get changed into lounging gear, and put a festive film on. Go for classics like The Snowman, Miracle on 34th Street or Elf, or let the kids choose something a little more modern. Many families also have traditions based on TV programmes they watch on Christmas Day. Perhaps you watch the Queen’s Speech every year, or you can’t wait to tune into the soaps.
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Trying out new toys and gadgets
We all like to show off our presents on Christmas Day, and there’s bound to be time to have a play with new toys and gadgets. Set a train track up, cook up a storm in the pretend kitchen or create some fabulous homemade lattes with your new coffee machine.
Hosting Christmas Day celebrations at your house is an honour. But there’s also a lot of pressure involved. You want everybody to be happy. If you’ve got a large family, it can be tricky to cater for children and adults and to find something to keep everyone entertained. Hopefully, this list will give you some ideas, and help you to ensure that everyone has a wonderful day!
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