For those fortunate enough to host a houseful of friends and family during the holiday season, how does one keep them entertained and in festive spirits?
Food and drinks are obviously a must-have for any social occasion, but when hosting for an extended period, such as a long holiday weekend, it is important to have snacks and treats readily available throughout the day so guests can help themselves when hunger strikes, thus avoiding blood-sugar drops and the inevitable meltdowns that follow.
A simple assortment of sweet and savory options, such as finger sandwiches, cookies, cheese, mixed nuts, fruit and veggie trays, gingerbread, eggnog, juice, hot chocolate, and the like, could save the day as a host and keep guests “cranky” at bay.
Of course, the whole point of getting together with friends and family is to spend time talking and making connections with one another. For many people, conversation becomes much easier when their hands are busy. Here are a few simple and inexpensive ideas as a host to engage your guests and keep the fun — and the conversation — flowing.
Set up a table with printed holiday-themed coloring pages and some markers, crayons, or colored pencils. Coloring is a relaxing activity that artists of all ages can enjoy.
A holiday jigsaw puzzle is another great activity to bring guests together to work toward a common goal. Leave the puzzle out on a table so guests can work on it at their leisure.
Easter celebrants have Easter egg hunts, but how about a candy cane hunt for the winter holidays? Hide candy canes around the house or backyard, and offer a small reward for the most candy canes found by the end of the day. (This is a sneaky way to get the kids out of the house when they are getting underfoot.)
Gather everyone together to read a children’s Christmas story, and enlist volunteers to act out or pantomime the various parts of the story. Children especially love performing and being rewarded with applause.
North Texans are not likely to have enough snow to build an actual snowman but building a toilet paper “snowman” is a fun activity that does not depend on the weather. Divide guests into teams and set a time limit to see who can transform their designated person into the best “snowman.” You’ll need lots of toilet paper for this one!
A movie drinking game adds new interest to old holiday movie favorites. Choose a word or phrase frequently used in the film, such as “candy” or “merry,” and take a swig of your favorite holiday beverage each time you hear that word in the movie.
If Christmas movies are really your thing, Christmas Movie Trivia may be just the game for you. Click here for a list of questions, and let everyone yell out the answers.
Jingle Bell Toss is a holiday take on the classic party game Pong, but in this version, players toss miniature bells into mini-solo cups. Place cups filled with candy at each end of the table, and divide players into two teams. The teams take turns tossing bells into the cups, taking the cup each time they succeed. The team that captures all their cups first wins the game.
For some families, holiday music is an integral part of the season. Those who love to sing may enjoy the Christmas Carol Challenge. Choose a classic holiday song that everyone knows, and each person, in turn, sings a line until someone slips up and is knocked out of the competition. The last person left is the Christmas song champ.
Another game for holiday music aficionados is Name That Christmas Tune. Play three seconds of some well-known holiday songs and have guests compete to see who can guess them first.
Christmas 20 Questions is a fun game that is easy to set up. Simply write the names of famous Christmas characters on index cards and tape a card to the back of each participant. Each player is allowed 20 “yes” or “no” questions to figure out who they are.
When guests seem to multiply and the house seems to shrink, it might be time to suggest a group walk around the neighborhood or to a local park. It is a great way for guests to burn up some pent-up energy and take in the sights and sounds of nature.