PARTY GAMES - 3

I. Children’s Christmas Ice Breaking Party Games

Ice breaking party games are a brilliant way for a group of people to get to know each other, get over shyness, and generally ’break the ice’ and therefore make way for festive fun. Icebreaker games are designed so that there are no winners or losers. The main aim of the game is to have fun as a group, so that there are no isolate persons. It also encourages the group to communicate and overcome shyness.

Here are three ice breaker games you could try at your children’s Christmas party...

Christmas Tree
The group sits in a ring with the host or play leader in the centre.

The host labels the children with one of the following (making sure there is a minimum of 2 of each)
Star, Bauble, Tinsel, Angel, Snowflake

The host now calls out one object. For example - Snowflake. All the snowflakes must now jump up and exchange positions with other snowflakes, the game continues in this way with the host calling out different objects and the children exchanging places with objects of the same kind.

If ’Christmas Tree’ is called out, all of the children must jump up and exchange places with other objects.

This game is fast and furious and energetic and usually very well received by older and younger children alike. It breaks the ice by mixing the children up and sitting them next to new people.

Christmas Theme Chinese Whispers
An old game that can be given a Christmas twist, simply divide the children into two teams and arrange them to sit in two lines.

Have ready some (previously made) cards with festive sentences written on them, but make sure that the sentences are out of the ordinary.

For Example - Rudolf likes Christmas pudding on Mondays, but Prancer likes plum pudding on Mondays and Christmas pudding on Wednesdays.

To begin the game, give the two children at the front of the lines the festive sentence to read.

The children then have to whisper the sentence to one another until it has passed up the line. Remember: Each child my only whisper the sentence once, they may not repeat it.

Finally, when the message gets to the last child in the line, this child has to say the message out aloud for everyone to hear.

There aren’t any winners or losers, its just lots of fun listening to garbled messages. If you have only a few children don’t divide them into teams.

Christmas Pictionary
Preparing the game - Have 20 cards with a Christmas item written on each. For example: Christmas Fairy, Roast Turkey, Holly and Ivy, Santa’s Sleigh, Christmas Trimmings, Christmas present label...

How to play
Divide the children in to two teams. Each team takes it in turns to play rounds. To play a round, one child in the team must be chosen to be the drawer for that round (The drawer changes for each round played) The drawer takes a card from the top of the pile and reads it without speaking.

The drawer then has tree minutes to draw what was written on the card. However, the drawer must write letters or words and they must not speak.

The rest of the drawer’s team must try to guess what was written on the card from the drawings, all within the tree minutes. A point is awarded each time a team guesses correctly (word for word) what was written on the card.

The first team to collect 4 points is the winning team.

This game can be difficult for younger children.

Ice breaker games help to introduce the children at the party to one another. Once everyone has had a chance to speak to a few new people, it paves the way for more party fun and everyone will have a great time.

II. Hosting Stress Free Children's Christmas Parties

Hosting a children's Christmas party can be stressful. The children are usually very excited at the prospect of new toys from Father Christmas. Of course excited children doesn't always mean giggly, energetic children; it also can mean sulky children as they experience a spectrum of emotions as part and parcel of the festive excitement. The Christmas party host or hostess has to be prepared for a number of situations.

Assuming you have the party food and venue covered, all you have to do now is to sort out a line up of interesting entertainment and party games.

Only choose games and activities that are suitable for your party's age group. If your games are too babyish, older kids will not participate. Similarly, younger children will find older kids games too complicated and will not want to play. Choosing games that match your party will mean that the children that you are entertaining will have a more enjoyable party.

If the children at the party are not familiar with one another, make the first few games non prize winning ice breaker games so that the children can play together as a group, and everyone can get over their shyness and make friends.

It's better to have too many prizes than too few. Party games tend not to last as long as you think they will, and you don't want to run out of prizes. You also need to bear in mind that sometimes children enjoy a party game so much that they want to play it again. If your game schedule is too regimented an unscheduled game will make you a prize short. You need to be a flexible play leader.

Dealing with children who don't wish to join in is always difficult. You want every child to enjoy the Christmas party but f course you can't give your complete attention to one child who is reluctant to join in. If after several urges of encouragement during the ice breaker games, and during the first prize winning game; if the child still wishes to not participate give that child a colouring book or a puzzle book and some pencils. This way the solitary child has a prize and fun, and you haven't neglected the rest of the group.

Seeing a display of prizes to choose from may sound fair and fun, but in reality it can cause arguments and sulky children when more that one child sets its sights on the same prize. Simply overcome this by gift wrapping each prize and having a lucky dip type system. This adds extra fun and excitement and the children will be content that this system is fair.

Forward planning at children's Christmas parties is essential if you wish to host an enjoyable party for all, and I hope these tips will go some way to helping your party run smoothly.