Children’s Christmas Ice Breaking Party Games

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.

Children’s Christmas Traditions

“Santa Claus is coming to Town” is one the main Christmas songs that most children know. My children are no different. That song always made them remember to be on their best behavior or else Santa might just pass by their house on Christmas Eve. There are many ways to convince children to settle down and behave, but none quite as convincing as hearing part of a song, “He knows when you’ve been bad or good, so be good for goodness sake”.

My children are like most when it comes to dreaming and wishing for the big day and all the magic that Christmas brings. They want to decorate the house with lights and figurines, and each one always had their favorites. The first thing that my son wanted to display was the Nativity scene that he had made at school when he was 7 years old. His teacher at church had given 20 Popsicle sticks to each child, but 5 had been cut in half. His class glued the sticks together in the shape of a house, with the cut sticks being the sides. It was made much like Lincoln logs were designed, and a small Joseph, Mary and baby Jesus glued on the bottom sticks. It made a pretty centerpiece on the television with a few red candle votives on each side.

Our family had started collecting small ceramic houses. A new one was added for each child. One wanted the toy store, another one wanted a church, and the last one wanted a big Victorian manner house. Putting up the miniature village was our oldest daughter’s choice as the second Christmas decoration to be displayed. We always had it on a quilted red cloth and it was beautiful with all the little indoor lights in the miniatures turned on at night.

The next decoration to put up was the Christmas candles in the windows, with an animated Santa and Mrs. Claus. A new tradition that started with our youngest son by adding lighted wreaths in each window. Of course, my favorite decoration was a large door wreath with a gold angel in the middle and gold leaves and berries around the outside.

Our greatest family tradition was going to their aunt and uncle’s for dinner and gift exchange. As they grew up, they became part of the planning and carrying out the details of entertainment. One of the kids would play Christmas carols and they would lead the adults with their singing. Another cousin would check online to see exactly where Santa was showing up on the radar and which way he was heading. The younger children would get so excited hearing those details.

Opening presents, after sharing a Christmas Eve feast with family, was the ultimate end to our family get together. The children always delighted in receiving a personalized ornament and something unique for their talents or interests. By the time we were finished opening gifts, the radar showed Santa was getting close, which meant it was time to go home and get ready for bed.

The final tradition we followed on Christmas Eve was reading the “Night before Christmas”. The children would get into their pajamas and go to bed, waiting to hear the sound of reindeers on the roof. They would get so excited when they heard the jingle bells ring outside. That always was their clue to shut their eyes and begin to dream of what was to come. Traditions are wonderful because they let children know what to expect. Our children now have their own families and traditions, but many that they grew up are still alive today in their homes. Angels, lights, family and Santa are part of the traditions that many families celebrate and are what makes the holidays so much fun.

Children’s Christmas Ice Breaking Party Games

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.