Here are three fantastic Christmas games that you can do with your group this Christmas!
Christmas Crosses & Noughts
Equipment Needed
- two different types of Christmassy items such as crackers and candy canes
- masking tape or a large sheet of paper and a pen
- plastic cups
This is a fun twist on ‘noughts and crosses’. Below we have two versions-one for larger groups or those with more space, and one for those with smaller numbers and less space.
What To Do – Large Numbers/Space
Preparation: Before the session, gather several of two types of Christmas item, such as crackers and candy canes. These will be used as the ‘X’s and ‘O’s in the game. Using masking tape, draw out a typical ‘noughts and crosses’ grid in the middle of the floor.
- Split your group into two teams and label them as ‘crackers’ and ‘candy canes’ and give each team a pile of items to use in the game. Also, give each team a plastic cup.
- Place the teams an equal distance away from the grid.
- Explain that you’ll be playing a version of noughts and crosses. It will be similar rules to normal; three in a row wins the game!
- However, in this game it’s a little bit different. One person from at a time (but with both groups doing it simultaneously) needs to take the plastic cup and attempt to flip it and land it face down.
- As soon as they are successful, they can take a cracker/candy cane and run to the grid and place it down. They then run back to their team, and the next team member will begin flipping the cup.
- This means that both teams are trying to flip the cup and run to the grid at the same time!
- The first team to get three in a row, wins!
- If you want to add an extra twist you could also add the rule that teams can remove one of the other teams’ items from a square instead of placing an item if they want to.
What To Do – Small Numbers/Space
Preparation: Before the session, gather several of two types of Christmas item, such as crackers and candy canes. These will be used as the ‘X’s and ‘O’s in the game. On a large sheet of paper draw a noughts and crosses grid.
- Play this game either with two young people head-to-head or in pairs. Assign one person/pair ‘crackers’ and the other ‘candy canes’ and give each a pile of items to use in the game. Also, give each person/pair a plastic cup.
- Explain that you’ll be playing a version of noughts and crosses. It will be similar rules to normal; three in a row wins the game!
- However, in this game it’s a little bit different. Before making a move, each person/pair must attempt to flip a cup face down.
- As soon as they are successful, they can take a cracker/candy cane and place it down.
- This means that both parties are trying to flip the cup and place items at the same time.
- The first to get three in a row, wins!
- If you want to add an extra twist you could also add the rule that they can remove one of their opponent’s items from a square instead of placing an item down.
Snow Storm!
Equipment Needed
- Party blowers
- cotton wool balls
- small prize
This game is a quick and fun challenge! The goal of the game is to ‘clear’ as much snow as possible. You can get the young people to take it in turns one at a time, have a couple of volunteers have a go at the front, or even do it head-to-head using more than one table – it’s up to you!
What To Do
- On a table, spread out a whole load of cotton wool balls. (Or multiple tables if you want the young people to compete with each other at the same time!)
- You’ll then want to give a party blower to the young person who is going to play.
- Their challenge is to ‘clear as much snow as they can’ within 30 seconds, aka knock as many cotton wool balls off of the table as they can, only using the party blower to do so.
- At the end, count how many cotton wool balls they knocked off!
- Then, allow someone else to have a go. Do this for as long as everyone is entertained.
- Give a small prize to the person who ‘cleared the most snow’.
Snowman Drive
Equipment Needed
- multiple die
- paper
- pens
- prize
This is a great game that you can play with any sized group, where the young people need to try and ‘build’ their snowman the fastest!
What To Do
- Hand out a sheet of paper and a pen to each person.
- Get the young people into small groups of three to four people and give each group a die. (Note: they’re competing individually, not as a group – the groups just help with the die rolling.)
- This game works similarly to a ‘beetle drive’ if you’ve played that before.
- The idea is that each person needs to try and be the first person to draw and fully complete a snowman.
- They do this by taking it in turns (in their groups) to roll a die. When someone rolls a die and a specific number comes up that person can then draw the corresponding item.
- The numbers correspond as follows:
- 1 = Snowball (They will need three of these in total for the Snowman’s head, middle and bottom. They MUST roll a 1 before they can do anything else…if there are no snowballs then there’s nothing for anything else to go onto! They also must have a head before doing any of the head-related bits and the middle before adding any arms or buttons.)
- 2 = Eyes (They need to roll 2 of these, one for each eye.)
- 3 = Carrot Nose
- 4 = Mouth
- 5 = Arms (They need to roll 2 of these, one for each arm.)
- 6 = Buttons (They need to roll 2 of these, one for each button.)
- Before you start make sure everyone understands how they need to ‘build’ their snowman.
- You might want to write the numbers on a big board or sheet of paper so that the young people can refer to it throughout the game.
- The first person to complete their drawing/outfit, wins! We suggest having a little prize for the winner.
