I love Christmas, with all the decorations, traditions, crafts, books, treats and family time, but sometimes kiddos can get a bit bored, and if that does happen, I have you covered with these 7 Classic Family Games to Play Together This Christmas!

These 7 Classic Family Games have come from a family book that has been passed down to me from my great, great grandmother, and I am so excited to share them with you! You can find them, and so many more from this book; “Reader’s Digest 1000 Family Games” as well as some fun party ideas for so many more holidays!

Ring the Bell

A Holly weather is hung from a ceiling or doorway, and a small bell is suspending in the centre of the wreathe. The players - usually small children - line up six to eight feet away and try to hit the bell with cranberries or small cotton balls. Each player gets three turns, and the one with the most hits wins.

A variation to this game is called Sock Target, in which a large Christmas stocking is the target. The top of the stocking is held open with a wire hanger, and in turn, the players try to toss pennies into it.

Santa’s Helper

Take two large identical outlines of Santa Claus that are cut from pieces of cardboard. One of the outlines is taped to a wall, while the other is cut up so each player gets a piece of it - a nose, a beard, a belt buckle and so on. Each player, in turn is blindfolded, and spun around several times. He then tries to pin his piece of Santa to the appropriate part of the Santa cutout on the wall. The player who comes closest wins a prize.

Snowball Relay

The players divide into two teams and line up behind a starting line at one end of the room. Each team is given a simulated snowball - either made of cotton or styrofoam and a piece of cardboard. On the signal, the first player on each team tries to move the ‘snow’ ball across the floor and back by fanning it with cardboard. A player may not touch the snowball with the cardboard or with this hands. He then gives the cardboard to the next team member, who repeats the action. The game continues until all team members have completed the race. The first team to finish wins.

Threading Popcorn

Gather a large supply a popcorn and place a bowl in the centre of the table. The players are grouped around the table each with needle and thread. On signal, each player tries to thread as may pieces of popcorn as he can. After three or four minutes, the player with the longest string of popcorn wins! Then the game is over, all the popcorn strings are ties together, and this long string is then used to decorate the Christmas Tree.

Tangerine Bowling

Each boy at the party is given an unbreakable Christmas tree ornament and a piece of paper with a number on it. After taping their number to the ornament, the boys place the ornaments in a row, on the floor. The girls then line up ten or twelve feet away and take turns bowling tangerines at the ornaments. When a girl hits an ornament, the boy who’s number is on it becomes her partntetr for refreshments,ents later on in the party.

The Night Before Christmas

This famous poem of the same name is used for this game. Two or three of the best-known versus of the poem are duplicated, but many of the key words are left out. For example:

The ______ were nestled all snug in their _______,

While visions of ________ dances in their ______/

And Mam in her ______ and I in my ______,

Had just settled ______ down for a long winter’s _____.

Everyone is given a pencil and a copy of the verses with the blank spaces. On signal, each person tries to fill in all the mission words. After five or ten minutes, the player or team with the most correct words, wins!
How much fun are these old-fashioned, Classic Family Games, perfect for the Holidays? I was super delighted to come across them this Christmas while reading our cherished copy from my great, great, great grandma Kerr, who’s family line is traced back to Scotland… one of our next Adventures we will begin creating in the next coming months!

If you enjoyed these games, let me know in the comments below, and pin to save for later! I would also love to hear if you have heard of any of these games before, or if you have heard of this book, “1000 Family Games” by Reader’s Digest. My copy was published 1972.

I hope you enjoy building your masterpiece this holiday season,

~Alexandra