Christmas games for children

The focus is on games you can play with your kids at home - you don't need to be throwing a party or entertaining guests.

These ideas are just for you and your kids!

Here you'll find games which involve having fun with your Christmas tree, singing Christmas songs and using a Christmas stocking to play games. There's also a nice Santa activity (one of my favorites!) and a story suggestion.

Christmas games for children inspired by the Christmas tree!

You don't have to add them all at once - pop one treat per child per day onto the tree in the morning during Christmas and let your children enjoy!

Each little surprise package can contain different things every day:

• a promise of an activity you'll do that day
• a clue to something they have to find around the house - this could be the start of a little treasure hunt if you like
• small party favor games
• a coin wrapped up in silver foil
• a printable activity - dot to dot or coloring in. Scroll up the printout and tie it with a ribbon, then attach to the tree...
• ...and you could get the kids to make something themselves to put on the tree for Mom and Dad for Christmas Day

What's that on the Christmas tree?
More daily Christmas tree fun - attach something that has nothing to do with Christmas and see if the kids can spot what it is!

You could try one of Daddy's socks, a plastic spoon, a piece of rolled up newspaper, or a ping-pong ball.

Where's the Christmas tree fairy?
Here's one of my favorite Christmas games for children.

You may already have one Christmas tree fairy on your tree - and we enjoy taking her off late at night when nobody's looking, and hiding her around the house!

In the morning - ask the kids where that naughty fairy has gone! Tell them she must be hiding somewhere. The kids race off to find her, give her a good telling-off once found, and pop her back on the tree.

This one really gets the kids laughing - especially if you can find a very naughty looking fairy! You could use a Santa decoration or Christmas elf as an alternative.

Guess what's under the Christmas tree
You can use a blanket for this, along with a selection of every day objects. Hide the item under the blanket and pop it under or near the tree. Your little one has to try to guess what is hidden.

You can give clues first of all to see if they can guess without feeling. Then they can pat the top of the blanket and see what they think. Then they can feel under the blanket, too!

Your child might like to choose something for you to guess next time round.

Christmas song games

Jingle bells sleigh ride
Use a sturdy plastic playmat or a box to drag your little one around the room in a pretend sleigh.

Give them some kids' jingly hand bells to ring, pop a Santa hat on their head - and off you go, singing Jingle Bells and riding in the sleigh! Finish with a tickle :)

12 Days of Christmas
This Christmas game for children will get you fit! Print out a set of large numbers 1 - 12, or use flashcards if handy. Arrange the numbers in a line on the floor and sing the song.

Every time you say a number, you must go and stand by that number. Then you'll find yourself jumping from number twelve to number one by the end - after which, you can have another slice of Christmas cake!

Or get moving a little more with...

We Wish You a Merry Christmas action game
Sing through We Wish You a Merry Christmas. Each time you say the word "wish", throw a ball to each other.

Do this a couple of times. Then change the action. You can

• bounce the ball
• each throw a ball up in the air
• sit down and stand up
• jump
• turn round on the spot

Christmas stocking games

Take one out - how many are there now?

Add two - what does that make?

What's missing?
Place five different color bricks or building blocks in a row.

Get your child to turn round and look away.

Then take one of the bricks and put it into the stocking. Which brick is now missing?

You can make this Christmas game for children more complicated by using two of each color. First of all take two yellow bricks and hide them in the stocking. That's easy!

But how about removing one green and one blue? Or one blue and two red?

Alternatively, place five or ten Christmas objects on the table, and hide one of them in the stocking. Can your child spot what's missing?

Cookies for Santa (and carrots for Rudolph!)

In my household, Santa's job is to leave the Christmas stocking on the end of the bed. I still remember waking up every Christmas morning as a child, and wriggling my feet about to see if I could hear the stocking rustling - pure delight!

Of course, Santa's reindeer would also like a snack - so why not leave a small bag of carrots outside the front door on Christmas Eve? I have no idea if reindeer eat carrots usually, but our ones loved them :)

Don't forget to leave evidence that Santa has eaten some of the cookies and that the reindeer, or just Rudolph if you like, have munched the carrots!

Settle down for the Gingerbread Man story

That cheeky little Gingerbread Man! Kids love this story, and love repeating that refrain as the story develops.

It's a nice one to read at Christmas time... especially if you've been baking a batch of tasty little gingerbread men served up with a mug of warm milk or hot chocolate for supper after you've read the story!

Wishing you and yours a wonderful Christmas!