It’s hard to contain children’s excitement at this time of year, and who would want to!? Plan an early Christmas party for the kids to kick off their festive celebrations, get them into the holiday spirit and release some enthusiasm. It might see you through until December 25th with your sanity intact!
It’s a busy time of year with all that Christmas shopping, wrapping up the gifts and planning to do, so there’s no need to go overboard with the jingle-bells and whistles. Stick to party fail safes when it comes to food and games and give them a seasonal twist; you can keep it simple and still create a magical party, saving valuable energy for Christmas planning.
A children’s Christmas party is a great opportunity to use party plates and tableware with a bright Christmas theme, a seasonal backdrop for their preferred party foods. Friendly Christmas characters You’ll be using your best crockery and more sophisticated Christmas party decorations over Christmas with all the family, so the brighter the better here when it’s just for kids! Streamers and other paper decorations are inexpensive and will effectively deck out the room.
Santa’s Little Helpers
The fun needn’t break the bank; at an expensive time of year, why not try some creative activities Lay down plenty of newspaper and get them to make some Christmas cards using potato stamps and silver paint or glitter, wrapping-paper shapes and glue.
If you prefer, get everyone into an apron and have a Christmas biscuit-decorating session. You can buy or bake the biscuits in advance and provide different coloured icings and toppings, such as sweets.
Children will love to get involved in the Christmas preparations and will have something special to take to their loved ones at home-time.
Rocking around the Christmas Tree
Try a seasonal spin on traditional party games to keep kids amused inside. How about a game of Christmas-related charades; or pass the Christmas parcel? You could hide chocolate coins around the house for a proper treasure hunt, and play musical snowmen to a festive soundtrack; just make sure they freeze when the music stops! Get them each to have a go at an exciting Christmas piñata. Hang prizes on the tree or place them underneath it, to find after each game.
Festive Feasting
At each place at the tea table, place a cracker with their name on, or perhaps something for them to wear; a Santa hat, some reindeer antlers or a Rudolf-red nose.
Keep it simple and go for favourite party staples, but give the presentation a festive spin. Satsumas are child-friendly easy-peelers and packed with cold-busting vitamin C and a bowl of them will brighten up any table. Give some favourite sweet or savoury sandwiches a fun twist: roll up fillings in bread and slice into pinwheels, or cut into triangles and stack them up like a Christmas tree, dotted with cherry tomato ‘baubles’.
Add edible glitter to jewel-coloured jellies for some seasonal sparkle. Popcorn can be shaken in melted butter, sugar and cinnamon for extra winter warmth. For a festive finale, a chocolate Yule log will provide a show-stopping cake, complete with alpine accessories, such as skiers and reindeer, on top.
Jingle Bells
With the prospect of so many presents just around the corner, it’s great to fill kids’ party bags with something a bit different to add to the Christmas build-up. When it’s time for their sleighs arrive to take them home, why not put a decoration for the tree into their party bag along with a few sweets? They’ll enjoy adding it to their tree at home and will keep it year on year. As a twist on the party bag, why not send them each off with a little stocking instead?
If you would like to send them off with something more than a full tummy, a Letters to Santa Kit will ensure a buzz of excitement and remind them all that a visit from Father Christmas is not far away – and that he only visits little children who are good!
An extra something, like a little labelled bag of glitter and oats to scatter on the doorstep on Christmas eve especially for the reindeer will enhance the magic of it all. A really special finale could be a surprise early visit from Father Christmas himself, to hand everyone their party bag and to listen to their Christmas wishes.
