Ideas for games to keep children busy during the Christmas vacations at home

The Christmas holidays are eagerly anticipated by children, but for parents, finding interesting activities to channel their energy can quickly become a challenge. Here is a comprehensive and varied selection of games and activities to keep your children busy at home, while creating memorable family memories.

 

 

 

Why keep children busy during the Christmas holidays?

 

While holidays are a welcome break, they can quickly lead to boredom if children have nothing to do. Yet, these times are an ideal opportunity to:

 

• • Foster their development: By combining fun and learning, children develop their creativity, motor skills, and imagination.
  
  
• • Create moments of family bonding: Family activities strengthen ties and allow for the sharing of unique moments.
  
  
• • Avoid conflicts and boredom: Busy children are often more cooperative and less prone to causing disputes.

 

 

 

Craft activities to stimulate creativity

1. Making personalized Christmas decorations

 

Creating DIY decorations is an activity that amuses children while allowing them to partake in the magic of Christmas.

 

• Ideas:
  
  
  •    • Paper garlands: Cut and assemble motifs such as snowflakes, Christmas trees, or stars.
    
    
  •    • Salt dough ornaments: Mix flour, water, and salt to shape decorations. Once dry, paint them with festive colors.
    
    
  •    • Personalized candle holders: Use glass jars to create lanterns by decorating them with glitter, colored paper, or drawings.

 

2. Greeting card workshop

 

A simple yet always pleasing activity, especially when it is intended for grandparents or friends.

 

• • Necessary materials: Colored cardboard, pens, glitter, stickers.
  
  
• Bonus ideas:
  
  
  •    • Add fingerprints to create patterns (such as reindeer or Christmas trees).
    
    
  •    • Insert a message written by the children to make the cards even more special.

 

3. Festive cooking for little gourmets

 

Bringing children into the kitchen is an excellent way to keep them busy while teaching them useful skills.

• • Decorating Christmas cookies: Prepare cookies and let the children decorate them with icing and candies.
  
  
• • Gingerbread houses: Build a house to assemble and decorate with icing sugar and colorful candies.
  
  
• • Homemade chocolates: Melt chocolate and pour it into molds shaped like Christmas trees or snowflakes.

 

 

 

Interactive games for family moments

 

4. Christmas treasure hunt

 

There's nothing like a thematic treasure hunt to captivate the attention of children.

• Preparation:
  
  

  •    • Hide festive objects (small gifts, chocolates, decorations) around the house.
    
    
  •    • Write clues related to Christmas, such as: "I am tall and bright, and you see me shine in the living room" (referring to the Christmas tree).
    
    

• • Tip: Add a challenge at each stage, such as singing a verse of a Christmas carol or solving a small puzzle.

 

5. Christmas Bingo

An easy game to organize and perfect for entertaining the whole family.

• How to play:
  
  
  •    • Create cards with Christmas motifs: reindeer, stars, gifts, snowmen, etc.
    
    
  •    • Draw the motifs at random and distribute prizes to the winners.

 

6. Christmas Pictionary

 

Have fun drawing elements related to Christmas and let the rest of the family guess.

• • Ideas to draw: a sleigh, Santa Claus, a snowball, twinkling garlands.
  
  
• • Variant: For the little ones, propose simpler riddles or predefined drawings that they can color.

 

 

 

Active games to expend energy indoors

7. Reindeer race

 

Transform your living room into a racetrack with this hilarious activity.

• • Materials: Reindeer ears to make or print, a stopwatch to time.
  
  
• • How to play: Have the children run with obstacles to avoid, such as cushions or garlands laid on the floor.
  
  
  

8. Indoor snowball fight!

 

A perfect game to let off steam without risking breaking anything.

• • Materials needed: Cotton balls, cushions to define areas.
  
  
• • Rules: Divide the room into two camps and organize a battle where each must avoid being hit by a "snowball".
  
  
  

9. Crown tossing

 

Recycle everyday objects for a simple and fun game.

• Preparation:
  
  
  •    • Use a cardboard cone or a bottle as a target.
    
    
  •    • Make rings from cardboard or use decorative crowns.
    
    
  •    • Goal: Toss the rings so they land on the target.

 

 

 

Educational games and calm activities

10. Theatrical reading of Christmas stories

Turn a quiet moment into an interactive experience.

• How to do it:
  
  
  •    • Read Christmas stories while adjusting the tone or adding accessories (such as a Santa hat).
    
    
  •    • Invite children to embody certain characters to make the reading even more lively.
    
    
    

11. Christmas Quiz

 

Test the knowledge of the whole family about Christmas!

• Possible questions:
  
  
  •    • What are the names of Santa's reindeer?
    
    
  •    • What color is the traditional Santa suit?
    
    
  •    • What gifts were offered in the legend of the Magi?
    
    
• • Tip: Prepare symbolic rewards to motivate participants.

 

 

 

DIY games: Economical and fun activities

12. Puppet theater

Encourage children's imagination by having them create a show.

• • Materials needed: Socks, buttons, thread, and scissors.
  
  
• How to play:
  
  
  •    • Make simple puppets.
    
    
  •    • Let the children invent their own story or reenact a Christmas tale.
    
    
    

13. Making a memory calendar

 

A playful and sentimental project.

• • Idea: Each day of the holidays, write down a significant memory or draw a special moment, then add it to a wall calendar.

 

 

 

Tips for adapting games to children's ages

 

• • For 3-5 year-olds: Choose simple and supervised activities, like coloring, puzzles, or sensory games (mystery boxes, play dough).
  
  
• • For 6-9 year-olds: Offer more interactive challenges, like treasure hunts or DIY crafts.
  
  
• • For 10-12 year-olds: Focus on collaborative or strategic activities, like quizzes or game creation.

 

With a bit of organization and lots of imagination, keeping children busy during the Christmas holidays becomes a fun experience for them as well as for the parents. Between manual activities, interactive games, and calm moments like reading, there is enough to fill the days while strengthening family bonds.

These simple and accessible ideas will transform your home into a true festive workshop. And you, which of these activities will you try first? 🎄

 

 

 

By the MySuperSuit team