You have a dilemma. Either you are a parent going to a holiday party and you want to make sure your children have a good time but are still well-behaved. Or you are the host of a celebration and have the dual task of providing fun for all ages while also keeping everyone safe (and your house intact!). Don’t worry, keeping kids entertained during a holiday party is easier than you think!

Below are a number of great ideas for how to ensure kids enjoy the holiday party too.

   

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#1 – Get the Kids Outside

   

Allowing the children to play outside during the party has numerous benefits.

First of all, the kids aren’t breaking anything in the house. Also, their toys aren’t spread all over the floor becoming a tripping hazard for your Great-Aunt Judy. Plus, outdoor activities will get some of their wild and crazy energy out.

Have parents take turns supervising so someone doesn’t get stuck outside the whole time (unless that’s where they’d rather be).

• Go sledding

• Build a snowman

• Have a snowball fight

• Paint the snow

• Build a snow fort

• Walk the family’s dog

   

#2 – Arts & Crafts

   

Arts and crafts can get messy but they don’t have to be.

Select materials depending on the ages and abilities of the children. Hint, no glitter (just trust me on this one).

Place a plastic drop cloth, bed sheet, or tablecloth on the floor below the supplies to make cleanup easier!

• Make ornaments (I love these super easy pipe cleaner candy canes)

• Decorate sugar cookies

• Coloring books

• Design gingerbread houses

• Decorate a felt tree

• Color the tablecloth

       

#3 – Give Them a Job

   

Put the kids to work! Seriously, children love to help. Giving kids a special job will make them feel important and help keep them busy.

• Create place cards

• Take dessert orders from each guest

• Be “Santa” and hand out all the gifts

• Bring dirty dishes to the kitchen

• Pass around cookies

• Be the trash basket and catch all the wrapping paper during gift opening

   

#4 – Music Time

   

The holidays are a perfect time to entertain children with music.

• Have a dance party

• Play instruments

• Sing-a-long to Christmas songs

   

#5 – Activities for Babies and Toddlers

   

• Sensory bins (example 1, example 2, example 3)

• Activity cube

• Exersaucer or Jumperoo (if you don’t have one, borrow one from friends/family or check out Facebook Marketplace for a steal!)

   

#6 – Active Indoor Ideas

   

If it is too dark or cold to play outside, these indoor activities are just as fun for children. Bonus, it is unlikely anything will break or anyone will get injured playing these games inside.

• Snowballs (these were a hit at two of our parties last year)

• Balloons (blown up balloons can keep young kids entertained for a long time)

• Reindeer ring toss

• Bubble machine

       

#7 – Quiet Ideas

   

If it is time for the kids to settle down or the children prefer more sedate activities, here are some ideas for quiet entertainment.

• Read books (check some out from your local library for free! – great Christmas books for toddlers)

• Play a movie (take a look at this guide to great Christmas movies)

• Board games

• Cards

• Water Wow! pads

• Puzzles

• Sticker books

• Magnetic drawing boards

   

#8 – A Big Event

   

If you want to really impress people and be the best holiday host/hostess ever, plan an activity that the children will remember for years to come.

• Face painting (give a “big kid” the job of face painting or hire a local high schooler)

• A visit from Santa with a small gift for each child

• Sleigh ride or wagon ride

   

I hope this list of ideas for how to keep kids entertained during a holiday party has given you some direction. Making sure the children are occupied and happy can be a Christmas gift in itself!